China Daily

Ex- soldiers granted medals for resisting US aggression

- By ZHANG YANGFEI zhangyangf­ei@ chinadaily. com. cn

Veterans of the Chinese People’s Volunteers have been granted memorial medals for their contributi­ons in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea ( 1950- 53).

The medals were presented to living veterans and other personnel in the name of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission as China celebrates the

70th anniversar­y of the

CPV entering the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the war. A meeting to commemorat­e the 70th anniversar­y will be held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday.

The medal is made of gold- plated copper and silver and has a diameter of 50 millimeter­s. The center of the medal bears an image of a CPV soldier standing against a backdrop of 70 beams of light, surrounded by a dove of peace, rippling water and the national flags of China and the DPRK.

The outer ring of the medal also adopts features of five- pointed stars, laurel leaves, arrows and the azalea flower.

In a report on the issuing of the medal, Xinhua News Agency said it symbolizes that the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was “a war of justice fought to safeguard peace and resist aggression”, and that “the great spirit demonstrat­ed in the war will always be the invaluable wealth of the Chinese people”.

The report added that the medal represents “China’s firm determinat­ion and confidence in defying its enemies, safeguardi­ng world peace and building a community with a shared future for mankind”.

The awarding of the medal was part of a series of commemorat­ions that started earlier this week. On Monday, an exhibition dedicated to the war opened at the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution in Beijing, displaying artworks, photos, documents, badges and cultural relics.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Central Military Commission’s Political Work Department sent a letter to veterans and their families expressing regards and respect.

The letter said the victory in the war “maintained peace in Asia and the world, consolidat­ed the newly founded People’s Republic of China, broke the myth of the invincibil­ity of US imperialis­m, displayed the might of the nation and greatly enhanced national confidence and pride”.

The CPV soldiers sacrificed their lives and fought bravely in bloody battles, winning a relatively stable and peaceful environmen­t for domestic economic and social developmen­t. They were never forgotten by the Party and the country who have done everything possible to honor them, it said.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made clear instructio­ns on the work of commemorat­ing martyrs. Relevant military department­s and authoritie­s have continuous­ly improved their services and guided all of society to better appreciate these heroes, the letter said.

It also emphasized the importance of inheriting the legacy of these martyrs and bearing original aspiration­s in mind to strive for the realizatio­n of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenati­on of the Chinese nation.

 ?? LI HE / XINHUA ?? Memorial medal for veterans who fought in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea ( 195053)
LI HE / XINHUA Memorial medal for veterans who fought in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea ( 195053)

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