File photo

 
Names of the four martyrs who sacrificed lives in the deadly Galwan Valley border clash with Indian troops in 2020 now appear at the road signs along the G219 highway, which runs from Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as a way of commemorating those heroes who have become the epitome of Chinese people's ever-growing patriotic sentiment. 

Along the G219 highway, 11 bridges are now named after the martyrs and their hometowns including Xiangrong bridge, Siyuan bridge, Zhuoran bridge and Hongjun bridge, as some pictures circulating online showed. 

Hongjun refers to Chen Hongjun, a border defense hero who held his post on the plateau for 10 years and died during the China-India border spat on June 15, 2020. And Xiangrong reminds Chinese people of Chen Xiangrong, another martyr who sacrificed his life in the border standoff with India, whose touching words "pure love, only for the country" are still remembered by many people. 

Another two martyrs died in the same clash were Xiao Siyuan and Wang Zhuoran.

In February 2021, the Central Military Commission issued commendations to the servicemen for their role in bravely fighting back provocations by foreign forces in the Galwan Valley. The title of "Border-defending Hero" was conferred posthumously to Battalion Commander Chen Hongjun, while Chen Xiangrong, Xiao Siyuan and Wang Zhuoran received first-class merits.

Qi Fabao, a PLA regiment commander, suffered a serious head injury during the Galwan Valley border skirmish. 
The five heroes who fought bravely defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity - Qi Fabao, Chen Hongjun, Chen Xiangrong, Xiao Siyuan, and Wang Zhuoran - were also selected as candidates for the eighth national campaign of China's ethical role models in July 2021. They have been nominated the country's ethical role models. 

Some netizens shared their comments on the pictures of those bridges named after those heroes, and one netizen said "the heroes have never gone far away from us." "Pay tribute! We'll always remember you," another netizen said. 

On September 29, Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, revealed at a regular press conference that in line with the consensus reached in the 16th Round of the China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting, the front-line troops of the two militaries in the area of Jianan Daban recently staged disengagement simultaneously in a planned manner, and the disengagement of Chinese and Indian troops in the area of Jianan Daban is conducive to promoting peace and tranquility in the border areas.

China hopes China and India will continue to work together in the same direction, strictly abide by the agreements and consensus reached between the two countries, maintain communication and dialogue, effectively manage differences, and jointly safeguard the security and stability in border areas, according to the spokesperson. 


Global Times