Venue: Press Conference Room of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee　

Date: July 21, 2021

Moderator: Xing Huina, deputy director general of the International Publicity Bureau and spokesperson of the Publicity Department

                     of the CPC Central Committee　

Guests: Zhao Yongqian, deputy head of the Inner Mongolia General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA

        Sun Chao, police officer at the Khunjerab Border Inspection Station of the Xinjiang General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier

                 Inspection of NIA

        Wang Jing, instructor of the Third Team of the Second Detachment at the Beijing General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier

                 Inspection of NIA

        An Shilin, head of the Sanjiazi Border Police Station of the Yanbian Border Management Brigade at the Jilin General Station

                 of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA

        Suolang Dajie, instructor of the Nagarze Detachment of the Shannan Border Management Brigade at the Tibet General Station

                 of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA

 

Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a press conference to meet with Chinese and foreign media at 15:00 on July 21, 2021 (Wednesday), and outstanding Party members and representative police officers of NIA were invited to meet and exchange with Chinese and foreign media on "building an immigration administration team with ironclad faith, firm convictions, strict discipline, and a strong sense of responsibility to maintain security and stability at China's borders."

 

[Xing Huina]:

Friends from the press, good afternoon! Welcome to this press conference. Being redesignated from the former Chinese People's Armed Police Force (CAPF) Border Defense Force and exit-entry administration authorities, immigration administration police officers are a new type of police force carrying forward both the spirit of all the revolutionary martyrs and the glorious tradition of the people's public security force. Today, five outstanding Party members among them are invited to meet and share ideas with you on "building an immigration administration team with ironclad faith, firm convictions, strict discipline, and a strong sense of responsibility to maintain security and stability at China's borders." They are: Mr. Sun Chao, a police officer at the Khunjerab Border Inspection Station of the Xinjiang General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA; Mr. Zhao Yongqian, deputy head of the Inner Mongolia General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA; Ms. Wang Jing, instructor of the Third Team of the Second Detachment at the Beijing General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA; Mr. An Shilin, head of the Sanjiazi Border Police Station of the Yanbian Border Management Brigade at the Jilin General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA; Mr. Suolang Dajie, instructor of the Nagarze Detachment of the Shannan Border Management Brigade at the Tibet General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA.

 

Now let's welcome the five representatives to introduce themselves briefly. First, Mr. Sun Chao, please.

 

[Sun Chao]

Good afternoon! I'm Sun Chao, a soldier-turned-police officer at the Khunjerab Border Inspection Station of the Xinjiang General Station of Exit- Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA. This year marks my 25th year defending the border in the Pamir Mountains. I joined the army at my hometown Gaobeidian, Hebei Province, and left for Khunjerab on December, 1996. Known as the "Forbidden Land", Khunjerab is located in the Pamir Mountains with an average altitude of more than 4,000 meters, half of the oxygen content in the air compared to that on plains. The frost-free season here lasts less than 60 days, the wind force scale reached over eight all year round, and the minimum temperature is minus 40 degrees. There goes a saying in the local area: "No birds in the sky, no grass on the land. Wind moves the stone; oxygen does not suffice. Wind blows all year round from spring to winter." This is the vivid description of the bitter cold living environment here in the plateau.

 

Back then, all the supplies for the Khunjerab Border Inspection Station were transported from Kashgar, which is over 300 kilometers far away. Potatoes and onions were our most frequent choices because they can be transported more easily and stored for a relatively long time. However, vitamin intake was relatively low as fresh vegetables were not available on the plateau. With that in mind, I began to learn planting and breeding in the plateau area, with a focus on vegetable planting to deal with symptoms caused by vitamin deficiency such as deformed nails, hair loss, and ulcers in the corners of mouth. I managed to plant cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and other vegetables on the plateau after five years. We failed thousands of times before we are able to grow 39 kinds of vegetables by far. With the support from the Party, I also taught the local Tajik people how to plant and breed and helped them build greenhouses. I've truly got a sense of self-fulfillment seeing local people get richer.

 

After the institutional restructuring of the CAPF Border Defense Force in 2018, I chose to continue to defend the borders for our country in the plateau. Thank you!

 

[Xing Huina]:

Thank you, Sun Chao. Now let's welcome Mr. Zhao Yongqian.

 

[Zhao Yongqian]

Good afternoon! I'm Zhao Yongqian, an immigration administration police officer. I am now the deputy head of the Inner Mongolia General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA. In 1989, I was enlisted in the former CAPF Border Defense Force. During my 32 years of grass-roots work experience, I have grown from an ordinary soldier to a leader at the grass-roots unit with the help from the Party. It has become my conviction to follow in the footsteps of the Party.

 

When the institutional restructuring of national immigration administration started, I was the political commissar and secretary of the CPC committee of Xilingol League border defense detachment as a single supervisor. At that time, my daughter was seriously ill, and she was in dire need of my care and company. It was a difficult choice for me to stay here and lead the restructuring efforts or retire to go home and take care of my daughter. In the end, driven by the sense of mission and responsibility, I stayed and led all police officers and soldiers of the detachment through a successful institutional restructuring. Like tens of thousands of other immigration administration police officers, I just fulfilled my job responsibilities and did what a Party member should do, yet I was awarded a supreme honor, which I suppose should belong to every immigration administration police officer.

 

Going forward, I will resolutely follow the instructions and guidance of the Party, defend the borders of our motherland, and do my job well to safeguard national political security, maintain safety and stability of ports and borders, and ensure that people at the borders live and work in peace and contentment. Thank you!

 

[Xing Huina]:

Thank you. Now let's welcome Ms. Wang Jing.

 

[Wang Jing]

Friends from the press, good afternoon! I'm Wang Jing from the Third Team of the Second Detachment at the Beijing General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA. As an immigration administration police officer, I'm responsible for exit-entry frontier inspection at airports.

 

Over the past 16 years, I have served 1.2 million exit-entry passengers and have become the youngest inspector at Beijing General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection who has served over a million passengers with no error, a record not yet broken so far. In the effort to prevent imported COVID-19 cases last year, my colleagues and I have been working in the T3-D division of Beijing Capital International Airport. We handled frontier inspection procedures for entry personnel at Beijing port, provided data support to relevant pandemic prevention and control departments, and did our best in pandemic prevention and control.

 

Whether in daily inspection or pandemic prevention and control, maintaining national security, people's safety, supporting socio-economic development, and ensuring the safety and stability of national borders and ports remain my mission and responsibility and the only standard to measure my work performance. My colleagues and I will build a line of defense, take the lead in all our work, and defend our national borders for the Party and people with ironclad faith, firm convictions, strict discipline, and a strong sense of responsibility. Thank you!

 

[Xing Huina]:

Thank you. Now let's welcome Mr. An Shilin.

 

[An Shilin]:

Friends from the press, good afternoon. I'm An Shilin from the Sanjiazi Border Police Station of the Yanbian Border Management Brigade at the Jilin General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA. I'm an immigration administration police officer defending the border of Jilin Province. I work in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, China's only Korean autonomous prefecture and largest Korean community. Sanjiazi Manchu Autonomous Township, located along the bank of Tumen River, is a border village inhabited by the Korean, Manchu, Han, and other ethnic groups.

 

Over the past 16 years, I've been working at the grass-roots level in the countryside, and the local people there are my best teachers because I learned much from interactions with them. I have always stayed honest, patient and considerate in my work as an immigration administration police officer, so that people within the area where I serve can live comfortably and at ease. Their sense of happiness and gains have been continuously enhanced through measures such as introducing programs like "Village Broadcast", "Villagers' Talk", and setting up "Garrison Care Fund" that bring convenience and care to them.

 

In the meantime, I was honored by the Party organizations at different levels, for instance, model individual for national unity and progress, outstanding police officer for the people, and Top Ten National Gate Guardians of national immigration administration authority at the first commendation conference. The honor that I've cherished the most and been most proud of is the "Honorary Villager" title given by the Gucheng Village Committee, since it demonstrates the villagers' recognition for my work and they've treated me as their relative, friend, and brother. Thank you.

 

[Xing Huina]:

Thank you. Now let's welcome Mr. Suolang Dajie.

 

[Suolang Dajie]:

Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Suolang Dajie, a political instructor of the Nagarze Detachment of the Shannan Border Management Brigade at the Tibet General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection of NIA. Over the previous 12 years as a police officer, I've been working in the border area with an altitude of over 4,000 meters to safeguard border stability and serve the people. In 2016, I volunteered to work in Puma Jiangtang Border Police Station, the highest plateau police station (5,373 meters) across the country. During my four years at the police station, I visited every household in the villages within the area of jurisdiction to solve problems for the people.

 

Back then, people nicknamed me "Big Ear Director" as I have a pair of big ears. During that time, we rescued a total of more than 500 visitors and over 200 vehicles, and helped 13 drop-outs children return to school. I've also funded two students from financially strained families and I hope that they can grow up healthily and pursue studies outside the area to learn more new knowledge.

 

As an immigration administration police officer defending the borders in the land of snow, I will do more for the people living in the border areas and stay true to the mission as a Party member with practical actions. Thank you!

 

[Xing Huina]:

Thank you all for your introduction. Now let's move on to the Q&A session. Please first inform us of your media before raising questions.

 

[China Media Group]:

In March 2018, the CPC Central Committee released the plan on deepening the reform of the Party and state institutions, which clearly pointed out that all the armed police officers were released from active duty and turned to immigration administration police officers. What has changed or remained the same in your work after that? Thank you.

 

[Zhao Yongqian]:

I'll take the question first. Whoever once served in the army would understand the special attachment of soldiers to the troops and military uniforms. The Xilingol Frontier Administration Detachment that I worked for has nearly a thousand officers and soldiers. No one wanted to take off their military uniforms when the news came. As a Party member and also a leader, it was my responsibility and obligation to lead efforts to support and carry out the reform.

 

I proceeded with the reform from three aspects. First, I managed to overcome difficulties faced by my own family and stuck to my post, setting an example for others. Moreover, I explained the policies to stabilize thoughts of our officers and soldiers. I would explain the policies to officers and soldiers at the grassroots level as long as I got time, and relax their burden in advancing the reform. In addition, I helped officers and soldiers solve difficulties and leave their worries behind. The CPC committee of our detachment sorted out the difficulties and problems facing the officers and soldiers in the reform, and tried their best to help. The unsolved difficulties and problems were submitted to higher authorities for better solution. By doing this, everyone was assured and had more confidence to engage in the reform. During the restructuring, our detachment maintained firm conviction and regular work, and cracked a series of major and important cases, effectively maintaining the security and stability at the border. Thank you.

 

[Sun Chao]:

I would also like to answer that question. I could have gone home to be with my family during the restructuring. As the longest-serving soldier at the station, I was most far away from my hometown and I also suffered from altitude sickness. For that consideration, I was listed as one of the first batch to be demobilized and transferred to civilian work. However, I chose to stay because I was loath to part with my comrades with whom I spent all my time together and my career to which I dedicated all my passion. The past 25 years I spent at the border witnessed my dedication of my youth and passion to the border of our country and I can no longer leave the Pamir Mountains. My comrades-in-arms and I will stick to our posts, embrace, support and carry out the reform, and contribute our share to the reform that lives up to the Party's expectations. Thank you!

 

[Suolang Dajie]:

I would also like to share my idea about that question. I think changes occurred in three aspects and things remained the same in another three aspects.

 

First, the color of our uniforms has changed. We now wear police uniforms instead of military uniforms. Second, our titles have changed. We are now immigration administration police officers instead of border inspection police officers. Third, our identity has changed. We are now professional police officers instead of military personnel in active service.

 

Three things remain the same: first, our convictions to follow the instructions of the Party and defend the borders remain unchanged; second, our responsibility and mission of maintaining security and stability in border areas and serving the local people have not changed; third, our goals remain the same, that is, for example, in Tibet we are still committed to achieving the prosperity of border areas and enriching the lives of local residents as well as building a new modern socialist Tibet.

 

Before the institutional restructuring, we were mainly responsible for the security and population administration, tourist rescue, and border patrol and control within the jurisdiction area. ‌After that, we the same group of people have been doing the same thing in the same place. ‌In March 2019, less than three months after the institutional restructuring, a blizzard hit our jurisdiction area, and some of the herdsmen's cattle and sheep were stranded in the pastures along the border. They had to move immediately but still lacked pasture grass. ‌After learning about the situation, we immediately organized policemen to transport the grass to the border pasture with our vehicles. ‌It was actually quite dangerous as the heavy snow made it difficult to determine directions and one could easily get lost. The vehicles were highly likely to encounter accidents under such conditions. ‌We finally managed to deliver the pasture grass to the herdsmen against all odds. ‌I was impressed by one of the herdsmen who said that you were no longer soldiers yet you still risked your lives bringing us the grass. ‌He kept saying "thank you" in Tibetan. ‌I was deeply touched. So we feel that we remained unchanged even after the restructuring. ‌Thank you!

 

‌[An Shilin]:

‌I would also like to say a few words. Before the restructuring, we were so called "transient soldiers in the fixed barrack", and after that we have become "permanent policemen in the fixed barrack". In other words, ‌our work used to last for a period of time, but now it lasts forever. Why? ‌When we were in the armed force, the policy allowed us to transfer to civilian jobs independently. After serving for certain years, we could retire from military service, so our work was transient. ‌After the institutional restructuring, we served as immigration administration police officers, and many of us will work at the border until retirement, so our work becomes "permanent".

 

‌For those that remained the same, ‌first, our responsibilities and tasks remain unchanged. We are still responsible for guarding against and cracking down on all kinds of illegal and criminal activities, administrating the residents and public entertainment venues within our jurisdiction area, organizing and guiding units and people to implement safety precautions, offering help upon calling of the people, and providing services for the mass.

 

Moreover, our passion to serve the people remains the same. ‌Lixin Village within our jurisdiction area is well-known for strawberries. However, due to the outbreak of the pandemic last year, no one came to pick strawberries, and as a result strawberries just got rotten in the farmland. The local farmers were really anxious about that, and so were we. As live-streaming commerce went viral at that time, so we gathered all the strawberry growers together and held a meeting to see if we could also sell strawberries through live-streaming. ‌We mobilized more than 200 police officers at the detachment, as well as our family members, relatives, and friends, and helped fruit farmers sell more than 1,500 kilograms of strawberries in a couple of days through WeChat groups, live-streaming and short videos on Moments, increasing their income by over 50,000 yuan.

 

‌It is precisely because we remained passionate for serving the people, they also supported us as always. I got the nickname "Little An" from the residents in our jurisdiction area from the first day I started working at the Sanjiazi Border Police Station. Over the past ‌16 years, I served successively as the deputy director, instructor and the director of a police station, and I am so used to the nickname given by people within the jurisdiction area. I like that name and I will always be "Little An" for the people.

 

‌In the end, our dedication to work remains unchanged. We will continue to bear in mind and fulfill the requirements of being loyal to the Party, serving the people, pursuing justice in law enforcement and being highly disciplined. We will make achievements by dedicating ourselves to our work in the border area and at the grass-roots level. ‌Thank you.

 

‌[Wang Jing]

‌I would also like to say something. ‌Unlike the other four representatives, I didn't experience the change from military uniform to police uniform, but I've gone through the institutional restructuring of immigration administration. ‌There are also something changed and unchanged in my work, too.

 

‌First, our mission has not changed. ‌We used to be and are still responsible for frontier inspection, a critical part in immigration administration after NIA was established. ‌We are mainly responsible for the exit-entry frontier inspection of personnel and transportation vehicles entering and leaving China, administration of restricted areas at ports, review and issuance of temporary entry permits for foreigners, prevention and investigation of illegal entry and exit activities, etc. ‌We always make safeguarding national security and regime safety our top priority, and resolutely ensure the bottom lines for exit-entry administration and port safety.

Two things have changed. ‌First, a series of measures have been introduced to bring more convenience and benefits to the people over the past three years since the establishment of  NIA. ‌For example, the time for Chinese citizens' exit-entry customs clearance is shortened to no more than 30 minutes, channels are opened to facilitate the "Belt and Road", and the 144-hour visa-free transit policy expands to cover more cities. These measures for deepening reform to streamline administration, delegate power, strengthen regulation, and improve services are introduced to bring more convenience to the general public and inbound and outbound passengers. ‌Second, I think that immigration administration team is a brand new force of law enforcement reborn from the reform of the CPC and state institutions, which provides a broader and more promising stage for development of the police officers. ‌We police officers are more motivated and energetic. Everyone of us expressed our willingness to contribute our own strengths and enhance the image of China in the world. ‌That's my understanding about the changed and unchanged. ‌Thank you!

 

‌[Red Star News]:  ‌

Under regular epidemic prevention and control, prevention of imported COVID-19 cases remains a top priority for China. ‌Ms. Wang Jing, as an immigration administration police officer working at the frontline at borders and ports, what have you and your colleagues done to guard against imported COVID-19 cases? ‌What impressed you the most in dealing with the risk of imported cases? ‌Thank you!

 

‌[Wang Jing] ‌

Thanks for your question. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, we immigration administration police officers have been working day and night in exercising strict control in China's 22,000-kilometer borderline and 308 open ports, and undertaking the glorious and arduous task of building the first line of defense at borders and ports. The national immigration authorities always regard pandemic prevention and control as our top priority, and have made timely and decisive adjustments to exit-entry administration measures. We strictly executed the policy to allow cargo conveyance while tightening restrictions on human mobility, suspended port visa and visa-free transit policies for foreign travelers, conducted screening and release of outbound and inbound cargo flights at designated areas, and restricted personnel from embarking on and crew members from disembarking from inbound and outbound vessels from pandemic-affected countries，and restricted these vessels from berthing alongside other vessels under non-essential circumstances All these measures were introduced to control the cross-border flow of personnel and tighten control at borders and ports.

 

At the same time, through optimizing early warning services using big data analysis of immigration administration, we reported over 2 million pieces of information of personnel from high-risk areas to customs, health and quarantine departments, in which 2,105 confirmed cases were found, contributing to winning the fight against the epidemic.

 

Faced with the risk of imported cases, what struck me the most is the pioneering and responsible spirit of our Party member police officers. During border inspection, we have to make face-to-face contacts with exit-entry passengers who need to take off masks and face shields for the inspector to check their facial features against the photos on their ID cards and answer questions from us. It undoubtedly heightens the risk of getting infected.

 

Faced with such high risks, everyone at the Beijing General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection, from the grey-haired veterans to young colleagues who joined the force not long ago, submitted petitions to join the commando to fight against the pandemic in the most dangerous frontline. No one ever flinched from the task of preventing the re-entry of coronavirus.

 

I remember a young colleague of mine, a Party member born in the 1990s, asked me to write "Serve the country with my supreme loyalty" on the back of his protective clothing when he went to the T3-D special zone for the first time. This not only demonstrates his solemn commitment, but also the patriotism and sense of responsibility that are engraved in the mind of immigration administration police officers.

 

Another colleague of mine who missed the moment his wife giving birth to his daughter as he had to stay on duty on that day. When being asked whether he felt sorry for missing such important moment in life, he replied, "As a Party member, I should stay on duty at that time. Although I didn't spent enough time with my wife and daughter, I'm doing my job to protect hundreds of thousands of families, and my family will understand me." Without any grandiloquence, what we did demonstrate is our spirit and pride. As long as the Party and the people need us, every immigration administration police officer stands ready to stay on duty and sacrifice everything at critical and dangerous moments without any hesitation. Thank you.

 

[China News Service]:

At the ceremony for the centenary of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping put forward the great founding spirit of the Party, noting "remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind". As an immigration administration police officer, can you share with how do you live up to the words? Thank you.

 

[Zhao Yongqian]:

I'll answer your question first. As an important law enforcement force defending ports and borders under the leadership of the CPC, our immigration administration troop comes from the people and inherits the red gene and red blood flows through our veins. My father was also a police officer defending the borders. He worked in the border area for nearly 40 years. In my memory, my father has always been hard-working, rain or shine, all the year round, and was away from home for most of the time. I still remember that he would put on his military uniform and set off at dawn riding a horse. And we would not be able to see him for the following 10 to 15 days. There is a doggerel in my hometown, which vividly depicts the work and life of border guards: "Three tents and one wok / dry bread with melted ice water / guard the border rain or shine / go patrolling with camels and horses."

 

An old colleague of mine also impressed me a lot. More than 20 years ago, the director of the police station where I used to work is called Zhamusu who started out to work at grassroots level. His excellent work won him a title of "Outstanding Individual in Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress". On the National Day of 1999, he had the honor of being invited to Tian'anmen Square to watch the National Day Parade celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on the viewing stand. Later, he left the army and changed his career, but he settled down in the border area. He dedicated his whole life to his beloved land here. I saw the kind of loyalty to the Party on him, just like many other obscure border guards. This is what I learned from him, which continues to inspire me.

 

As an immigration administration police officer in the new era, I believe, to stay true to our original aspiration and founding mission, we need to inherit the tradition of being loyal to the Party, devote ourselves to the border areas selflessly, and fulfill the obligations and missions entrusted by the Party and the people to ensure the security and stability of the ports and borders. Thank you!

 

[Sun Chao]:

My original aspiration is quite simple: putting on my military uniform and guarding the border areas. It never changed. No matter in the face of material temptations or the torture from illnesses, I have never thought about leaving Khunjerab. I often wonder, when I get older and recall my life story, I can proudly tell others that I dedicated my whole life to the border areas and immigration administration, which has been a fulfilling journey.

 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. I attended the celebration event at Tian'anmen Square. As a Party member, this is the biggest honor the Party gives me. I was deeply proud and will continue to press ahead. General Secretary Xi Jinping once said, "One who wants to stride ahead should not forget the path that was trodden. No matter how far we will travel and to whatever bright future, we should not forget what we have done and why we set out to do it." As an ex-serviceman, whether being a border guard of the armed force or an immigration administration police officer, I have never changed my original aspiration. I will continue to pursue my original aspiration, guard the border areas together with my comrades, stay on duty for the safety of the people as well as contribute our efforts in the building of the border areas. Thank you!

 

[Suolang Dajie]

I would also like to answer this question. I'm grateful to the Party. Serving the motherland is my original aspiration and mission. During the years of defending the border, I have always been on the front-line of the border areas on the plateau to safeguard the harmony and stability and the daily life of the people in the border areas. It is my way of pursuing my original aspiration and mission. We Tibetans have a saying： "Mother is the greatest person". I was an orphan. The Party gave me a helping hand when I was the most helpless. In the course of my schooling, I got a reduction on my tuition, which enabled me admitted to a university and finally embarked on a career in immigration administration. In the future, I will stay grateful to the Party and follow the instructions and guidance of the Party. I will stay on duty and continue to contribute my efforts in safeguarding the harmony and stability of the border areas. At the same time, I will carry on the spirit conveyed in our slogan of "being tough in the harsh environment of the plateau". I will strive to be the guardian of the sacred land, the builder of a happy homeland, and make unremitting efforts to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation at an early date. Thank you!

 

[An Shilin]:

Recently, I'm studying the speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China, and I was deeply inspired by it. I feel that a person's life can be too short to focus on more than one thing. But a person's life can also be long enough for one who tries his or her best in the areas that they are passionate about. For me, being an immigration administration police officer, providing good services for the people and making them satisfied will always be the top priority in my career. No matter where I go and how many honors I receive, these will always be my original aspiration and mission. To my mind, to make the people satisfied is to continue to go all out to do practical work, bring benefits and address concerns for them while keeping safeguarding the security and stability of the border areas, ensuring people's well-being as well as promoting ethnic unity and progress. I will always be a dear friend of the people's. Thank you!

 

[Wang Jing]:

On July 1, I was invited to the ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China as a role model in the country's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. On Tian'anmen Square, I listened to the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping and was very excited to witness this great moment in history. As immigration administration police officers, we should be absolutely loyal to the Party and always put people's interests first. We should take actions to demonstrate our commitment to the goal of staying true to our original aspiration and founding mission. We need to complete the tasks entrusted to us by the Party and the people with practical actions.

 

I remember that I was only a member of the Communist Youth League of China when I joined the army, and I was struck by the determination, bravery, and sense of responsibility of the Party members around me, who stayed true to their original aspiration, served the people wholeheartedly and never flinched in the face of any emergencies, difficult or dangerous tasks. I would like to do the most valuable and meaningful thing in the world like these outstanding colleagues. So, I submitted my application to join the Party as soon as possible. I think doing practical work is the best way to pursue our original aspiration. During the past 14 years since I joined the Party, I have always been trying to pursue my original aspiration and fulfill my commitment. In a word, I'll go wherever the Party and the people need me, and I'll do whatever the Party and the people need me to do! In the future, I will stay on duty with my colleagues, fulfill duties with great loyalty to present the whole world a country with good image and characters, and strive to be the guardian of national security and people's safety. This is my original aspiration and mission. Thank you!

 

[The Beijing News]:

I have a question for Mr. Zhao Yongqian. During the structural reform of national immigration administration, being a veteran in service for 30 years and facing special difficulty with your family, you could have been able to leave and start a new career. But finally you chose to stay. Could you tell us what motivated you to make this choice? Thank you.

 

[Zhao Yongqian]:

Thank you for your question. Reforms not only concern the security of the borderlands and the stability of the force, but also the family and future of each officer and soldier. Our workload at Xilingol Frontier Inspection Detachment is quite heavy, making us exhausted. To make things worse, my daughter fell ill and needed to be taken care of all the time. I once thought to myself that, compared with comrades who work in front-line harsh environment and considering the arduous missions of reform, my personal difficulties is no big deal. As a Party member and an official, I can't leave at the critical moment when I was needed to stay on duty. To be honest, I'm indebted to the Party organization and I can't allow my personal difficulty to get in the way of the reforms. Therefore, I chose to stay and I must stay. I had to lead my team to be devoted into the reforms, complete our missions, so as to live up to the expectations of the Party and the people. Thank you.

 

[The Cover]:

I have a question for Officer Sun Chao. For the past 25 years, you have been working in Xinjiang, away from your family in Hebei Province. In 2018, you could have been able to be demobilized and return to your family, and start a new career using your know-how in growing vegetables in greenhouses in the plateau region. But you chose to stay in Khunjerab and became an immigration administration police officer. Could you tell us whether your family support you, and do you regret the decision you made? Thank you.

 

[Sun Chao]:

Thank you for your question. My family has been very supportive of my choice, because they know I'm attached to Khunjerab where I spent my youth, and I love Khunjerab and its people. I spent 17 years in my hometown Gaobeidian, Hebei Province, and 25 years in Khunjerab. It's safe to say that my parents gave me life and my life becomes more meaningful because of Khunjerab. Thanks to the Party, I grew from an ordinary child from a village to a border guard of the People's Armed Police, then to an immigration administration police officer now. I cannot get where I am today without the guidance of the CPC. The memory that I had at the Khunjerab Frontier Inspection Station will stay with me for my whole life.

 

As for the second question, I have never regretted for my choice. As a border guard, one should try to make a difference in harsh conditions instead of complaining, and strive to fulfill our missions against all odds. Despite the harsh environment in Xinjiang, my comrades-in-arms and I never flinched in the face of difficulties. As immigration administration police officers led by the Party, we have never regretted for a moment during our time spent in the plateau region, as this is where our common aspiration and mission lie. Under the guidance of the spirit of veterans, which features the tenacity to confront any danger and difficulty, great endurance, strong combat capability, loyalty to the Party, discipline and devotion, we will continue to stay on post and guard the borderlands for the country. With our national strength improving constantly, our country is investing more in the borderlands, and our working conditions are gradually improving. We will stay in the borderlands as always, guarding the security of the nation. Thank you.

 

[Xing Huina]:

Thank you, Officer Sun Chao, for your devotion to the borderlands which has actually been your second hometown.

 

[Beijing Youth Daily]:

I have a question for Mr. An. You just mentioned that Sanjiazi Manchu Autonomous Township where you have worked for 16 years is a multi-ethnic village in the borderlands. Thanks to the relentless efforts of you and your fellows, minor matters are addressed within the village, major matters within the town, and social conflicts resolved locally. As a result, people from different ethnic groups have lived harmoniously and worked together to build beautiful rural areas. Can you share with us your working experience in this regard? Thank you.

 

[An Shilin]:

Thank you for your question. General secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping once called on people of all ethnic groups to unite and strive to build beautiful homeland and create a better future. It indicates Xi's earnest hope for people of all ethnic groups and also the requirements for our work at border police stations. Therefore, we have focused on safeguarding the security and stability of the borderlands and promoting ethnic unity at the same time, and combined the two to advance our work resolutely, mainly in the following aspects:

 

First, consolidating national unity. We established a working station for the national unity and progress and organized themed activities to promote ethnic unity and prosperity and ensure border security on festivals such as Seniors' Day and the anniversary of the founding of the Yanbian Prefecture. By publicizing the ethnic policies of the Party, we have worked to enhance the awareness of the Chinese nation among people of all ethnic groups, and support them to connect with and help each other hand in hand.

 

Second, innovating the working mechanism of police work. Apart from regular visits, patrol and inspections, we also initiated programs popular among the public. For example, "Chat with Villagers" on the 5th, 15th and 25th day of each month, when we would invite villagers to the police office to talk about their worries and troubles. We would answer their questions and help come up with solutions. Another example is the weekly "loudspeaker" program, during which we share legal cases to help improve people's safety awareness with the loudspeaker of the village committee. As a result, we saw a marked drop in the incidence of cases.

 

Third, addressing conflicts at its root. We set up a "Four-Level Conflict Solving United Investigation Group" by integrating the resources of the township government, the local police station, the local judicial office, the village committee and Party branch of the village. The group follows up and mitigates the conflicts or disputes of the public in the first time, so as to nip the problems in the bud. Fourth, laying a solid foundation for mass work. In the spring, we help families who lack labors with farming; in the autumn, we help them harvest; we would also fix the leaking ceilings for the villagers. Over the years, we have implemented many new projects, including vegetable greenhouses, cattle breeding bases, fruits and vegetables production bases and medicinal plants greenhouses. My colleagues have made great efforts for almost all those projects. Some people may wonder, with a major duty of maintaining the stability of local communities, why do you bother to do things like these? I would say that everything we do is to help the people live a comfortable life. We will do everything we can to live up to the people's expectations. Besides, doing practical work for the people wholeheartedly strengthens our bond with the people, wins the heart of the people, and pools the power of the people. It helps lay a solid mass base to "address minor matters within the village and major matters within the town, and resolve the conflicts locally". Thank you.

 

[Southern Metropolis Daily]:

I have a question for Officer Suolang. Some people say that even lying down at work could be a kind of contribution against the harsh environment in Tibet. And you have been working at the highest Puma Jiangtang Border Police Station for a long time. As a post-1985s, you chose to go to Tibet immediately after graduating from the university. Why did you make such a choice? Have you ever encountered any difficulties working at this remote station of the highest altitude in China and how did you overcome them? Thank you.

 

[Suolang Dajie]:

As I mentioned earlier, I lost my parents at 16, who died of illness. And I became an orphan. It was the Party that saved me from desperation. At the time, thanks to the Party member - student twining policy of the West China Education Project, I returned to school for education. Later, I got enrolled into the Southwest Minzu University. Upon graduation, the Tibet Border Defence Force came to our university for recruitment, and I signed up without any hesitation, as joining the army to repay my country is my dream and faith.

 

The biggest challenge I encountered while working in Tibet is the harsh environment. Take the Puma Jiangtang Border Police Station as an example. The station is located at an altitude of 5,373 meters, with an oxygen content of less than 40% the amount at the sea level. You can imagine how hostile the local conditions are. I went to Puma Jiangtang for the first time in 2016. Although I am a Tibetan, I still suffered from altitude sickness and a serious headache. Later, I learned from my colleagues that most of them also suffered various illnesses endemic to the plateau region, such as hair loss, higher blood viscosity, HAPE, and some even got gout.

 

Despite the detrimental illnesses, I don't agree that even lying down in Tibet could be considered as a way of making contribution. If we immigration administration police officers in Tibet lie down, the security and stability of the borderlands and the well-being of the people will be at stake.

 

In Puma Jiangtang, we firmly believe that "You should work hard to live your youth to the fullest, rather than idle away your life," which has inspired us to do much more than just being there. In the meantime, the Party organization of NIA really cares a lot about the life and work of our police officers working at a higher altitude, and introduced a series of beneficial policies. Not long ago, the Party organization built us a preparation room and solved problems like oxygen deficit and heating supply. Medical teams are sent to the plateau regularly for diagnosis, and the policy encouraging exchanges between police officers working at low and high altitudes was also unveiled. All these policies warmed our hearts and provided strong guarantee for the comfort, health and work of our police officers.

 

[Xing Huina]:

Well, in the interest of time, this will be the end of today's press conference. Thank you all for the sharing. We saw the ironclad faith, firm convictions, strict discipline, and a strong sense of responsibility in the five representatives of the immigration administration police officers, and witnessed their selfless devotion in their prime youth. Thank you, officers, and our friends from the press. This is the end of today's meeting. Goodbye!

 

Notice: The English version is only for reference. To learn more, please refer to the authoritative Chinese version.