INCHEON, South Korea -- China and South Korea on Wednesday held a handover ceremony at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, for the remains of 12 Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs and 146 personal effects.

Xu Yao, vice-minister of the Chinese Ministry of Veterans Affairs, led the Chinese delegation, while Lee Doo-hee, vice-defense Minister of South Korea, headed the South Korean side.

Representatives of the two sides signed a handover document at the ceremony. The Chinese side also held a mourning ceremony, during which the national anthem of the People's Republic of China was played.

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing draped the Chinese national flag over the coffins of the martyrs. Chinese participants paid tribute with three bows, and honor guards of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) escorted the coffins onto a Y-20B transport aircraft of the PLA Air Force for their return home.

Xu said that China and South Korea have carried out the handover of the remains of CPV martyrs in South Korea for 13 consecutive years in line with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries.

With the latest repatriation, a total of 1,023 sets of remains of CPV martyrs have been returned to China from South Korea since 2014, he said.

Xu noted that the handover has become a vivid example of friendly cooperation between the two countries, helping enhance bilateral friendship and deepen exchanges and cooperation. He also thanked relevant South Korean departments and staff members for their efforts.

Officials from relevant Chinese government departments, as well as staff from the Chinese Embassy in South Korea, attended the ceremony.