A coffin containing the remains of Chinese UN weapons inspector Yu Jianxing arrived at Beijing International Airport on March 19.

Yu's remains in a coffin carried by Guards of Honor arrived at Beijing International Airport on March 19, 2003.　(Jiang Shunzhi/ PLA Daily)

　　General Xiong Guangkai, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Headquarters of the PLA, and Wang Guangya, Vice-Foreign Minister, met Yu's remains at the airport.

　　Yu Jianxing's relatives waited for the remains coming home together with servicepersons from Yu's troop unit. Two banners were hung on the wall of an airport building, reading as follows: "Defender of World Peace, Pride of Chinese Servicemen," "Comrade Yu Is Alive In Our Hearts."

　　The Austrian Airliner landed at 12:00am. Four Guards of Honor moved the coffin out of the plane carefully. The coffin was covered with the UN flag and the flag of the People's Republic of China.

　　Yu's wife and son put a wreath on the coffin. Then eight Guards of Honor　carried the coffin on their shoulders and walked slowly towards the hearse. Xiong Guangkai and Wang Guangya accompanied the coffin to the hearse and saw the hearse off along with Yu's relatives.

Xu Xinyi (C), Yu's widow, cries in front of the coffin. (Jiang Shunzhi/ PLA Daily)

　　Yu was a department director of the PLA's Anti-chemical Commanding and Engineering Institute. He was a professor with the rank of colonel. He achieved his master and doctor's degrees in the Antichemical Commanding and Engineering Institute and was retained as a teacher by the institute. Yu received a lot of awards in his 23-year military career. He served as UN weapons inspector since December of 1998 and was sent to Bagdad for inspection missions three times. His outstanding personality and mastery of specialty gained him positive appraisement by the UN administration concerned. Yu was killed in a car crash on his way back to Bagdad during an inspection mission on March 13, 2003. He was 38-year old.

　　Chairman of the Central Military Commission Jiang Zemin sent a telegram of condolences to Yu's family on March 15.　　

　　By Tu Xueneng & Gao Zhiwen

　　(March 20, PLA Daily)