Monument to Chinese Labour Corps moves a step closer

Fei Mingxing, consul general at the embassy, said Ambassador Liu Xiaoming is supporting and assisting a series of events that overseas Chinese people are holding in recognition of the Chinese Labour Corps.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, during which about 140,000 Chinese men, aged 20 to 35 volunteered to be sent to Europe, to help with the war effort. About 90,000 of the volunteers were assigned to support the British army.

The Chinese laborers worked in difficult conditions, risking their lives to build and maintain battlefield roads, trenches, railways, and tanks. They even handled the demolition of unexploded bombs. So far, a monument has not been built in their honor in the United Kingdom.

The first such monument, called huabiao, is expected to stand in East London later this year. It will cost 250,000 pounds ($346,000). Some 234,500 pounds has been raised so far, according to Steve Lau, chairman of the Chinese in Britain Forum, and chairman of the Ensuring We Remember Campaign.