What they say

Editor's Note: Five Communist Party of China members from the National Immigration Administration shared stories of working at border checkpoints across the country at a news conference on Wednesday.

I still remember the first time that I left my hometown in Hebei province and arrived at the Khunjerab Pass, high in the mountains in Tashikurgan. I was 17 years old, and the food we ate had to be transported from Kashgar. All we had were potatoes and onions because they are easy to carry and fresh vegetables were not available on the plateau. Over the next years, in addition to my daily border control duties, I grew vegetables at the station. After years of experimenting, we are now able to grow 39 different kinds of vegetables. More importantly, we taught local residents our planting techniques. They are now able to enjoy fresh vegetables they grow themselves, and many also make a living by selling their crops.

-Sun Chao, 42, immigration officer at the Khunjerab Pass, Tashikurgan Tajik autonomous county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region

In the past 12 years as an immigration officer, I have been working on the border in Tibet, where most of the places I work are above an altitude of 4,000 meters. In 2016, I voluntarily chose to transfer to an immigration station in Phuma Changthang, the highest police station in the country, at an altitude of 5,373 meters. During my years there, we've rescued more than 500 tourists and 200 vehicles, helped 13 children who dropped out of school resume their educations, and helped two students with difficulties at home, in life and at school. I know that as a border immigration officer, part of my duty is to help local people, and that is also my duty and mission as a member of the Party.

-Sonam Darje, 36, immigration officer in Lhokha, Tibet autonomous region

I work as an immigration inspector at the Beijing Capital International Airport, and in my 16 years of service I have helped more than 1.2 million people enter and leave the country safely. I have never made a mistake. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we intensified border control. We knew as Party members working on the frontier to protect against the pandemic that we had to be brave and firm to ensure the safety of our country. We reported 2,105 confirmed cases to authorities, and even though that number means there were risks to working at the airport, none of us stopped, because we knew we were a force that our people and the Party could believe in.

-Wang Jing, 39, immigration officer at the General Station of Immigration Inspection in Beijing

The place I've worked for the past 16 years is called Sanjiazi. It's a village in Yanbian, the only Korean autonomous prefecture in the country. Since different ethnic groups live there, I've had to learn to deal with different customs. I found that sincerity, patience and thoughtfulness were the best approaches for earning the appreciation, welcome and understanding of people, regardless of ethnic group, and the experience I've had working with them in recent years has helped make me a better man. For all the honor and praise I've received, the thing I cherish the most is the title of honorary villager bestowed on me by the village elders, because that is proof that they see me as one of them.

-An Shilin, 36, immigration officer in Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, Jilin province

In my 32 years of service at the border, I have been involved in over 20 important cases, including cross-border gun and drugs smuggling. As a member of the border control forces, I faced a choice when reform of the immigration system began in 2018. At the time, I had to decide whether to return home and look after my daughter, or stay and make sure the reform went smoothly. I opted to stay because of my responsibilities and the promise I made to my men. Many immigration officers faced similar choices, but we know that as CPC members and as immigration officers, we need to be there to make sure that other families can enjoy a safe and prosperous life.

-Zhao Yongqian, 50, deputy head of the General Station of Immigration Inspection in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region