Immigration officer looks to sign off in style at Games

Father's encouragement

During her 41 years on the job, Li has witnessed the development of the immigration system and border inspections in Beijing.

She has taken part in inspections and clearance operations for every big event in the capital since 1980, including the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in 2014.

"I have worked in border inspection in Shanghai and Tianjin, and then back in Beijing. I am so proud to have witnessed China getting stronger－for example, the airport accepted more and more passengers from all over the world after it was officially opened and thousands of Chinese returned after the outbreak," she said.

Li's role model, her veteran father, often urged her to be meticulous in her work and to achieve something, no matter what job she did. That advice has had a huge impact on her attitude toward her life and work.

"My father often told me, 'A soldier never retreats a step when the bugle calls.' His generation greatly influenced me, making me persist in following in their footsteps to become the sort of person they described－someone who spares no effort to work for the country and the people," she said.

"The epidemic has been a fight for all of us, so there is no reason for me to withdraw from this battlefield. I have a special feeling about the job, as it has been a part of my life and it echoes my beliefs."

Like other officers, Li had to pass a test of foreign languages, study the relevant laws and immigration issues and stay physically fit, because immigration-related information is constantly being updated.

After Chinese New Year in January last year, when the domestic epidemic situation was severe, Li and her colleagues insisted on staying at their posts. She worked day and night, even though she was not in good health and faced a high risk of coming into contact with infected people.

Because she could not avoid meeting inbound passengers and goods, she chose to stay at the inspection station's dormitory in February last year to avoid close contact with her family members.

That meant she was unable to go home to visit and care for her 88-year-old father, who died suddenly last year, while she was on duty.

"My father was in good health, and his death was unexpected. It happened just three months before my father-in-law passed away. My father was a member of the aviation wing of the People's Liberation Army Navy, and he liked to travel by plane. I promised him that when I retired, I would travel around the country with him. It's a great pity that we couldn't do that," she said.

Li will retire next year. She plans to spend more time with her family as she hasn't been able to offer them much help in recent years. Even though she had the chance to retire a number of years ago, she chose to work for five more years.

One of her last big assignments will be to help with the border inspections for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, which she regards as a bonus and a fitting end to her career.

"As long as I am at my post, I will do my best to safeguard the border," she said.