DESERT OFFICERS DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND

In addition to guarding the border, officers at a remote settlement serve as postmen, deliverymen, news reporters and even barbers. Zhao Yimeng reports from Ejine Banner, Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Editor's note: This is the third in a series of stories about China's border guards, focusing on the challenges they face and their work to keep the country safe, prevent trafficking of drugs and people, and maintain friendly relations with their counterparts in neighboring countries.

On the night of Oct 17, border officer Ochir and three colleagues packed their bags at the Suanjingzi Border Control Police Station in Alshaa League's Ejine Banner, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. In the region, a league is equal to a city, while a banner is an administrative area similar to a county.