United in service: Young soldiers guarding border in Xinjiang

In Wushi county in Aksu in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, the No 3 border marker is located at a mountain peak at an altitude of over 4,200 meters.

For the soldiers stationed at the Biedieli Border at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, this is a regular patrol point. The area is characterized by tall and densely packed mountains, crisscrossing valleys, with an average altitude of over 4,000 meters. The mountains are spread out in a vein-like pattern, with snow-covered peaks throughout the year.

"This year marks the eighth year since I have been stationed at the border," said Qiu Tianlun, a soldier serving at the Biedieli Border.

"In our unit, we have soldiers from the Kyrgyz, Uygur, and Kazakh ethnic groups. All serving in our unit. We are brothers to each other and we will do our best to guard the border of our motherland," said Qiu.

Yasen Maimaiti is a soldier from the Uygur ethnic group from Kashgar, Xinjiang, and has been stationed at the border for a year.

"Every generation has its own label. For example, post-2000s are seen as the lying-flat generation. But what I want to say is, we, the post-2000s, can also defend our country and guard its borders," said Yasen.

"I was born and grew up in the countryside, therefore, I am glad to be able to contribute to the frontline of the border for our country. Our living conditions now are much better than before. We have hot water and heating, therefore, for us border guards, there are no difficulties," said Yasen.

Zhou Yang, Wang Junqiang, Zhang Zhenying, Wang Zibin also contributed to the video.