WUHAN, Nov. 21 -- A Y-20 military transport aircraft of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force took off Tuesday from an airport in central China for the Republic of Korea (ROK) to transport the remains of 25 Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs.

Upon their return to China on Thursday, two J-20 stealth fighters will escort the Y-20 aircraft after it flies into China's territorial airspace.

As the handover takes place in winter, the crew of the transport aircraft has made meticulous preparations for the transfer to ensure the aircraft can fly steadily and arrive on time, said Lu Zhonghua, a pilot for the Y-20 aircraft.

It will be the tenth repatriation of the remains of CPV martyrs as well as the fourth straight year for a PLA Air Force's Y-20 aircraft to take on the task.

China and the ROK had successfully completed such handovers for nine consecutive years from 2014 to 2022, involving the remains of 913 CPV martyrs in the ROK, along with their belongings.