Moscow thanks 79-year-old Chinese man

Li Baohua, 79, became on Thursday the fourth member of his family to have received a medal from Moscow for their sacrifices and contributions to defeating fascist powers. His recognition came on the same day that victory was celebrated on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Li received the medal from the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, for his family's contribution to the former Soviet Union during the World Anti-Fascist War.

Li's father, the late Chinese translator and announcer Li Junfu, was sent by Ren Bishi, a Communist Party of China military and political leader, to work in the editorial office of the radio broadcasting committee in Moscow from 1940 to 1945, most of which time the Soviet Union was fighting against German invaders.

One of his primary tasks was to translate Russian into Chinese and broadcast news of the latest situation on the battlefield to Chinese-speaking listeners around the world. Despite the severe cold of Moscow's winter, Li Junfu once joined people digging trenches on the front line as the Russian capital was besieged by German troops. He worked day and night until the end of the war, enduring airstrikes, which produced great mental stress and led to the deterioration of his health.

Li Junfu, his wife and youngest daughter, Li Wenhua, 3, returned to China in 1947. Their two oldest children, Li Baohua, then 6, and his brother Li Shuhua, 11, stayed behind because their father was very sick and the family couldn't take care of all three children in the difficult circumstances of the times.

The brothers were sent to Ivanovo International Children's Home northeast of Moscow, which was home to many Chinese children. The brothers were reunited with the family in 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded.

Li Baohua, like many other children at that time, experienced the bitterness of war and its aftermath at a very young age, which influenced his whole life. Others who once lived at the home also have received medals from Russia during previous years' celebrations of the anniversary to recognize the role they and their families played

"Seventy-five years ago, the Chinese and Soviet peoples fought side by side to overcome difficulties and win the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War," Li Baohua said at the award ceremony. "Now we are united to fight the pandemic. I believe we will also triumph."

The celebrations marking victory are especially meaningful in Shenyang, which is the city seized by Japanese troops in 1931, marking the start of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Russian Consul-General Sergey Chernenko said: "The war, the most miserable event in human history, … shows the vulnerability of the world that can be easily broken.

"Only by joint efforts from all countries can we protect the world from new threats and avoid tragedy repeating itself. We bear the obligation to pass on the memory and spirit to the next generations."