Advertisement
Advertisement
Chen Xin was last seen during a field training exercise last Tuesday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

PLA soldier goes missing during training exercises on China-Vietnam border

Armed fighter last seen during a training exercise held in Yunnan last week

An armed People's Liberation Army soldier stationed on the border between Yunnan province and Vietnam has gone missing.

Chen Xin was last seen during a field training exercise last Tuesday, according to a notice posted by the military in the area.

A 100,000 yuan (HK$120,000) reward has been offered to help trace him, an official at the Hekou county government said.

The man was carrying a weapon when he disappeared, but it was not clear if he was carrying live ammunition.

The garrison so far hasn't had any word about the whereabouts of their missing solider
Hekou county official

Chen, aged 22, comes from Bazhong in Sichuan province.

The training exercise with border troops was carried out in Laoka district, which is about one kilometre from the border with Vietnam.

Another notice from the military said Chen had been wearing the PLA's summer battle fatigues when he went missing during the exercises last week.

"Two notices have now been posted online. As far as I know, the border garrison so far hasn't had any word about the whereabouts of their missing solider," the official said. "The incident so far hasn't had any influence on villagers because the barracks are close to the Vietnamese border, but far away from our county town."

A message posted on social media quoted an unnamed source as saying that Chen had not gone missing during a training exercise, but had left his sentry duty with a gun.

The was unable to make contact with media spokesmen at the Ministry of Defence.

The Hekou county government official said there had been no concerns about security among people in the area after the soldier had gone missing. People were going about their lives as usual, the official said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Soldier goes missing on Vietnamese border
Post