The body of a Chinese UN peacekeeper who died in a terrorist attack in Mali has been repatriated. CCTV reporter was at Changchun Longjia International airport and has this story.

Touching down on the same runway where his plane left three weeks ago, fallen UN peacekeeper Shen Liangliang returns to his motherland.

CHANGCHUN, June 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Shen Mingming (C), elder brother of Chinese UN peacekeeping soldier Shen Liangliang, escort the coffin of Shen Liangliang to the hearse at Longjia Airport in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, June 9, 2016. The body of Shen Liangliang, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Mali last month, arrived in northeast China's Changchun City on Thursday afternoon. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)

As a member of the fourth batch of Chinese UN peacekeepers stationed in Mali, Shen Liangliang could never have imagined that his posting to one of the world's deadliest countries for UN peacekeeping missions would last just 11 days.

Born in 1987, Shen Liangliang joined the Chinese liberation army at the age of 18. During his 11 years' military service, he was at the front-line of many flood control missions and received the title of excellent solider. He told his parents that he and his girlfriend planned to get married after he returned from the Mali peackeeping mission. Today that's a wish that will never be fulfilled.

CHANGCHUN, June 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Honor guards carry the coffin of Chinese UN peacekeeping soldier Shen Liangliang off the plane at Longjia Airport in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, June 9, 2016. The body of Shen Liangliang, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Mali last month, arrived in northeast China's Changchun City on Thursday afternoon. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)

The terrorist attack targeting UN facilities in Gao which killed Shen Liangliang and left five soldiers wounded, has triggered alarm over the security situation in Mali, and as China is a major contributor to U.N. peacekeeping missions, the commitments from these soldiers help China to take growing responsibility in international affairs.

A number of high ranking officers from the People's Liberation Army as well as Shen's fellow soldiers gathered at the airport to express their condolences. After the ceremony his body will be transferred to Henan Province where he was born and buried in the Martyrs' Cemetery there.

His death however will not be in vain: a team from the Chinese military is investigating the attack, coordinating the aftermath, and guiding the peacekeeping force to strengthen security. China will continue supporting UN peacekeeping missions, and fight against all kinds of terrorism to safeguard world peace.