| Putting the Saihanba Spirit into Practice
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中国人民公安大学出版社 2023/8/28 9:52:14浏览次数：532
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By Zang Xinmao and Xiong Dongdong
The Saihanba Mechanized Forest Farm, located in the northernmost part of Hebei Province, is a vast man-made forest on once barren land along the southern edge of Inner Mongolia’s Hunshandake Sand Lands. As a source of the Luan and Liao rivers, and a vital protective barrier for the environment of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province, Saihanba plays a strategic role in China’s ecological development. On April 28, 2014, the forest farm was honored with the title of "Role Model of the Era" by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and on December 5, 2017, it won the UN "Champions of the Earth Award".
In August 2021, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, visited the farm and stressed that the Saihanba Spirit — a term attributed to generations of workers on the farm who have kept their mission in mind, worked diligently and pursued green development — is part of a long list of inspiring principles for the CPC. The entire Party and nation should have the same spirit in their efforts to develop the green economy and further ecological progress. Workers at the Saihanba forest farm should gain a deeper understanding of ecological conservation and make new contributions to the realization of China’s second centenary goal.
The forest police in Saihanba not only serve as builders and guardians of the forest farm but also play a crucial role in shaping the Saihanba Spirit. Construction of the farm began in 1962, with the Saihanba Forest Farm Police Station established two years later under the Public Security Bureau of Weichang County and later upgraded into the Saihanba Forest Farm Public Security Sub-Bureau in 1982. In October 2020, the Saihanba Forest Police Detachment, responsible for maintaining social order, ensuring security, and safeguarding the national forest resources in Saihanba, was placed under the leadership of the Hebei Provincial Public Security Department. Despite the expansive nature of the farm and challenging conditions on it—winters can last seven months with temperatures dropping as low as minus 43.3 degrees Celsius—generations of police officers at Saihanba have remained committed to their mission by responding to the call of the Party, tirelessly planting and safeguarding trees in the face of adversity, and selflessly contributing to the once barren land. Their dedication has ensured the ecological security and social harmony of the forest area. In the future, they will carry on the legacy of steadfast commitment to their mission and continue to fulfill the sacred duty of protecting ecological progress. Without their efforts, Saihanba as we know it today would not exist.
Wang Jingxiang, the head of the public security squad on the farm, is a 59-year-old veteran officer, who showed his commitment to the original aspiration of the people’s police at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in China. Together with his colleagues, he worked round the clock for several days at the provincial border checkpoint amid temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius. In recognition of his exceptional dedication, Wang was awarded an Individual Merit Citation Class II in August 2021.
Gou Wanchun, the female director of Qiancengban Police Station, has devoted more than 20 years of her life to serving at Saihanba. Though she could have chosen to live in the city after graduating from Nanjing Forest Police College in 1999, she decided to work at the Saihanba Forest Farm where her father had also served. In her expansive jurisdiction, spanning over 286,000 mu (approximately 190 square kilometers), there are three provincial highways connecting to Inner Mongolia which are frequently used by criminals in illegal logging and unauthorized transportation. In the day, Gou takes on forest fire prevention work; at night she keeps watch at road junctions. In 2012, despite being heavily pregnant, she diligently worked in the forest area for two consecutive months, fulfilling her duties without fail. In May 2014, she received a phone call from her family, saying that her daughter had been injured in a fall. Gou rushed the three-hours trip from the forest area to the hospital, only to find her beloved daughter had already passed away. In the throes of her grief, she remained resilient and dedicated to her work. "My daughter had always kept me company during my duties. Now that she is gone, I shall deliver an even better work performance in her honor," she said. In 2014, Gou was awarded the Individual Merit Citation Class Ⅲ.
Lin Weiguang is another officer at Saihanba. Originally from Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, he has worked at Saihanba since graduating from Nanjing Forest Police College in 2017. Initially, he felt overwhelmed by the demanding lifestyle and hostile environment. However, after visiting the Saihanba exhibition hall and paying tribute to Wang Shanghai, the first Party Secretary of the forest farm, at his memorial monument, Lin was deeply moved by stories shared by his senior officers about how the older generation had dedicated themselves for decades to transforming barren land into a vast forest. Inspired by their commitment, Lin made up his mind to follow in their footsteps and become a practitioner of the Saihanba spirit. He has since settled down in the area, bringing his mother and wife to live with him here. Through hard work, he has grown into an invaluable asset for the detachment.
Saihanba has witnessed numerous transformations: from a single tree to a sprawling forest, from two modest huts in the wilderness to well-maintained and illuminated office buildings, from a police station with only a handful of officers to a modernized forest police force, from horseback patrols to the utilization of motorcycles and cars. Over the past decades, crops of trees have been planted on the farm and generations of officers have fulfilled their services. What has remained unchanged is the tradition of hard work and selfless dedication among the officers.
Since 2016, the Saihanba Forest Police Detachment has handled over a thousand cases related to forestry offenses. By establishing coordination mechanisms and joint prevention and control platforms with neighboring units in Weichang County and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the detachment has deployed over 20 officers to participate in summer joint law enforcement operations. Working closely with Mulan Police Office of the Weichang County Public Security Bureau, they have successfully resolved 970 cases. Through their collective efforts, the detachment has made significant strides in combating illegal activities and maintaining social order within the forest area.
In its commitment to prioritizing the interests of the people, the detachment has organized 60 voluntary service activities, resolved 20 local disputes, assisted more than 20 stranded tourists, rescued two senior citizens who were lost in the mountains, and provided legal aid on 15 occasions to the public. These outstanding contributions have garnered numerous honors and titles, including Model Team of the National Public Security System, awarded by both the Ministry of Public Security and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions; Outstanding Forest Public Security Bureau (2 times); Collective Merit Citations Class II (3 times); and Collective Merit Citations Class III (5 times). Additionally, its officers have also received many honors, such as Role Model of the People’s Police in China (1 officer), Individual Merit Citation Class II (5 officers), and Individual Merit Citation Class III (16 officers, totaling 27 times).
"The Saihanba Forest Police represents the epitome of all forest police in Hebei Province. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the principles outlined in his speeches regarding the development of Hebei, progress in public security, and advancement in ecological conservation, we will step up our efforts to promote the Saihanba Spirit and ’make new contributions’ to combating crimes that harm forests and wildlife resources. Our goal is to facilitate the development of the capital city Beijing while simultaneously building a more prosperous and beautiful Hebei," stated Zhao Feng, Party Secretary and Director General of the Forest Public Security Bureau of the Hebei Provincial Public Security Department. He further emphasized their commitment to embracing the Saihanba Spirit, characterized by "staying true to our original aspirations, being hardworking and enterprising, and pursuing green development," and pledged to embark on a new journey to conserve ecological resources, promote green development and create a picturesque landscape for China. ■
【The Authors】
Zang Xinmao, Publicity Department of Hebei Provincial Public Security Department
Xiong Dongdong, Saihanba Forest Police Detachment of the Forest Police Corps, Hebei Provincial Public Security Department
(Translated by Chen Xiaoying, School of Foreign Languages, Beijing Forestry University)
编辑：现代世界警察----石虹
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