BEIJING - A total of 438 Chinese police officers died while they were on duty in 2015, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Monday.

Another 4,599 police officers got injured or disabled at work, the MPS said in an article on its official website on Monday, the traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day when people honor the deceased.

Since China started the reform and opening up policy in 1978, almost 13,000 police have died, the article said, adding that police officers are a group that sacrifice the most in peaceful time.

During the three-day holiday for the Tomb-Sweeping Day, the MPS held a publicity campaign to commemorate the police officers who sacrificed their lives while on duty.

The ministry asked police departments at all levels to visit the families of the martyrs during the holiday, and help them address difficulties in their lives and work.

The official website of the ministry launched a link to show the 438 officers who died in 2015 for netizens to honor.