Beijing Review: China-U.S. wartime solidarity remains relevant forever

BEIJING, June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning in 1941, U.S. General Claire Chennault and his pilots crossed the Pacific to fight alongside Chinese forces. He led the Flying Tigers – formally known as the American Volunteer Group – in support of China's war against Japanese aggression.

From 1942 to 1945, Flying Tiger squadrons flew supplies over the treacherous "Hump Route" across the Himalayas, delivering more than 800,000 tons of material – nearly the only allied supply line into China. In combat, they shot down over 2,600 Japanese aircraft, sank or damaged 44 enemy ships, and suffered heavy losses: 2,193 American pilots died in action, and over 200 were rescued by local Chinese civilians.

"Chinese and American heroes defended peace and justice with their blood and lives," Sha Hailin, President of the Shanghai Public Relations Association and Director of the Academic Committee of Shanghai Institute of American Studies, said at a conference in Shanghai on June 23, as he recalled the wartime alliance between the Chinese and American peoples.

The conference was part of a series of events in Shanghai that day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Themed History Illuminates the Present, Cooperation Lights the Future, the events were jointly hosted by the Shanghai Public Relations Association and Shanghai Institute of American Studies, together with partner organizations. More than 100 participants from both China and the U.S. discussed how to steer China-U.S. relations toward a more stable and promising future.

"We commemorate victory not to perpetuate hatred, but to safeguard peace; we remember history not to return to the past, but to move forward together," Sha said.

"The true value of the Flying Tigers spirit lies in its ability to transcend differences in culture, systems and ideology, and demonstrate the trust and solidarity that people can muster when facing shared challenges," Eric Zheng, Advisor to the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and President of the American Chamber (AmCham) of Commerce in Shanghai, said at the conference.

"I firmly believe that cooperation between the American and Chinese business communities is a continuation of the Flying Tigers spirit in times of peace," he said.

No matter how the world changes, China-U.S. relations remain one of the most important bilateral relationships, Huang Ping, Vice President of the China-U.S. People's Friendship Association and former Chinese Consul General in New York City, said.

The differences between the two countries should not negate their shared international responsibilities, nor should they hinder bilateral cooperation across various fields, he added, stressing that there is no justification for both sides to create conflicts, amplify differences or provoke confrontation.

The only right choice for them is mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Huang noted.

This past June 23 was also the 100th birth anniversary of Chinese-born American war correspondent Anna Chennault. During the war, she served as a frontline journalist, documenting stories from the battlefield. In the decades that followed – especially during the low ebb in China-U.S. relations – she became a vital "bridge-builder" between the two nations, traveling frequently across the Pacific and transforming abstract notions of trust into tangible connections.

Fred Teng, President of the U.S.-China Public Affairs Association, described Chennault's life as a living bridge-linking war and peace, China and the U.S., history and the future.

"At a time when China-U.S. relations face serious challenges, we are in urgent need of a new generation of Anna Chennault," Sha said. "Today, both sides should draw lessons from history and work together to tackle global challenges."

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SOURCE Beijing Review