War camaraderie with US soldiers 'will be cherished'

Richard Sherman, a 93-year-old Flying Tigers veteran pilot, attends events celebrating the volunteer US pilots who helped China repel the Japanese during World War II. WANG HUAN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

The people of China and the United States established a deep friendship when fighting against Japanese aggression in China 70 years ago, which should be remembered and passed on, Luo Linquan, Chinese consul general in San Francisco, said on Thursday.

World War II involved more than 2 billion people in 80 countries. China and the US fought side-by-side, making enormous sacrifices to win, Luo said ahead of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, as well as World War II, on Aug 15.

For China, the war started on July 7, 1937, and lasted until Aug 15, 1945, when Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's unconditional surrender. The victory, however, came at a tremendous sacrifice: 35 million Chinese died.

During the war years, the United States gave China great support in areas such as material supplies, transportation and medical help. Many US soldiers traveled to China and fought next to Chinese counterparts.

"The history of China and the US joining forces to fight fascism and reconstruct the postwar international order will always be cherished, and this chapter of history will serve as an example for us to cement and develop the China-US relationship," Luo said.

In memory of the US-China collaboration, exhibitions such as National Memories and Welcome Home, Flying Tigers have been displayed in China and the US.

The photos of the National Memories exhibition, organized by the China Overseas Exchange Association, depict the camaraderie that existed between Chinese and US soldiers during the China-Burma-India Theater, a crucial area of battle.

The Welcome Home, Flying Tigers exhibition, with more than 300 exhibits, reminds visitors of "The Hump", a dangerous air route over the Himalayan mountains used by Allied military transport aircraft to resupply the Chinese during the war.

"The story of Chinese people rescuing the crewmen of US bombers shall not be forgotten, either, and I believe there are many other stories about the friendship between the rescuers and the rescued," Luo said.

"Holding such events in the US can help complement each other's historical materials and facilitate exchanges between the people," he said.

"Through the review of China-US collaboration during the war, we realize that the interests of the two countries are intertwined, which is especially obvious today," Luo said. "China and the US can, and have the responsibility to, establish a new pattern of relationship which is nonconfrontational and focuses on mutual respect, cooperation and a win-win situation."

This year, China will hold a series of events commemorating the war anniversary.

"We want to tell the world that China's peace, stability and development came at a great cost, and that China will follow the road of peaceful development and unfailingly safeguard world peace," Luo said.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com