Text: China Ambassador to US speech on Flying Tigers 85th anniversary

Carry forward the spirit of the Flying Tigers and write a new chapter in China-U.S. friendship — Remarks by H.E. Ambassador Xie Feng at the Launch Ceremony Commemorating the 85th Anniversary of the Flying Tigers Coming to China

Leaders of Jiangsu Province and the city of Nanjing,

Chairman Greene,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

It is a great pleasure to join you in Nanjing via video link for the launch ceremony commemorating the 85th anniversary of the Flying Tigers coming to China. First, I would like to wish this event a great success.

Eighty-five years ago, in the toughest moments of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, a group of American pilots formed the American Volunteer Group and flew across the Pacific, who were fondly called the “Flying Tigers” by the Chinese people. They fought shoulder to shoulder with Chinese soldiers and civilians, shot down over 2,900 Japanese fighter jets, and eliminated more than 66,000 aggressors. More than 2,000 of them laid down their lives in China, fulfilling their commitment to fighting fascism alongside the Chinese people. Amid the flames of war, Chinese and American soldiers and civilians forged the Flying Tigers spirit — a spirit of defending peace, sharing weal and woe, and valuing friendship, which continues to resonate in the hearts of both our peoples to this day.

Eighty-five years on, maintaining world peace and development remains an arduous task. Not long ago, the Presidents of China and the United States held a historic and landmark meeting in Beijing, which has not only established a new vision for China-U.S. relations, but also started a new chapter in people-to-people friendship between our two countries. At this historical starting point, we need more Flying Tigers of the new era, who will rise to the challenges of our time, take concrete action, and give new momentum to the friendship between our two peoples.

Let us learn from the examples of the Flying Tigers, and shoulder our responsibilities as major countries in upholding peace. Eighty-five years ago, despite cultural and language barriers, Chinese and American soldiers and civilians wrote an epic chapter in history by jointly defending peace and justice, making significant contributions to the establishment of the post-World War II international order. Today, as the world’s top two economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and the United States carry a special and major responsibility for world peace, stability and prosperity. During the Beijing Summit, our two Presidents agreed on building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, making it clear that we will work toward a relationship with cooperation as the mainstay, competition within proper limits, manageable differences, and expectable peace. China and the United States should draw wisdom and courage from our history of fighting fascism together, meet our historical responsibilities, and ensure the giant ship of bilateral relations will move steadily along the right course, so as to make greater contributions to world peace, prosperity, and progress.

Let us carry forward the spirit of the Flying Tigers, and enhance public support for China-U.S. friendship. Both the Chinese and American people cherish peace and justice, are friendly toward each other, and long for greater exchanges and cooperation. During the war, the Chinese people built runways for the Flying Tigers despite Japanese bombing and risked their lives to rescue American pilots. Over the past decades, monuments and memorial halls honoring the Flying Tigers have been established across China, and the names of the heroes have been inscribed on marble tablets in the Anti-Japanese Aviation Martyrs Memorial Hall of Nanjing. The bonds forged between our two peoples in blood and fire have grown from strength to strength. During the Beijing summit, both Presidents shared stories of friendly interactions between our two peoples, underscoring the importance of promoting people-to-people exchanges. We need to act on their consensus, and encourage interactions across all sectors of our two countries, so as to melt the ice with enthusiasm, overcome estrangement with sincerity, and write new Flying Tigers stories in this era.

Let us nurture young Flying Tigers, and open up a brighter future for China-U.S. relations. The great cause of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples requires sustained efforts from generation to generation. In recent years, more than 50,000 young Americans have participated in China’s “50,000 in five years” initiative. Over 100 Chinese schools have joined the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools program. Students from both countries learned from each other at Flying Tigers Summer Camps, and sang about lasting friendship at the Flying Tigers Youth Leadership Dialogue. All these are vivid examples of how the younger generation is becoming a driving force in fostering goodwill between our two countries. Let us encourage and support more young people to take up the baton of the times, breathe new life into the Flying Tigers spirit, jointly address new challenges facing humankind, such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and global governance, and contribute their wisdom to the development of China-U.S. relations.

Dear friends,

Looking back, the stories of the Flying Tigers have become a shared memory of the Chinese and American peoples. Going forward, the spirit of the Flying Tigers continues to live on, inspiring us to embark on a new journey. Under the strategic guidance of our two Presidents, let us encourage our people to reach out to each other, so as to inject fresh impetus into China-U.S. relations, and help our two countries find a right way to get along in the new era based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, to the benefit of both our countries and the entire world.

Thank you.