On April 18, 1942, in direct response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States launched the Doolittle Raid mission. Led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, 80 airmen took to the skies in B-25 bombers to strike Tokyo and other key Japanese cities. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the crews failed to land at Quzhou Airport in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang as planned after they ran out of fuel.
Most were forced to crash-land or parachute out over unfamiliar terrain. The crews of 13 planes were rescued, at great risk, by Chinese soldiers and civilians. Japanese forces retaliated viciously, killing an estimated 250,000 Chinese civilians in the aftermath.
"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.
Participants at a themed exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in Shanghai on June 23 (COURTESY PHOTO)
History must not be forgotten
"The Japanese went insane after the Doolittle Raiders were rescued. They killed a quarter of a million Chinese," Jeffrey Greene, Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, said in a video speech at the conference, noting that the Chinese people continued to rescue American pilots, despite knowing that doing so could cost them and their families their lives.
"Thousands of them died because of that," he continued. "That is the remarkable history of World War II in China, between the Chinese people and the American airmen."
The spirit of mutual aid and solidarity was also embodied by U.S. General Claire Chennault, who led the Flying Tigers—formally known as the American Volunteer Group—in support of China's war against Japanese aggression.
Beginning in 1941, Chennault and his pilots crossed the Pacific to fight alongside Chinese forces. 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.
"My grandfather witnessed firsthand the atrocities that the Japanese were committing on the innocent Chinese people," Nell Calloway, Chennault's granddaughter, said in a video speech.
"He was in a foreign, primitive land, hard of hearing, and did not understand the language, but that is not what made him stay. He stayed because he heard the cries of a people in desperate need. He did not let cultural differences, political affiliation or ideology deterred him from his humanity and serving his fellow man," Calloway said.
Huang Ping, Vice President of the China-U.S. People's Friendship Association and former Chinese Consul General in New York City, shared his memory of visiting the U.S. Air Force Museum in 2019. There, he saw 80 silver cups—each representing a member of the Doolittle Raiders. Seventy-nine were already turned upside down, marking their passing. "The museum director told me the last surviving member of that mission, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Cole, had passed away that very day. He was 103," Huang recalled.
"The friendship forged in the flames of war should not be forgotten. Sadly, many Americans have never heard these stories. But I believe that as long as someone keeps telling them, the memory will endure," he said.
Over the past 15 years, former Newsweek journalist Melinda Liu has helped dozens of descendants of Doolittle Raiders travel to China to retrace their ancestors' footsteps. She has also co-organized exhibitions and forums on U.S. pilots in China with both American and Chinese institutions.
Greene emphasized that this legacy must be passed on to younger generations. "We tell these stories in schools, and students decide whether to remember them, forget them or share them with others. That's their choice," he said.
In 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote a letter in response to Greene and his foundation, expressing hope that the spirit of the Flying Tigers would be passed down from generation to generation. "That's exactly what our foundation is doing," Greene said. "The more people hear the story, the more people will be inspired by it."
Call for more communication bridges
"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.
Despite challenges in some areas of U.S.-China relations, teams made up of American and Chinese employees in member companies of AmCham Shanghai collaborate closely and learn from one another in daily operations, according to Zheng. He added that it is precisely this people-to-people exchange that underpins the resilience and vitality of U.S.-China cooperation.
No matter how the world changes, China-U.S. relations remain one of the most important bilateral relationships, Huang 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 Anna Chennault's life as a living bridge—linking war and peace, China and the U.S., history and 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."
