Summary
- China unveils a list of 2,590 American Flying Tiger “martyrs” who fought Japan during WWII.
- The Chinese Ambassador emphasizes the historic significance of the bond created by the Flying Tigers.
- The American volunteer aviators are recognized as a “common treasure” and a symbol of cooperation between China and the US.
China has built a new memorial in remembrance of the famous WWII American Flying Tigers who flew Curtiss P-40B Warhawk aircraft marked with Chinese colors. The Flying Tigers were a volunteer group of American pilots commanded by Claire Lee Chennault that operated in 1941 and 1942 to help defend China from the ongoing Japanese invasion. As the US and China have entered a period of Great Power Competition and the fear of a war breaking out in the Pacific continues to rise, it is sometimes refreshing to hear positive news between the two giants.
China unveils list of Flying Tiger “Martyrs”
English-language Chinese media reported, “A Flying Tigers delegation visited Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, to launch the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools. This visit was followed by China’s unveiling of a list of 2,590 American aviators who were martyred in the fight against Japan during World War II.”
The Chinese ambassador to the United States, H.E. Ambassador Xie Feng, called for the “spirit of the Flying Tigers to continue to shine in the new era.” The Chinese Embassy to the United States stated that the Flying Tigers delegation visited the city of Nanjing in China’s Jiangsu Province to launch the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools.
The ceremony saw the unveiling of a list of the names of 2,590 American aviators who were “martyred” in the fight against Japan starting before the official entry of the United States into the war.
“The precious historical photos have brought us back to those fiery years eight decades ago. The story of the Flying Tigers, one in which the peoples of China and the United States fought shoulder to shoulder, marks an indelible episode in the world anti-fascist cause. The bond our two peoples forged amid the trials of blood and fire has been a constant source of inspiration for the China-U.S. relationship. And the spirit of the Flying Tigers, which remains relevant as ever, has been and will continue to be our common treasure.” – H.E. Ambassador Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador
The Chinese ambassador called the American volunteer aviators “our common treasure” and was a “bond our two peoples forged.” He spoke about how the American volunteers had helped China in its hour of need and put themselves in harm’s way to “defend justice and peace together with the Chinese people.”
Historic context of the Flying Tigers
He said the “heroic” American pilots shot down over 2,600 Japanese fighters opening up the Hump Route used for transporting emergency supplies. More memorials to the Flying Tigers can be found in other locations they fought, including Chongqing, Kunming, and Guilin.
Photo: Santiparp Wattanaporn l Shutterstock
During the war, thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians sacrificed their lives to rescue over 200 American pilots. At the time, the Flying Tigers were fighting for Nationalist China, which was also at war with the Chinese Communists. After the war, China descended into civil war, resulting in the defeat of the Nationalists, who then fled (and remained) in Taiwan. The history is complicated, but it is clear that modern China remains grateful for American aid in its darkest hour.