Kuliang forum highlights China-US ties

The story of Kuliang, Fujian province has endured across generations, as people in China and the United States continue to rediscover it, deepen it and share it more widely.

"Echoes of History — Peaceful Development through Mutual Success for Better Lives," The 2025 Kuliang Forum, hosted in New York by People's Daily Digital Communication, recounted the memories of Americans who once lived in China and carried on the legacy in both countries.

In April 1992, People's Daily published an article about Milton Gardner, an American who spent his childhood in the southern Chinese town of Kuliang before returning to the US. The article moved many Chinese people, including now President Xi Jinping, who at the time was serving as Party secretary of Fuzhou, capital city of Fujian province.

Xi later invited Milton's wife, Elizabeth Gardner, to visit Kuliang, helping renew the connection between the town and the US as more families rediscovered their ties there.

Beginning with Kuliang, once a summer retreat for Americans, the forum unfolded a broader narrative of US-China friendship, to the Flying Tigers who fought alongside Chinese soldiers, to families and individuals bridging both nations through culture, art, business and trade, and to today's young people now shaping the next chapter.

"The bonds that have transcended time and space continue to inspire us till this day, reminding us that for all our differences in history, culture, social system and development path, we share a common pursuit of friendship, which enables us to rise above our differences and jointly write a new chapter in China-US friendly exchanges and cooperation," Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the US, said in a video address to the event.

"The story of Kuliang is a vivid example … These American friends' deep love for China has lived on and touched many hearts," he added.

"In recent years, the ‘Friends of Kuliang', a group of descendants of the American families who once lived there, have embarked on journeys to retrace their ancestors' stories … The century-old story of Kuliang is brimming with new vigor," Xie said.

Yu Shaoliang, president of People's Daily, said in a video address that Kuliang's friendship has transcended time and space.

"People's Daily has been both the first to tell and a continuing promoter of the Kuliang story. The Kuliang Forum aims to carry forward the Kuliang friendship and advance the cause of China-US friendship and cooperation," Yu said.

Yu also noted that "constructive interaction" between China and the US, and "joint efforts" to make greater contributions to world peace and development, meet the shared aspiration of people from both countries and the broader international community.

"What is heartening is that, inspired by the Kuliang story, exchanges between the two countries, especially among young people, have continued to grow," he said.

For those whose families come from Kuliang, the town remains a home in their hearts, binding them to China and inspiring them to pass on a legacy of understanding and love.

"[Kuliang] is the ideal place to raise children that would go out and become good global citizens, and it works," said Gordon Trimble, who taught at Fujian Hwa Nan Women's College in Fuzhou.

Lydia Trimble, Gordon's grandaunt, arrived in China in 1889 and devoted more than 50 years to education and missionary work in Fujian. Over the decades, nearly 10 members of the Trimble family have contributed to the founding and development of the college.

"We believe that actions speak louder than words, and so people will see what I do," he said.

Trimble said the story of Kuliang has helped people from both countries better understand one another. While the world is changing, it is important for people to remember history.

Priscilla Brewster Gill, who was born in Fujian and spent her childhood in China before returning to the US at the age of 12, is the daughter of the former director of Gutian Hospital.

For her, Kuliang is not only a memory but a place she calls family and home.

"It was a time of great reunions with our Chinese friends and trips to Kuliang, where we were once again in the house on the side of the mountain, where we lived above the whispering pines," she said. "The music of the pines was the signal that we had arrived in that magical place."

Gill has returned to Fujian several times, and her granddaughter has also visited China, marking the fifth generation of her family's connection to the place across the ocean.

"I want to share the story because my heart is so full of love for China," she said.

"All the people here have brought that spirit together in a way," said Nell Chennault Calloway, granddaughter of US General Claire Lee Chennault, founder of the Flying Tigers.

Calloway said the stories of Kuliang and the Flying Tigers share the spirit between the Chinese and American people.

"I was always amazed that they had that bond and that friendship, that they felt so united together. The bond between the Chinese and Americans," she said. "But the main thing to remember is that bond is more important today than it's ever been, because China and the United States, we have to learn to coexist and live together."