China-US war alliance needs noting

The Chinese and American peoples established a deep friendship when fighting life-and-death battles against Japanese aggression in China 70 years ago, which should be remembered and passed on, Luo Linquan, Chinese consul general in San Francisco, told China Daily in an interview on Thursday.

World War II involved more than 2 billion people in over 80 countries. China and the US were both victims of the war, and they fought side by side. Both nations made 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 with Japan 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 supply, transportation and medical rescue. Many Americans traveled to China and fought next to Chinese soldiers.

"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 Theatre, 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, so we can learn a more comprehensive and real history and forge ahead in a friendlier manner," he said.

Seventy years later, the history remains in the memory of those who survived the war, but to those who grew up in peacetime, that history may be only a few lines in a textbook, Luo said.

"Facing the attempts of beautifying the aggression and distorting the real history, it's necessary for us to commemorate the sacrifices and contribution, and express our support to the efforts to safeguard world peace," he said.

"Through the review of China-US collaboration during World War II, 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 non-confrontational and focuses on mutual respect, cooperation and a win-win situation."

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

On Sept 3, the Chinese government will hold a commemoration event at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing. During the day, President Xi Jinping will award medals to war veterans and family members of those deceased.

The Chinese government also invited overseas Chinese; 52 representatives from the San Francisco consular area were among those invited.

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

"Meanwhile, we resolutely oppose the attempts of denying, distorting or falsifying the history of World War II and boycott any act of whitewashing fascism and militarism," he said. "We will do whatever we can to prevent the tragedy of another world war from happening."

As the world's largest developing country and the largest developed country, China and the US are expected to maintain a healthy and stable relationship, which is not only beneficial to both countries but also conducive to peace in the Asia-Pacific Region and the world, he said.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com