Hon. Mr. Moyer and Mr. Mcmullen,
Families of Flying Tiger veterans,
Chairman Greene,
Faculty and students,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
It is my great pleasure to invite you to today's reception with the theme of Remembering Flying Tigers' History, Carrying Forward China-US Friendship. Among our distinguished guests, there are not only participants and witnesses of China-US cooperation and friendship in the past, but also friends who are carrying forward this spirit of friendship today. First, allow me to extend my warmest greetings and welcome to Mr. Moyer and Mr. McMullen, veterans of Flying Tigers. I'd also like to pay tribute to the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and Chairman Greene for your dedication to collecting and advocating the history of Flying Tigers and sharing the stories of China-US friendship .
More than eight decades ago, the Flying Tigers crossed the Pacific to China and fought alongside the Chinese people against the aggression of Japanese fascism. This period of history epitomizes the spirit of collaboration and friendship between our two countries. Its glory shine eternally and deserves to be remembered and commemorated forever. From the China-Myanmar border to the Southwest China, from the Yangtze River to the Himalayas, Flying Tigers soared above the sky like eagles, and shot down over 2,600 fighter jets of Japanese invaders. They braved bad weather and steep mountains and opened up the Hump Route, which broke Japan's blockade and transported more than 800,000 tons of supplies to China. The Chinese people were deeply grateful for their contributions and spared no efforts to rescue and protect the Flying Tigers, even at the cost of their own lives. When pilot Glen Beneda parachuted out of his plane, local villagers and China's New Fourth Army carried out a life-and-death rescue lasting nearly 60 days and finally got him out of danger. When pilot Gabriel Disosway crash-landed, local villagers worked overnight to build a 1000-meter temporary runway for the rescue plane to land on. Throughout China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, more than 200 Flying Tigers were rescued, for which thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians sacrificed their lives. As Mr. Moyer puts it, the bond between the US and China during the World Anti-Fascist War was forged in blood and honor.
The Cairo Declaration, The Potsdam Proclamation and other international law documents, jointly signed by China, the US and other countries, laid the legal foundation for the post-World War II international order, among which the fact that Taiwan is part of China was affirmed. It enabled the world to enjoy peace overall for more than 7 decades after the war. The victory of World War II was a great triumph of justice over evil, light over darkness and progressive forces over reactionary elements. The Chinese and American people made huge sacrifices for the victory. We therefore share the responsibility and obligation to defend the victory of World War II, uphold the post-war international order, so as to safeguard the enduring peace for all humanity. The one-China principle is a universally recognized international consensus and the political foundation for China to establish and develop diplomatic relations with any other country. Just like other nations, China has the legitimate right to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests and firmly advance the just cause of national reunification .
Dear friends,
The story of the Flying Tigers is a glorious history of Chinese and American people upholding justice and peace together in the spirit of mutual respect. It is still enlightening for us today and for the future generations. History has proven that both China and the US gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. A sound and stable China-US relationship not only delivers tremendous benefits to our two peoples, but also contributes significantly to world peace, stability, and prosperity. China's development is to enable all Chinese people to live a better life. China has no intention to challenge or replace any other country. China-US relationship is now facing serious difficulties, which falls short of the expectations of Chinese and American people as well as the international community. As two major countries in the world, China and the US shall work together to address global challenges and make new contributions to world peace and justice. The three principles proposed by President Xi Jinping, namely mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, represent the fundamental and right way for the two countries to get along with each other in the new era. China-US relationship should include an ever-lengthening positive list of cooperation and an ever-shrinking negative list, which bears our consensus and direction of efforts.
To grow China-US relations, the hope and foundation lie in the people, and the future lies with the youth. At this critical moment, it is more important for us to inherit and carry forward the spirit of China-US cooperation and open up a new Hump Route of enhanced dialogue and cooperation, to eliminate misunderstanding and misjudgment through communication and exchanges, and to enhance the well-being of our two peoples by mutually beneficial cooperation. This is the value of our gathering here today. It is our mission and duty to promote people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between China and the US. My team and I will spare no efforts to work with friends from all walks of life in the consular district to implement the important consensus reached by our two state leaders, to strengthen dialogues, manage differences, advance cooperation and promote the sound and steady development of China-US relations.
Last but not the least, I wish the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation's visit to China this October a great success, and welcome more schools to join the Flying Tigers Friendship School and Young Leaders Program. I hope that the students who gather with us today and more and more young Americans could deepen their understanding and friendship with the young generation in China. You are encouraged to work hand in hand as envoys of friendship and write new chapters of China-US cooperation story in the spirit of the Flying Tigers, to promote the common development of our two great nations as well as world peace and prosperity.
Thank you.
