Organization founder hopes Flying Tigers spirit continues to boost China, U.S. friendship

(ECNS) -- Ma Kuanchi, a 72-year-old Chinese descendant who lives in the United States, said he hopes to carry forward the Flying Tigers spirit and promote the friendship between China and the U.S.

Ma, vice president of the Flying Tiger Historical Organization, has built an inseparable bond with Flying Tiger veterans during his youth.

“The spirit of the Flying Tigers is a symbol of cooperation and friendship between China and the U.S. and I hope it could be passed on from generation to generation,” said Ma during his visit to the Daiyi Flying Tigers Museum in Kunming, Southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

The American Volunteer Group of Chinese Air Force, or Flying Tigers, headed by General Claire Chennault, came to help China during World War II. Many U.S. soldiers fought alongside their Chinese counterparts in China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Ma worked as a tourism interpreter when he was young. At that time, China had just started reform and opening up, and a large number of foreign tourists traveled to China, “When I received a group of elderly Americans traveling to Shaanxi, they suggested visiting Kunming, as they once fought there.”

Working as a guide for the Flying Tigers veteran tourist group, Ma was gradually attracted by their stories and began to collect relevant historical data.

To preserve history, Ma set up the Flying Tiger Historical Organization in 2007, whose members are mainly Flying Tigers veterans, their relatives, friends and sponsors.

In March 2015, the Flying Tiger Heritage Park was established in Guilin, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Under the appeal of Ma and the Flying Tiger Historical Organization, veterans have donated nearly 3,000 historical artifacts to the park, including the field binoculars used by General Chennault in Guilin and a map of China drawn on silk.

In recent years, Ma has been engaged in organizing American teenagers to visit China and experience themed activities while exploring the history of Flying Tigers.

“U.S. and Chinese youth become good friends, which will play a decisive role in promoting the development of future friendship between the two countries,” Ma said.