China celebrates the memory of the Flying Tigers

The legacy of the American Volunteers Group, better know as the "Flying Tigers", is still strong almost 70 years after the legendary squadron fought alongside Chinese pilots in the battle against Japan during World War II.

On Oct 24, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco held a reception to salute the US airmen who flew with the Chinese air force in the 1940s. The Flying Tigers, whose planes bore distinctive shark faces on the engine cowlings, are credited with destroying almost 300 enemy aircraft.

"As an important part of the global war against fascism, the American Volunteer Group fought shoulder to shoulder with the Chinese military, and made a brilliant achievement," Yuan Nansheng, China's consul general, said. The story of the squadron "forms an important and brilliant chapter in the history of Sino-US relations", he said.