Old links can help to forge modern friendships

I interviewed dozens of descendents and friends of Flying Tiger pilots, and members of the Flying Tigers' Historical Organization who visited the newly opened heritage park in Gui-lin. Many of them were retired US Air Force pilots.

Their emotional attachment to the relics left by the Flying Tigers and to the people of Guilin, who helped to rescue the US pilots or build the park, plus the hospitality they received in return left me with the deep impression that interpersonal contacts and friendships should form the foundations of Sino-US relations.

Because of the geological distance, language barrier and cultural differences, Chinese and US nationals view one another through the lens of the media, rather than face-to-face contact.