Ever since they came to know George Washington,the Chinese people have always highly respected him as the forefather and personification of the US,regardless of the vicissitudes in the Sino-US relationship. Another American enjoying such a status in China is Abraham Lincoln.
During World War Two,China was a major battleground where the majority of the Japanese army were engaged in a hard-fought war with the Chinese people,whose unremitting anti-aggression efforts and unyielding spirit had been generously supported by the American Government and people led by President Franklin Roosevelt. When the Japanese army cut the supply line between China and Myanmar in 1942,the US Air Force opened the route of"Hump" of Himalayas,which greatly assisted China’s war against Japan. Many planes were lost due to the harsh weather conditions in the highly inaccessible mountains. As many as 1，500 American pilots sacrificed their lives for China’s Anti-Japanese War and 50 C-46 planes were lost. Only a few years ago,we still found remains of American planes lost in World War Two in China’s Guangxi and Tibet.
In the summer of 1942,Japanese forces cut the Burma Road - the only overland path to China - and all land supply ceased. President Roosevelt ordered a route to China be opened at any cost. Since all land and sea links were no longer available,an air route was the only option. The"Hump Route" starts from the Indian State of Assam,moves east over the Himalayas,and arrives in China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. The distance from Dinjan to Kunming is some 500 miles,and average altitude is 4，500-5，500 meters,with the highest 7，000 meters above sea level. The mountain ranges roll on and on,as if they were the hump of a camel. Pilots flying the Hump,so to speak,dealt a huge blow to Japanese invaders and made a big contribution to the war efforts with their heroic deeds and sacrifices.
Fighting shoulder to shoulder in the anti-fascist war,the Chinese and American peoples forged a strong and close friendship,which is still cherished with fond memories. In Nanjing,the cemeteries of American pilots are well preserved till today.
Right now,China is undertaking the mammoth task of developing its huge West,which naturally reminds Chinese of America’s experience almost two centuries earlier. It is widely known that the construction of railways was a launching pad for America’s economic take-off. However,some of you might not be familiar with the fact that Chinese workers played a part in building the railway. In the cold winters of the 1840s,when other construction teams had retreated from the Rocky Mountains,the Chinese workers forged ahead,extending the railways to the wild and vast western frontiers. Altogether,many Chinese workers died in this cause.
Rocky Mountains,the main mountain range in western North America,extends southward from Alberta and British Columbia in Canada to cross the US and reach the Mexican border. The great mountain runs for 3，000 miles,with the broadest part measuring several hundred miles. The Central Pacific Railroad passed by this mountain.
In recognition of their contribution,in 1991,the State of Illinois erected a monument in Shanghai with 3，000 rail spikes. On the monument was inscribed the following message："Chinese railway builders are instrumental in bridging US’ western and eastern coastlines and the ultimate unification of the US." I believe the Chinese who see this monument will leave with the impression： Americans are not ungrateful.
Chinese people’s goodwill and gratitude for the US,which grew with the outbreak of the Pacific War,culminated with the victory over the fascists in 1945. The Chinese transliteartion of"jeep",a symbol of the American victory that had become hugely popular,for the first time found its way into the English-Chinese Dictionary and became an officially accepted Chinese word.
However,the popularity proved only fleeting,for soon jeeps with Chinese women and American soldiers were seen rampaging around in Chinese streets. In a matter of a few moments,Chinese people’s amity with the US turned into animosity when an American soldier raped a student from Peking University in a square in central Beijing on the night of Christmas,1946. Ultimately the US"lost China" when it openly sided with the corrupt Jiang Kai-shek regime before and during China’s civil war.
Seldom has the progression of history been free of setbacks. Due to cultural and ideological differences and conflicting strategic interests,the US and China had seen their relationship change drastically since 1945,from allies in World War Two to enemies. The two countries even fought against each other in a bloody war in the Korea Peninsula. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korea War. The US will start a series of commemorative activities in a period of three years. Altogether 37，000 American soldiers were killed in this war. Many in the US believe they fought for freedom.
However,Chinese people think differently. To them,they were fighting to protect their motherland which was under the threat of US aggression,for already US bombs were dropped on Chinese soil. Decades have since passed,but I do not think either side will easily change their views about the war. However,not long ago,I was told that an American company named Geneva had cooperated with China’s Central Television Station on shooting"38th Parallel",a saga about the Korea War. Who,50 years ago,could have imagined that the former enemies would join forces for an artistic work commemorating the war?