Exhibit features rare look at US-China friendship

An ongoing exhibit at the Beijing American Center in China offers a unique glimpse into a forgotten era of U.S.-China cooperation, showcasing photos from World War II that highlight a seldom-remembered alliance. Curated by Chinese collector Zou Dehuai, the exhibit draws on his personal archive to rekindle stories of heroism, camaraderie and mutual sacrifice that defined the China-Burma-India theater.

What’s in it: The exhibit, which runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 25, features more than 10,000 photos from Zou’s collection that depict the wartime experiences of U.S. and Chinese soldiers who fought together against Japanese forces during World War II. Among them are rare images of figures like Gen. Joseph Stilwell and the Flying Tigers, led by Gen. Claire Lee Chennault, as well as Chinese American pilots, African American soldiers and wartime nurses. Personal moments, such as a U.S. soldier learning to use chopsticks from Chinese soldiers, bring to life the human connections formed amid the chaos of war. “This friendship, of fighting shoulder to shoulder, should be remembered forever,” Zou, who has been collecting historical images since 2012, told the South China Morning Post.
Why this matters: The exhibit shines a light on a largely forgotten chapter of U.S.-China relations, where the two nations united for a common cause. During the war, over 250,000 Americans joined forces with Chinese soldiers in the China-Burma-India theater, with many risking their lives for freedom. This bond has been overlooked in both countries due to ideological rifts that followed the war. For decades in China, it was taboo to acknowledge U.S. support for Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang, while U.S. veterans who fought alongside the Chinese later found themselves fighting against them in conflicts like the Korean and Vietnam wars. Despite this complicated legacy, Zou’s exhibition is part of a broader effort to revive the spirit of U.S.-China cooperation, often exemplified by the Flying Tigers, which remains a symbol of hope even in today’s tense relations.

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