WUHAN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- At a ceremony held in central China's Hubei Province, Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, presented commemorative flight jackets to the representatives of six newly named Flying Tigers friendship schools in the province, marking a new chapter in an 85-year friendship between the two countries.

"This is the B-15 flight jacket worn by the Flying Tigers' 14th Air Force pilots from 1944 to 1945. Wearing this jacket means you become part of the Flying Tigers family. Welcome aboard," Katharine Greene, Greene's wife, told the audience in fluent Chinese as she explained the jackets' significance.

The chairman led a delegation of nearly 100 people, including descendants of Flying Tigers veterans as well as teachers and students from Flying Tigers friendship schools in the United States, to Wuhan, the provincial capital, for an event commemorating the long-standing friendship.

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Flying Tigers, officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, which was formed in 1941 by U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault to help China in its fight against invading Japanese forces.

More than 2,000 Flying Tigers airmen lost their lives in the war, and the Chinese people, at great personal cost, came to their aid, rescuing more than 200 pilots in distress while thousands of Chinese sacrificed their lives during the rescue operations.

In human history, there is hardly any precedent where the people of a country are willing to take such a huge risk to rescue and protect foreign strangers who have come from afar to fight alongside them, said Jeffrey Greene.

In 2022, the foundation launched a program centered on Flying Tigers friendship school and youth leadership, calling on the younger generation to carry forward the historical legacy of China-U.S. cooperation and rise to new challenges together.

Six schools in the province, including Wuhan University of Technology, Hubei University and Hong'an County No. 1 High School, were designated as Flying Tigers friendship schools on July 3, bringing the total number of such schools in China to 118. Meanwhile, 48 schools across 11 U.S. states have also received the designation.

"The designation of Hong'an County No. 1 High School as a Flying Tigers friendship school has built a brand-new bridge for friendly exchanges between Chinese and American youth," said Wang Xulin, the school's principal.

The principal added that the school will build a two-way communication platform, arrange online and offline student exchanges between China and the United States, and organize activities on intangible cultural heritage research and technological innovation.

This summer, the foundation will organize 500 American students to visit 14 provinces across China, while 60 Chinese students will travel to the United States to attend a youth leadership conference and visit aviation museums and other sites, inspiring more young people on both sides to carry forward the legacy of the Flying Tigers.

More episodes of China-U.S. cooperation during World War II are also being commemorated. China has designated the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid as a new national patriotic education base.

In April 1942, 16 U.S. bombers led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle carried out a surprise raid on Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the mission, some of the aircrews ran low on fuel and crash-landed in many areas occupied or threatened by Japanese forces in China. Of the 75 airmen aboard the planes, 64 were rescued by the Chinese people.

In China, the Doolittle story has long been regarded as another symbol of the friendship forged between the Chinese and American peoples during their joint fight against fascism.

Noting the United States and China are influential countries in the world in the economy, technology and other fields, Jeffrey Greene said both sides have brought the youth of both countries together and jointly opened a door to the future, building on the enduring friendship that the Flying Tigers forged with the Chinese people.