WHAT: "China Remembers: Commemorating past US-China WWII ties, and their impact on the present" by John McQuillan (online)

WHEN: Oct. 3, 2026 Saturday, 7:00-8:00 PM Beijing Time

MORE ABOUT THE EVENT: Growing competition marks US-China relations today, but John McQuillan argues that analysing an earlier era of cooperation is increasingly relevant. He focuses on how many Chinese residents commemorate the legacy of American aviators in WWII China – specifically the 80 US airmen, known as the Doolittle Raiders, who are especially remembered in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces. In April 1942, the Raiders bombed Japan following Tokyo's attack on Pearl Harbor. Many bailed out of their aircraft over China, and were rescued by grassroots Chinese who provided medical aid, fed and sheltered them, and helped them escape from pursuing Japanese soldiers and arrive safely in Chongqing. In retaliation, Japan waged brutal military campaigns – including biological warfare – in Zhejiang and Jiangxi. McQuillan researched the growing number of "built heritage" sites -- including Doolittle Memorial Halls -- and present-day exchanges involving students and amateur historians. He also looked at the themes of wartime cooperation featuring in official rhetoric. For example, while meeting with President Biden in San Francisco in 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in a speech: "During World War II, our two countries fought side by side for peace and justice…After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 16 U.S. Air Force B-25 bombers attacked Japan in 1942. Running low on fuel after completing their mission, Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle and his fellow pilots parachuted into China. The Chinese soldiers and civilians fought bravely to rescue them. But some 250,000 civilian Chinese were killed by Japanese aggressors in retaliation." McQuillan and moderator Melinda Liu analyse this trend, its background, and its possible role in helping stabilize US-China ties.

MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER: John McQuillan was among last year's cohort of Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University. He focused his capstone thesis on how residents of western Zhejiang commemorate the American airmen known as the Doolittle Raiders, who were helped by grassroots residents of Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces in 1942.

MORE ABOUT THE MODERATOR: Melinda Liu is a U.S. foreign correspondent living and working in Beijing. Her late father Tung-Sheng Liu helped rescue and translate for a number of the Doolittle Raiders in China after their April 1942 mission. They subsequently made him an Honorary Doolittle Raider, the only ethnic Chinese to receive this honor.

HOW MUCH: Free for RASBJ members. RMB 50 for members of partner branches (London, Shanghai, Hong Kong) and students whose registration email address contains "edu". RMB 100 for non-members. Alipay may be an easier payment method than WeChat. You can also pay by credit card. Interested in becoming an RASBJ member? Please sign up at rasbj.glueup.cn/org/rasbeijing/memberships/​

HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click, "Register" or "I will attend" on this notice and follow instructions. After successful registration you'll receive a confirmation email with a link to join the online event. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder.

Members of partner RAS Branches: Please register 72 hours before the event to allow time for membership verification. Please check your spam folder to ensure you see all RASBJ emails.

REFUND POLICY: Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable. However, if RASBJ cancels an event, all registrants will be refunded.

Photo credit: US aviators, including Jimmy Doolittle (fourth from left), and Chinese officials in Western Zhejiang,1942. National Air & Space Museum, Smithsonian.