Sinica Podcast: “The Symbolism of the Flying Tigers: Peking University's Wang Dong on the American Volunteer Group and its Historical and Diplomatic Usages”

Host: Kaiser Kuo
Guest: Professor Wang Dong, Peking University
Release Date: September 29, 2025

Overview of the Episode

This episode explores the enduring legacy and evolving symbolic usage of the Flying Tigers—the American Volunteer Group (AVG) that assisted China during World War II—in the context of US-China relations. Host Kaiser Kuo speaks with Professor Wang Dong, whose research focuses on diplomatic history, historical memory, and their impact on international affairs. Through their conversation, they unpack how the memory of the Flying Tigers serves as a diplomatic touchstone, a tool of public diplomacy, and a resource for people-to-people connections, while also examining the complexities and risks of invoking history in today’s fraught bilateral relationship.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Flying Tigers as a Symbol of Sino-American Friendship

[04:21] Wang Dong:

• The Flying Tigers’ story is commemorated in both countries, from museum partnerships to official speeches and ceremonies.
• Its emotional appeal comes not only from official narratives but also from children’s books, films, novels, and television, making it a lasting part of civil society.
• The narrative resonates because it offers a “clear good versus evil moral framework that both nations can celebrate,” underpinning successful public diplomacy.

“The Flying Tigers remain one of the most potent symbols of Sino American friendship...Altruism, personal sacrifice and perseverance...lent cinematic force to the tale and the Chinese people's genuine gratitude towards this friendship made this wartime memory into an emotional engagement.” [04:21 - Wang Dong]

2. Flying Tigers in Chinese Popular Culture and Historical Narrative

[06:03] Wang Dong:

• While the original AVG was a small mercenary group contracted by the Chinese Nationalist government, its narrative in China has grown to symbolize voluntary sacrifice and cross-cultural friendship.
• In China, the memory serves as “proof that foreigners recognize Chinese struggle against aggression and chose to help.”
• The narrative is positive in both countries but with different emphases: humanitarian duty (US) vs. transpacific solidarity and recognition (China).
• Disparities between fact and narrative are not seen as negative since “real sacrifices are made and real friendship is built.”

3. Target Audiences and Multi-layered Messaging

[08:10] Wang Dong:

• The Flying Tigers’ symbolism is aimed at multiple audiences:
  • Domestic Chinese: Reinforces national resilience and international friendship.
  • Chinese diaspora: Evokes pride and a sense of global connectedness.
  • US civic groups and veterans: Highlights shared sacrifice and goodwill.
  • Broader international public: Recalls pragmatic cooperation in turbulent times.

4. Memory Infrastructure: Memorials, Museums, and Local vs. Central Initiatives

[10:11] Wang Dong:

• Commemoration is “layered”—local governments are crucial in building museums and memorials (in Yunnan, Guangxi, Chongqing), often around historical sites.
• Collaborations involve NGOs, private donors, universities, and research centers (including Professor Wang’s own institute).
• The central government boosts funding and media coverage around key anniversaries, but daily operations are mostly local.

“The everyday operation of those museum and memorials are generally driven by local efforts...the center amplifies rather than micromanages.” [12:06 - Wang Dong]

5. Tension with Other Narratives in China’s Patriotic Education

[12:44] Wang Dong:

• The Flying Tigers story usually enters public consciousness via popular culture, not formal education.
• For example, the 2018 film “Forever Young” is highlighted as a portrayal that interweaves patriotism and cross-national cooperation.
• The story, emphasizing foreigners aiding in China’s just struggle, does not fundamentally clash with more negative official narratives about US involvement, as US history is treated as part of an integrated curriculum.

6. Awareness in the United States and Bilateral Exchange

[14:42] Wang Dong:

• General US public awareness about the AVG is low, with periodic boosts during anniversaries or in specific communities (veterans, museums).
• Within the US Air Force, the AVG is recognized as part of air power heritage.
• Museum-to-museum exchanges and public ceremonies involving descendants create meaningful people-to-people contact.

7. Divergent Narratives and the Potential for Bridging

[16:38] Wang Dong:

• American framing focuses on “freedom and liberal values” and volunteerism.
• Chinese framing emphasizes “anti-Japanese solidarity and gratitude.”
• These are not inherently contradictory; both celebrate courage and alliance, and can be unified for collaborative historical memory.

“A balanced perspective that acknowledges each nation's historical lens while highlighting the common value of wartime cooperation will help foster understanding, turning divergence into a richer collective memory...” [17:44 - Wang Dong]

8. Preserving the Legacy as Survivors Pass Away

[19:12] Wang Dong:

• Organizations on both sides (e.g., Flying Tigers Association) record oral history, host events, facilitate student exchanges, and build people-to-people ties.
• These efforts keep the partnership tangible even as first-hand witnesses pass away.

9. Complementary Narratives: The Doolittle Raiders and Chinese Civilians

[22:34] Wang Dong:

• The Doolittle Raid and stories of Chinese civilians helping downed American pilots form a grassroots complement to the organized AVG narrative.
• They illustrate that Sino-American cooperation was not just military-to-military but involved ordinary people and acts of courage.

10. The Flying Tigers in Contemporary Diplomacy

[25:21] Wang Dong:

• Invoking the Flying Tigers at high-level diplomatic moments (e.g., President Xi’s op-ed ahead of the Woodside Summit) signals a desire for stability and cooperation—both domestically and internationally.
• The timing is strategic, sending a positive message before sensitive meetings with US leaders.

“It is a reminder that cooperation has precedent and therefore remains imaginable.” [25:21 - Wang Dong]

11. Risks and Cautions in Invoking Historical Memory

[28:43] Wang Dong:

• There’s a risk of reducing history to “a rhetorical veneer” if not paired with real, sincere engagement.
• To avoid this, references should lead to tangible exchanges, focus on authenticity, and foster ongoing dialogue.

“The risk, I think, lies in instrumentalizing history...using it as a superficial bridge without real commitment to dialogue. Only then does legacy retain meaning and will become lasting.” [29:24 - Wang Dong]

12. Advice for American Diplomats

[30:57] Wang Dong:

• American responses should be “warm but grounded,” explicitly recognizing joint sacrifice and coupling rhetoric with cooperative initiatives.
• Real credibility comes from “concrete cooperation,” not just verbal goodwill.

13. Other Historical Bridges in US-China Relations

[32:37] Wang Dong:

• Beyond military history, Professor Wang recommends highlighting:
  • China Aid Council Field Hospital collaborations
  • United China Relief efforts
  • Ties like Tsinghua University’s roots in US funds (Boxer Indemnity)
  • Peking Union Medical College as US-China partnership in medicine

14. Limits and Potentials of Shared History Today

[33:49, 34:28] Wang Dong:

• Shared history won’t override the “structural competition” between the countries.
• It provides resilience (“soft tissue between the bones of strategy”) and platforms for practical, non-sensitive cooperation (heritage, disaster training, student exchanges).
• Such layers of resilience can soften confrontation and preserve communication.

“They reduce misperception by reminding both publics that cooperation is possible and has real precedent...I think that layer of resilience is not cosmetic. I think it actually it's meaningful, it's real. It can be the difference between brittle, risky confrontation and stable and healthy relationship.” [34:28 - Wang Dong]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Altruism, personal sacrifice and perseverance...lent cinematic force to the tale and the Chinese people's genuine gratitude towards this friendship made this wartime memory into an emotional engagement.” [04:21 - Wang Dong]
• “The everyday operation of those museum and memorials are generally driven by local efforts...the center amplifies rather than micromanages.” [12:06 - Wang Dong]
• “A balanced perspective that acknowledges each nation's historical lens while highlighting the common value of wartime cooperation will help foster understanding, turning divergence into a richer collective memory...” [17:44 - Wang Dong]
• “It is a reminder that cooperation has precedent and therefore remains imaginable.” [25:21 - Wang Dong]
• “The risk, I think, lies in instrumentalizing history...using it as a superficial bridge without real commitment to dialogue.” [29:24 - Wang Dong]
• “They reduce misperception by reminding both publics that cooperation is possible and has real precedent...it can be the difference between brittle, risky confrontation and stable and healthy relationship.” [34:28 - Wang Dong]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Flying Tigers' resonance in diplomacy and culture: [04:21 – 06:03]
• Narratives in education and popular culture: [06:03 – 12:44]
• Divergent US & Chinese perspectives: [14:42 – 18:24]
• Preservation beyond living memory: [19:12 – 21:26]
• Doolittle Raiders and grassroots collaboration: [22:34 – 24:27]
• Current diplomatic invocations and effectiveness: [25:21 – 28:43]
• Advice and other historical bridges: [30:57 – 32:37]
• Limits and prospects for stabilizing the relationship: [33:49 – 36:04]
• Book/movie recommendations ("Forever Young"): [36:22]

Recommendations

• Film: “Forever Young” (2018) – A Chinese film exploring the Flying Tigers through the story of a Tsinghua University student who joins them. Recommended for its historical and emotional portrayal. [36:22 – 37:15]
• Other bridges to recall: China Aid Council Field Hospitals, United China Relief, and academic collaborations like Tsinghua University/Boxer Indemnity.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode offers a comprehensive exploration of how the Flying Tigers—once a handful of American pilots in wartime China—have become a richly symbolic touchstone for US-China relations. Through history, culture, and diplomacy, Professor Wang Dong and Kaiser Kuo spare neither nuance nor candor, illuminating the promise and pitfalls of invoking the past for present-day policymaking. The conversation balances scholarly insight with real-world application, making it an essential listen for anyone interested in how historical memory continues to shape and complicate the relationship between the two superpowers.