China returns WWII airmen's remains from 'Hump' route to US
China handed over remains of US airmen who died on the WWII 'Hump' airlift route during a ceremony in Sichuan. The remains were found by a Chinese museum team on a glacier at over 5,000 metres. Beijing said the humanitarian cooperation adds positive elements to China-US strategic stability.
The Chinese and US militaries held a ceremony on 10 November in Chengdu, Sichuan, to transfer a batch of remains of US airmen who died in China during World War II. The remains were excavated from areas along the so-called 'Hump' airlift route, a vital aerial supply line between India and China that operated from 1942 to 1945.
A senior official from the Archives Bureau of the Chinese Central Military Commission's Office, who attended the ceremony, said the cooperation in searching for missing US personnel in China is a vivid demonstration of the history of China and the US fighting side by side against Japanese fascism during World War II. The official added that for many years, China has acted in a humanitarian spirit to help the US side locate the remains of its missing personnel. China is willing to continue pragmatic cooperation with the US in this area, which, the official said, adds positive elements to building a constructive and stable strategic relationship between the two countries.
During World War II, the Chinese and American peoples fought together and established the 'Hump' route, an air lifeline that was a critical international channel linking China with the outside world. More than 1,000 Chinese and US aircrew members lost their lives on this route. The remains handed over this time had lain on a glacier at an altitude of more than 5,000 metres for over 80 years. They were discovered by a search team organised by the Jianchuan Museum, a private Chinese museum.