On April 18, 2024, the Chinese Embassy in the United States hosted a documentary reception to celebrate the 82nd anniversary of Shangrao rescue of Doolittle Raiders. Minister Jing Quan, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Jiangxi Province Mr. Hu Zhiyang, Mr. Thomas Macia, Son of one of a hero of the Doolittle Raiders, Mr. Steve Harnsberger, President of the Lushan Kuling American School Association attended and spoke at the reception. Nearly 200 guests and friends from U.S. government, businesses, universities, media and other sectors participated in the event to commemorate history, honor the heroes and celebrate friendship.

In his speech, Minister Jingquan shared his long-term experience in China-U.S. joint search for the remains of missing U.S. military personnel who helped China during World War II, as well as touching stories of ordinary Chinese people searching for the remains of U.S. pilots who opened up the "Hump Route" at their own expense. He emphasized that the stories of Shangrao rescue of Doolittle raiders, Flying Tiger friendship, Ping-Pong diplomacy, old friends from Muscatine, and story of Lincoln Middle School in Tacoma have consistently proved that both China and the U.S. are great nations and that the two peoples are both great and friendly peoples. The story of China-U.S. relations is written by the people, and the future should be created by the people. The two peoples should have mutual respect, mutual exchanges, mutual learning and mutual appreciation. More American friends are welcome to visit China and write your own Chinese stories.

Deputy Director Hu Zhiyang reviewed the history of the Doolittle Raid and the rescue of Shangrao, introduced the process of filming the documentary "Recalling and Searching Across Time and Space". He hoped the two peoples would inherit the friendship tempered by war and jointly write more chapters of peace, development, unity and progress in the future.

Mr. Thomas Marcia affectionately narrated the moving story of his father being rescued by the villagers of Guangfeng, Shangrao. He said that he will continue to search for and excavate the historical memories of the Doolittle Raid, inherit and carry forward his father's friendship with China, and inject more positive energy into the peaceful coexistence of the two great countries.

Mr. Steve Harnsberger recalled his family's four generations of interaction with China over the past 140 years and expressed his deep love for China. He will continue to dedicate himself to promoting the values of peace, respect and friendship, facilitating humanistic exchanges and dialogues between the U.S. and China, and working for peace and friendship between the two countries.

"Doolittle Raid" was a U.S. air strike at the Japanese mainland launched on April 18, 1942, in retaliation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. Due to the exhaustion of fuel and the loss of contact, most of the U.S. pilots who returned from the raid abandoned their planes and parachuted into China's Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, and were successfully rescued by Chinese military personnel and civilians.