China and the U.S. share important responsibility for world peace, stability and development, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a reply letter to Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation Jeffrey Greene and Flying Tigers veterans Harry Moyer and Mel McMullen on September 12.

Greene, Moyer and McMullen jointly wrote a letter to Xi recently, expressing their commitment to passing on and carrying forward the invaluable spiritual wealth of China-U.S. cooperation.

In his reply, Xi said he hopes that the spirit of Flying Tigers will be carried on from generation to generation among the Chinese and American peoples.

Xi paid tribute to the Flying Tigers veterans, saying that he is glad to know nearly 500 Flying Tigers veterans and hundreds of veterans' families have visited China so far.

Recalling the past, Xi noted the peoples of China and the U.S. united together in the fight against Japanese fascism, endured hardships and forged a profound friendship.

Looking ahead, he said China and the U.S., as two great powers, must realize mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

Xi stressed that the hope and foundation of China-U.S. relations lie in the peoples, and the future of bilateral ties lies in the youth.

Founded in 1998, the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation is a U.S. friendship group aiming to promote friendship and understanding between China and the U.S. by fostering a dialogue about common aviation history.

(Cover: The Flying Tigers Heritage Park in Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. /CFP)