Eighty years after China and the United States fought side by side in World War II, Beijing's top envoy in Washington said that the two countries must draw on their shared wartime history and recommit to peaceful coexistence and practical cooperation.

Ambassador Xie Feng delivered the message on Wednesday at an art exhibition at the Chinese embassy marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Xie hailed the "heroes" who resisted fascism, from Chinese civilians to foreign volunteers, and recalled how, during what he described as a "decisive war between justice and evil", China and more than 50 nations formed an international anti-fascist front.

"The Flying Tigers soared across the sky to intercept Japanese aggressors, and opened up the treacherous 'Hump Route' over the Roof of the World, writing an epic story in pursuit of peace with their lives," he said.

In 1941, volunteer US pilots, known as the Flying Tigers, fought alongside the Chinese against the Japanese in China.

The ambassador praised foreign artists and journalists, including US illustrator Martha Sawyers and photographer Robert Capa, for rallying support for China during the war.

"Today, to safeguard the post-war international order and protect the Earth, our only home, we still need such heroes, and should act together for peace and for the future," he said.

Xie also pointed to the Doolittle Raid of 1942, when US pilots, running low on fuel after completing their attack on Japan, crash-landed in China.

"Chinese soldiers and civilians spared no effort to rescue the pilots they had never met before," he said.

That wartime experience left a lasting imprint on bilateral ties.

"The friendship between the Chinese and American people was forged amid the trials of blood and fire," Xie said, "and has gained new life and injected fresh impetus into bilateral relations over the years".

"It is a constant reminder that China and the US should see each other as a partner and friend, contribute to one another's success and benefit the whole world; that we should never forget what our two people went through together in the era of war, and should never waver in our commitment to peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation," he added.

The envoy's message was as much about today as yesterday. The lesson of history, he noted, is that "prejudice, hatred and war will bring nothing but disaster and pain", while cooperation offers the only path forward.

Common interests

"Eight decades ago, our two countries fought against fascism side by side and jointly defended peace and justice. Eight decades later, we have more extensive common interests, broader space for cooperation, and more important international obligations," he said.

As the world's two largest economies and as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and the US share a special and significant responsibility for upholding world peace and stability, and promoting global development and prosperity, Xie said.

Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, also emphasized the importance of remembering the wartime bond.

Echoing Xie, Greene described the sacrifices made by ordinary Chinese in aiding downed US pilots.

"Families risked their lives to hide airmen, dress their wounds and guide them to safety," he said. "Never has one nation's people so consistently risked so much for those of another. This was not merely an alliance. It was humanity at its purest form."

David Frazer, a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design, stressed the role of culture in bridging divides today.

"Despite the political differences that exist today between our great countries, global appreciation for the arts transcends these differences," he said.

More than 200 guests, including US dignitaries, attended the commemorative exhibition, jointly organized with state broadcaster China Central Television.