Over 80 years ago in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Chinese troops teamed up with American volunteer pilots in a key battle against Japanese invading forces during World War II, ensuring the flow of much-needed supplies.
In May 1942, the Japanese army invaded western parts of Yunnan, capturing the west bank of the Nujiang River. The Yunnan-Myanmar Road, also known as "Burma Road," -- China's only international land supply route -- was completely severed, making it nearly impossible for urgently needed wartime supplies to reach China.
In May 1944, to reclaim the lost territory and reopen the vital supply route, the Chinese Expeditionary Force, in coordination with the Chinese Army in India, launched a full-scale counteroffensive, with the goal of achieving a rendezvous at the China-Burma border. They broke through numerous defense lines and eventually besieged Yunnan's Tengchong, a city which was about to become a key battleground in China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
On August 2, 1944, the battle of Tengchong began.
"The biggest challenge in retaking the city was the walls. The Expeditionary Forces couldn't breach them as they were too solid. The American planes bombed breaches into the walls, allowing our troops to break through and begin the assault," said Ma Juan, director of the Memorial of Western Yunnan War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
During the two years of occupation, the Japanese transformed Tengchong into a fortress by fortifying buildings and streets, digging trenches and bunkers, and even modifying a large brass bell by carving out three gun ports.
Chinese soldiers used flamethrowers and bazookas to destroy enemy strongholds and machine-gun nests. They breached walls with explosives, fighting house to house, street by street.
The local civilians also took part in the resistance as well. They acted as guides, transported food, and provided vital logistical support to the Expeditionary Force.
"Every household near Tengchong City welcomed the soldiers. They cooked for them every day and treated them like their own kids. One day, they prepared a whole table of food, but not a single soldier came back. The villagers could only sit and stare at that untouched meal, weeping in silence," Ma said.
On September 14, 1944, after over 40 days of scorched-earth battle, over 6,000 Japanese troops were wiped out and Tengchong was finally reclaimed. The Chinese Expeditionary Force suffered over 18,000 casualties, with 9,168 killed in action. A total of 19 American soldiers also lost their lives.
In 2004, Clifford Long, a Flying Tigers veteran who had bombed the city wall during the battle, returned to Tengchong in his 80s.
"The short period of time that he was in China was one of the most meaningful parts of his life. Through cooperation we can achieve great things," Clifford Ray Long II, vice president of Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, said about his father at a Flying Tigers exhibition in Guangzhou this July.
The victory in western parts of Yunnan inspired Chinese people to keep fighting. With the Burma Road reopened, Allied supplies once again flowed into China, supporting battlefronts across the country.
Today, a martyrs' cemetery stands in Tengchong to honor the fallen soldiers and civilians who perished in the battle. On August 15, the 80th anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in Word War II, the Memorial of Western Yunnan War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression reopened after months of renovation, presenting an important page of history in modern formats to locals and visitors.
Brave Chinese, Americans fighting in Battle of Western Yunnan remembered after 80 years
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran had assured Washington it is not seeking tolls, insurance fees, or other charges from ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, warning that negotiations between the two sides would end immediately if the information proved false.
"Iran has informed the U.S. that, despite troublemaking Fake News reporting to the contrary, there are 'NO TOLLS, NO INSURANCE COSTS, and NO OTHER CHARGES OF ANY KIND BEING SOUGHT OR RECEIVED BY IRAN ON SHIPS TRAVELING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ,'" Trump wrote on his Truth Social.
"If this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately!" Trump warned.
Trump also dismissed speculation that Washington had released money directly to Tehran.
"Additionally, no money has been given to Iran, or released from their money to them, by the U.S.," Trump wrote.
However, the president said the White House could release a portion of Iranian assets under U.S. control for the purchase of agricultural products, including corn, wheat and soybeans, only from American farmers.
"We will be releasing some of their money, that is totally controlled by us, to our Farmers and Ranchers, for the purchase of Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, and more," Trump said, adding "we will be purchasing it for them exclusively from the United States."
Trump's remarks came one day after Iran and Oman issued a joint statement affirming their commitment to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and agreeing to continue their discussions to reach an understanding on the future management of navigation in the strait and the related charging service "costs."
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Tuesday that only a limited number of vessels are allowed to pass through the strait each day based on coordination with the Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.
According to Fars, the strait had been closed for days following Israel's "hostile" actions against Lebanon and the U.S. "violations" of its commitments under the recently signed U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU), which led to a 60-day roadmap toward a final peace agreement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday called on the U.S. government to refrain from making interpretations that are "completely in contradiction" with the MoU.
He made the remarks in a post on the social media platform X, slamming "contradictory" statements made by U.S. officials regarding the MoU's provisions.
He said the remarks on ending the war will not help reduce Iranians' "accumulated distrust" and will merely serve as a reminder of past breaches of promises.
Baghaei emphasized that the U.S. government has never shown any sincerity in its conduct toward the Iranian nation, adding that, despite having reason to distrust it, Iran entered the diplomatic process with the United States in good faith and signed the MoU.
Iranians know that the "enemy's" animosity will not end by signing an MoU, bearing in mind the experiences of the past five decades, especially the developments of the preceding 18 months, he said.
On June 18, Iran and the United States signed the MoU to end the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Under the MoU, the two countries agreed to 60 days of negotiations, which are already underway, toward a final agreement mainly on Iran's nuclear program and the removal of sanctions against the country.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that U.S.-Iran technical talks are expected to resume next week, likely on June 29 or 30 in Switzerland.
On Sunday, Iranian and U.S. delegations held high-level consultations on the implementation of the MoU in Switzerland, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar. Technical talks followed on Monday.
Trump threatens to end talks if Iran charges ships in Hormuz, Iran slams U.S. for contradicting MoU text
