A ceremony to mark the publication of a book which records the United States Air Force fighting against Japanese invaders in China during the World War II was held in Beijing Sunday.

The book, titled American Airmen in China during WWII, depicts battles of seven US air force units in China and lists 2,186 US airmen who sacrificed their lives in helping China.

The American Volunteer Group (AVG), later becoming the US 14th Air Fleet following the attack on Pearl Harbor, helped China to fight against Japanese invaders from 1941 to 1945. Due to the flying tiger logo depicted on head of the fighters, the squadrons were better known as the Flying Tigers.

In 1942 and 1943, several other US air task forces also joined the battle.

The ceremony was attended by Xu Kuangdi, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the China-US Friendship Association, Chen Haosu, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), and over 30 US veterans.

Xu expressed his gratitude to American friends who had supported China in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2005)