The Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation (SAAHF), whose members are mostly World War II veterans and their progeny in the two countries, honored Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei with a reward named after a US veteran in Beijing Monday.
Jeffrey Greene, executive director of the foundation, said SAAHF awarded "Arthur Chen Honor" to Yang in honor of his contribution to China's manned space program.
Arthur Chen, a Chinese American, was one of the American pilots sent to China to fight intruding Japanese troops during the World War II. He downed five Japanese planes in China and later wounded in fight.
Aboard a homemade spaceship, Yang circled the earth for nearly one day in October of 2003 on China's first manned space flight.
Greene said Yang is the second recipient of the honor. The first recipient is The Flying Tiger Group, which was made of American veteran pilots fighting the Japanese aggressors in China during the World War II.
The group was awarded "Arthur Chen's Aviation Achievement Honor" in 2001 at the meeting celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the group.
(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2005)
