Friendship developed over historical photos

Before he died in 2016 at age 78, Gregg Millett returned to Kunming many times and developed a deep friendship with Jin and other residents.

In 2004, he advised his nephew, Jesse Millett, to study Chinese in Kunming. Jesse went on to marry a young woman from the city and the couple have two children.

"Gregg and I were not only friends, but like family. He was more like an elder brother to me, always caring," Jin said.

Jin traveled to the US to attend Millett's funeral and brought some of his ashes to Kunming. He scattered them at Dianchi Lake according to Millett's wishes.

In August 2015, Jin and other four Chinese cyclists embarked on a people-to-people diplomatic mission to deliver "friendly letters" from Kunming to the mayors of eight US cities, including Boston, Massachusetts; Flagstaff, Arizona; and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

They rode for 66 days, crossed 13 states and covered a distance of 6,000 kilometers. During their journey, they visited the relatives of the Flying Tigers.

Jin believes that the spirit of those veterans will be passed down from generation to generation between the people of the two countries.