RAS Beijing – “Once We Were Allies: WWII’s China-Burma-India Theater” by David Finkelstein – July 23, 2025
Posted: July 21st, 2025 | No Comments »WHAT: “Once We Were Allies: The US Effort in the China-Burma-India Theater in WWII” by Dr. David Finkelstein (online)
WHEN: Wednesday, July 23, 2025 from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM Beijing Time
MORE ABOUT THE EVENT: 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, and commemorations are being held around the world. However, the US military effort in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater is receiving scant attention, relegating it to the status of a “twice forgotten theater.” In this photo-rich presentation, retired US Army Officer and historian David Finkelstein focuses on the US military in the CBI theater, at the operational and tactical levels of the war: in arid Assam, in the sub-zero temperatures flying over the “Hump”, in the steaming jungles of Burma, and in lush southwestern and central China. It is the narrative of American and Chinese ground forces working together to regroup, retrain and re-equip to take back Burma (today’s Myanmar) from the Imperial Japanese Army. It is the story of the US Army Air Corps executing the world’s first sustained strategic airlift, creating bomber bases in Sichuan Province to attack Japan, and executing precision supply drops to American commandos deep in Burma’s jungles. It recalls the over 3,000 combat advisers embedded in Chinese operational units; US Army doctors and nurses who provided medical support; and tens of thousands of Chinese forces trained and equipped in India before returning home to defend their homeland. Most of all, it is a narrative of Americans and Chinese—military and civilian—working together to keep China in the fight.
MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER: David M. Finkelstein is a life-long student of defense and security developments in Asia. Currently he is the director for Asian security affairs at the Center for Naval Analyses in Arlington, Virginia. Formerly a career US Army officer holding various command and staff positions in field units, he has more than four decades of experience in the military, academia, and the international think tank scene. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, received a PhD in Chinese and Japanese history from Princeton University, and studied Mandarin at Nankai University in Tianjin, China. He has served as Director for Asian Analyses on the Joint Staff and on the faculty at West Point teaching Chinese history, Japanese history, and the history of warfare in Asia. The Secretary of the Navy recently honored him with the Distinguished Public Service Award. Dr. Finkelstein is a member of the National Committee for US-China Relations.
HOW MUCH: This event is free for RASBJ members, RMB 50 for members of RAS branches in London, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and RMB 100 for non-members. Interested in becoming a member? Please sign up at https://rasbj.org/membership/
HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click “Register” or “I will Attend” before July 21 and follow the instructions. If you encounter difficulties paying via WeChat Pay, you may wish to use Alipay or an international credit card instead. After successful registration you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to join the event. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder.
MEMBERS OF PARTNER RAS BRANCHES: Please register at least 72 hours in advance to allow time for membership verification. After successful registration you’ll receive several emails from RASBJ; please check your spam folder to ensure you see all RASBJ emails.
REFUND POLICY: If the event is cancelled by RASBJ, all paying registrants will be refunded in full.
