On the afternoon of October 22, invited by the American Studies Center andInstitute for Global Cooperation and Understanding at Peking University (iGCU) of Peking University, Dr. Bernard Loeffke, a retired Major General of the United States, gave a special lecture on China-U.S. relations for the teachers and students of the School of International Studies of Peking University. Dr. Loeffke, a visiting professor of Clinical Medicine at Barry University, once served as a military officer at United States embassies in the former Soviet Union and China, and is one of the witnesses of China-U.S. military exchange. He served as a Chief Combat Officer of the army at all levels and Army Commander of the Southern Military Region of the United States. He also served in the National Security Council of the United States, as Chairman of the Inter-American Defense Board and as military adviser to the secretary-general of the Organization of American States. In 2007, he won the "Outstanding Graduate Award of the United States Military Academy".
In his lecture, Major General Loeffke made a vivid analysis of China-U.S. relations from the perspective of a "China expert" and humanist based on his personal experience.
In the lecture, Major General Loeffke recalled that he once volunteered to parachute with the Chinese People' s Liberation Army's airborne unit while serving as a military officer at the American embassy in China in the early 1980s. With the support of the leaders of China and the United States, his idea was successfully realized, and Loeffke became the first foreign general to experience it, thus writing a much-told story in the history of military exchange between China and the United States. Major General Loeffke not only witnessed the development of China-U.S. relations, but also established a deep affection for China. In 1995, he set up a "friendship fund" at the United States Military Academy to fund the activities of military students and future American military activists, and increase understanding of the Russian and Chinese armies. During the lecture, Major General Loeffke spoke highly of Nixon's visit to China and the normalization of China-US relations. In his view, the relationship between China and the United States during World War II should be continued. China is a friend of the United States, not an enemy. China and the United States should strengthen their exchange in order to eliminate misunderstandings and avoid conflicts and wars.
The experience of serving and being injured in the Vietnam War made Major General Loeffke deeply aware of the brutality of war and the importance of humanitarian activities. After retiring from the army, he devoted himself to public welfare undertakings, visited many Asian and African countries, treated patients in poverty-stricken areas, and set up a website called "Helping Others Today" with his children.In his lecture, Major General Loeffke introduced the goals of his public welfare undertakings, namely "VIP", which means teaching children about diseases and drugs, and then letting them teach their parents so as to promote the spread of hygiene knowledge. Major General Loeffke and his son also demonstrated how to treat stroke patients at the site, then interacted with the attending teachers and students. Later, Major General Loeffke shared his experience parachuting with the People' s Liberation Army when he was a military officer in China, and sang Guerrillas' Song in Chinese, winning applause and bringing the lecture to a crescendo.
Finally, students from China, Russia and the United States asked questions about the personal experience of Major General Loeffke, China-U.S. relations and the anti-terrorism policy of the United States, and Major General Loeffke gave wonderful detailed answers one by one. The lecture concluded in a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere. The lecture was presided over by Professor Fan Shiming and was also attended by Wang Dong, Deputy Director of the Institute for China-U.S. People-to-People Exchange of Peking University.
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