A ray of sunlight filters through the window, quietly illuminating a black-and-white photograph long faded with time. In the picture, a middle-aged couple stands shoulder to shoulder: his gaze is steady, his smile reserved; her eyes are bright, her face radiant with joy. Taken in Manila in 1947, the photo captures the reunion of Xie Zhenkai, an overseas Chinese from Jiangmen, Guangdong, and his Filipino wife Gao Meili. Behind those smiles lay fourteen years of longing and endurance, and a story of how a generation of overseas Chinese sacrificed for the nation with deep love and dedication.

In 1947, Xie Zhenkai and his wife Gao Meili took a photograph in Manila after 14 years' seperation.

Love and devotion across borders

Their love took root amid the chaos of war. Born in 1906 in Tangkou Town, Kaiping City, Jiangmen, Xie Zhenkai ventured to the Philippines at the age of fifteen to earn a living. From carpentry apprentice to newspaper boy, he endured the hardship of life at the bottom while witnessing the injustices suffered by Chinese immigrants and local workers alike. These experiences fueled his determination to fight for the rights of the underprivileged. While pursuing learning Spanish, Xie met his Spanish teacher’s eldest daughter, Gao Meili, and they fell in love. The teacher introduced Xie to a Philippine labor union, through which he became actively involved in various movements.

Xie Zhenkai's hometown

In 1927, Xie became acquainted with figures such as Xu Li, Li Bingxiang, and Wang Yazhang, pioneers who later founded the Wha-Chi Guerrilla Force. Influenced by their ideals, he joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1929, pledging to dedicate his life to China’s liberation and the people’s well-being. By 1930, Xie married Gao Meili. Soon after, they returned to Kaiping to care for Xie’s seriously ill grandmother, spending three years together in their hometown. Even during this time, Xie never ceased advocating for the people’s interests. He drove a passenger vehicle along the transportation route connecting Kaiping, Xinhui, and Enping. Later, he also established the Kaiping-Enping Road Transport Union to protect workers’ rights. As the labor movement grew, the pressure from the National Government of the Republic of China forced Xie to sail back to the Philippines alone, while Gao remained in Kaiping.

“No one knew then that this separation would last fourteen years,” recalled his son, Xie Baiyi. During those long years, his mother, Gao, shouldered the burden of family life while holding fast to her faith that her husband would one day return.

A loyal heart, a lifelong mission

Though separated by distance, Xie’s heart remained with his family and his homeland. As Japan’s aggression escalated, he threw himself into actively rallying Cantonese compatriots and local elites, denouncing fascism as the common enemy of all people, and spreading the CPC's united front principles against Japanese aggression. He organized manpower, funds, and supplies to fully support the resistance against Japanese aggression in China, and called for the boycott of Japanese goods.

After the Lugou Bridge Incident on July 7th, 1937, to resist the Japanese aggression, the Red Army and guerrilla forces from 14 regions across 8 provinces in Southern China were reorganized into the New Fourth Army. At the same time, overseas Chinese in the Philippines organized various activities to support the counter-Japan efforts in their homeland. In 1937, the Philippine branch of a Chinese armed self-defense association recruited young overseas Chinese to return to China to join the war. The call drew many volunteers, and ultimately 28 were selected to form a counter-Japan volunteer column formed by the Philippine Chinese, with Dai Xumin and Yu Zhijian serving as captain and deputy captain, respectively. In 1939, a delegation of the Chinese General Labour Union of the Philippines was formally established to protect their hometown, with Wang Xixiong as its head and Shen Erqi as political instructor. Over the years, this organization has continuously sent young people to Yan’an in Shaanxi Province to support the domestic war efforts. “My father was involved in sending these people out of the Philippines at that time. Among them, Zhuang Yan, who later became Deputy Representative of China to the United Nations (with the rank of Ambassador), was escorted by my father out of the Philippines to return to China and proceed to Yan’an. Before departure, my father specially gave him a notebook and pen, encouraging Zhuang Yan to study hard,” said Xie Baiyi.

When war swept across the Pacific after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Manila came under Japanese bombardment. Xie borrowed a car to ferry underground leaders such as Li Bingxiang and Xu Li to safety, taking responsibility for evacuating over 400 activists to Central Luzon. On May 19, 1942, the Wha-Chi Guerrilla Force was officially founded, modeled on China’s Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies. Xie was among its very first members. The first pistol for the Wha-Chi at its founding was provided by Xie. During the Wha-Chi’s establishment in the early stage, Xie’s greatest contribution was ensuring the safety of these leaders during transport and the logistics for the Wha-Chi, supporting all the supplies, food, and drink using his own money or gathering from labor and farmers' unions in the Philippines. His contribution was both material and moral, sustaining the fledgling force through its most difficult early days.

Guangdong soldiers in the Wha-Chi Guerrilla Force

A military legacy spanning three generations

In 1945, following the liberation of the Philippines and China’s victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Gao Meili finally returned with their eldest son. After years of separation and hardship, the family was reunited. In 1947, they captured the moment in a photograph taken in Manila, a simple yet profound testament to resilience, love, and shared sacrifice.

Xie’s devotion extended beyond his own lifetime. He once hoped that three generations of his family would serve in the military to protect the country. Inspired by him, his eldest son, Xie Bailing, joined the Fourth Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army after studying at the Guangdong Military and Political Academy. He later participated in the liberation war of Hainan, where he was awarded a second-class merit. His grandson, Xie Youjun, enlisted in 1984, continuing the family’s patriotic tradition. “My grandfather taught us to be loyal to the Party and to the country. Having such a grandfather is my greatest blessing,” said Xie Youjun.

Xie Bailing, Xie Zhenkai's eldest son

Xie Youjun, Xie Zhenkai's grandson

Xie Zhenkai lived a life of integrity and dedication, dedicating his entire life to the cause of the people and nation under the unfailing support of his wife, Gao Meili. Even on his deathbed in 1987, at the age of 81, he urged his descendants, “We were born with nothing, and take nothing away at death. All achievements and merits belong to the Party and the people.”His words showcase the patriotic spirit of overseas Chinese, and the lofty ideals of countless Party members. It stands as a timeless spiritual monument, symbolizing the shared belief and resilience of all who cherish peace and justice worldwide.