Xi Jinping hails WWII general Joseph Stilwell as ‘old friend’ of China in letter
- Chinese leader said the late American general had made ‘positive contributions’ to the nations’ friendly relations
- In letter to Stilwell’s grandson, Xi also called for more exchanges between people from the two countries, according to Xinhua
“General Stilwell is an old friend of the Chinese people, who provided active support for China’s liberation and progress, and made positive contributions to the friendly relations between the Chinese and American people,” Xi wrote in the letter.
He said Chinese people would not forget Stilwell’s contribution.
Stilwell worked closely with Chinese leaders – then under the Kuomintang – in Chongqing against the Japanese invasion during the second world war, and his former home in the southwestern city has been turned into a museum.
Xi’s letter – dated Tuesday – was a response to the late general’s grandson, John Easterbrook, who recently wrote to Xi about Stilwell’s efforts in China and those of his descendants to improve cultural exchanges between the two nations, according to Xinhua.