--- --- # New statue recalls enduring legacy of U.S. general in China  _This content was paid for and prepared by China Daily, an official publication of the People's Republic of China. The TIME editorial and advertising departments were not involved in the creation of this content._ Stilwell family members take a group photo in front of the newly unveiled statue of General Joseph W. Stilwell at the Chongqing Stilwell Museum in Chongqing on September 4\. DENG RUI/CHINA DAILY By DENG RUI and TAN YINGZI A new full-size bronze statue of the late United States Army General Joseph W. Stilwell (1883-1946) was unveiled at the Chongqing Stilwell Museum in Southwest China’s Chongqing city recently. This statue, replacing the previous head sculpture, commemorates the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Stilwell Road during World War II and the enduring friendship between China and the U.S. The statue, located in the museum that was once the general’s residence, depicts him with a carbine slung over his shoulder, striding confidently and gazing resolutely forward. The event, attended by Stilwell’s descendants and scholars, highlighted the historical significance of the Stilwell Road — a vital military supply route during World War II — and paid tribute to General Stilwell’s legacy and his wartime contributions. The Stilwell Road, also known as the China-India Road, was a significant military supply route constructed under General Stilwell’s leadership. Built from late 1942 and completed in early 1945, this over-1,700-kilometer route connected China with India and Burma (today’s Myanmar). “The unveiling was magnificent,” said Susan Mai Easterbrook Cole, General Stilwell’s great-granddaughter, during her sixth visit to Chongqing on September 4\. “I think it is a testament to how the Chinese people feel about him, and in return, how he has always felt about the Chinese people.” The statue’s unveiling was part of a broader commemoration. On Sept. 5, nine members of the Stilwell family, along with experts from Chongqing city and Yunnan province, embarked on a journey to retrace the Stilwell Road in Yunnan. Their journey concluded in a visit to the Flying Tigers Museum in Kunming, capital of Yunnan, on Sept. 9. Stilwell commanded the China-Burma-India theater during the war. He had developed deep respect for the Chinese people through multiple tours of duty in the 1920s and 1930s. The museum received several significant donations on Sept. 4\. Stilwell’s great-granddaughter, Nancy Easterbrook Millward, on behalf of her father, John Easterbrook, donated a collection of historical materials. Other donations came from Manny Dume, CEO of the Stilwell Academy, and Tang Xuefeng, an expert from the Chongqing Stilwell Research Center. Additionally, Tang Boming, former president of Chongqing Jiaotong University, donated a book he edited, _Traffic History of the Second World War — The Stilwell Road_, to the Stilwell family, Dume and Tamara Roper, headmaster of the Joseph Stilwell Military Academy of Leadership. Mou Zhixian, former chief expert of the Chongqing Stilwell Research Center and adviser to the Chongqing Flying Tigers Museum, said: “Stilwell was an energetic and talented general who knew a lot about China and spoke Chinese fluently. He led an army known for its strong cohesion and combat effectiveness. He introduced principled, advanced military practices to China and greatly contributed to military aid. He also played an important role in building friendship and cultural exchanges between China and the U.S.” New statue recalls enduring legacy of U.S. general in China ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/new-statue-recalls-enduring-legacy-of-us-general-in-china/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/new-statue-recalls-enduring-legacy-of-us-general-in-china/"},"headline":"New statue recalls enduring legacy of U.S. general in China","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:28:47.402Z","dateModified":"2026-06-09T07:28:06.050Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/new-statue-recalls-enduring-legacy-of-us-general-in-china/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/new-statue-recalls-enduring-legacy-of-us-general-in-china/","name":"New statue recalls enduring legacy of U.S. general in China"}}]}] ```