STORY: Xi's reply letter: a testament to five generations of friendship
DATELINE: Sept. 2, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:36
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of John Easterbrook and his family
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOHN EASTERBROOK, Joseph Stilwell's grandson
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): NANCY EASTERBROOK MILLWARD, Stilwell's great-granddaughter
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JOHN EASTERBROOK, Joseph Stilwell's grandson

STORYLINE:

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday replied to a letter from John Easterbrook, grandson of former U.S. General Joseph Stilwell.

In his reply, Xi thanked Easterbrook for the letter sharing the story about the friendly exchanges between General Stilwell and several generations of the Stilwell family and China.

In an interview with Xinhua, Easterbrook quoted Stilwell's remarks regarding the fine characters of the Chinese people.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOHN EASTERBROOK, Joseph Stilwell's grandson
"He (Joseph Stilwell) had a very close and warm friendship with the Chinese people. No question about it. He respected and admired their characters. And let me read one quote from him. He said: 'I have faith in the Chinese soldiers and the Chinese people, (who are) honest, frugal, industrious, cheerful, independent, tolerant, friendly and courteous.' And I might add, we still see that in the Chinese people today."

General Stilwell helped the Chinese government and people during the fight against Japanese aggression during World War II.

Throughout his 42-year military service, Stilwell made five visits to China and lived in the country for 12 years.

Stilwell's dedication to friendship between China and the United States has been passed down to the fifth generation of his family.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): NANCY EASTERBROOK MILLWARD, Stilwell's great-granddaughter
"We feel very fortunate that we are able to bring our children as a way to introduce them to the Chinese culture and the Chinese people, and also a way for them to really understand their great-great-grandfather's legacy in China. And I hope that they recognize all of the effort that has been made over the years to continue the U.S. and Chinese relationships, and that we will continue to do so moving forward."

In his reply letter, President Xi stressed the foundation of China-U.S. relations lies in the people and the source of strength lies in the friendship between their peoples.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JOHN EASTERBROOK, Joseph Stilwell's grandson
"People-to-people activities are the basic foundation to better relations and lead to more understanding and friendship and stability in the world. The more we can know each other, the more the friendship is developed."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)