A US$2 million-project has been launched in China to renovate a museum in honor of Joseph W. Stilwell, former United States general in charge of Far East theater of operations during World War II.

The museum is located in Yuzhou District in Chongqing, which used to be wartime capital of China during the war of resistance against Japanese invasion (1937-1945).

Stilwell was chief of staff of the China Theater during the period, when China and the United States were allies against Japan.

An official of the city said the project included repairing the general's former residence, building an exhibition hall, expanding the garden and relocating 40 families and a workshop in areas surrounding the museum.

The museum, which covers less than 500 square meters at present, will be expanded to cover 4,000 square meters when the project is completed later this year.

An average of about 30,000 US citizens have visited the museum each year since it was opened to visitors in 1991.

The Stilwell Foundation of the United States donated US$1 million for the project, and the city allocated eight million yuan (US$1 million) for relocating the families and workshop, said the official.

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2002)