In the early days of the founding of New China, it was precisely the key moment to accelerate development. In order to improve the development of the domestic economy, industry and other undertakings, China has introduced many new policies and regulations. The Western countries, which can be led by the United States, have constantly imposed economic blockades on our country in an attempt to strangle New China in its cradle.
Since the beginning of the Korean War in 1950, the United States has tightened its blockade and embargo against our country, and even promulgated decrees on controlling the export of strategic materials from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao, announcing the freezing of our government's assets in the United States, as well as the deposits and other assets of Chinese people in American banks.
In addition to the United States, other Western countries were also very hostile to China at that time, such as Britain and Portugal. Portugal, in particular, with the support and instigation of the United States authorities, has been coveting our territory.
In 1952, China had just experienced the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and defeated the military power of the United States at that time, showing the strength of the Chinese nation to the whole world. After this war, the world began to re-examine China, and its attitude toward China has changed to a certain extent.
However, there are still some countries that are stuck in their own ways, believing that our country is still the Qing government that was a hundred years ago, which is still very arrogant and seeks quarrels and troubles everywhere, and Portugal is its typical representative.
As early as the 1840s, Portugal took advantage of the fire and robbery in the First Opium War to forcibly invade the Macao region of our country, and signed an unequal treaty with the qing government at that time, the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Friendship and Commerce, which made Macao their colony.
Since then, the Portuguese have done nothing wrong in Macau. In the early days of the founding of New China, due to the relatively weak national strength and the impact of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, it has not been able to make a good response to the Portuguese side. This has intensified Portugal's recklessness in Macau, even openly crossing the border, picking quarrels and provoking trouble, killing and injuring our fighters. So, how did they end up?
Black soldiers provoked disputes
On October 1, 1949, with the founding of the People's Republic of China and the Central People's Government, the great Chairman Mao officially announced that he would no longer recognize the unequal treaties of imperialism in the past. However, due to the many problems faced at the beginning of the founding of New China, the Party Central Committee did not deal with the Hong Kong and Macao issues for the time being. However, Chairman Mao has made it clear that when the time is ripe, he will handle this matter on his own. This was also confirmed more than a decade later.
The area between Guanzha and Gongbeiguan is a neutral zone between Portuguese-occupied Macao and China, and in order to protect the security of the motherland's frontier, our army has sent soldiers to garrison here.
As a Western country that had once bullied China, Portugal still used the idea of "great powers" to think about problems, and its attitude toward our country was very bad and arrogant, and it even started the idea of this neutral zone.
When the Korean War broke out in 1950, China formed the Chinese Volunteer Army to fight in Korea. Just when our country had no time to take care of Macao and Hong Kong, Portugal seized this "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" and extended its claws to the neutral zone.
Since October 1951, Portugal has repeatedly sent soldiers to carry out armed provocations, demanding that our posts be moved back. In the face of the invaders, our army's attitude was very resolute, and the border guards did not give in to any concessions, and the 49 provocative acts launched by Portugal in two months were all stopped by our border guards.
Looking at the new China with such a tough attitude today, Portugal was furious and immediately announced that Macao had begun "martial law", closed the gates, and set up machine guns on both sides of the gates. For a time, the situation at both ends was full of gunpowder.
In fact, Portugal had only one battalion of troops in Macau at that time, and the superior leaders were not hot-headed enough to take the initiative to provoke our army. But the next change completely detonated the "explosive barrel" placed between the two countries.
At that time, the Portuguese army stationed in Macau paid for many blacks. These blacks have no culture, are free and loose, and have no rules in their eyes.
On this day, the black people on duty on the Portuguese side found that our army had changed its defenses and many new faces had come. This group of "veteran oilers" thought that our new soldiers were a bully, so they took the initiative to open the gate to provoke our border guards. A black man yelled at our warriors and kept cursing. However, due to the language barrier between the two sides, the soldiers of our army did not understand what the other side wanted to express, and they had the right to watch the play and did not respond.
When the black man saw this, he felt that he was despised, and he was even more annoyed, and he threw cigarette butts, cans, and spit at us. Such a provocative act, the black man worked for two hours. Seeing that our army did not respond, the black man turned around and called 3 black people, entered the neutral zone together, and pushed the "Trojan horse" between the two sides of the post a little toward us.
Watching the Portuguese soldiers' intensified behavior, our army repeatedly gestured and warned, but the other side ignored them. The soldier Chen Xuedeng couldn't bear it any longer and pounced on it and threw a black soldier to the ground. Soon, the deputy squad leader of the sixth squad of our army on duty arrived and subdued the provocative blacks together with Chen Xuedeng.
When his own men were captured, the Portuguese commander was naturally very angry and drove 6 black fighters across the neutral zone in an attempt to retake the subdued black man. In this way, the conflict between the two sides further escalated. The soldiers of our army raised their weapons to warn the negroes who crossed the border, who knew that those blacks directly provoked bayonets to stab our soldiers, and the Portuguese soldiers in the gate bunkers also launched an attack on our army's positions.
Conflict between the two sides escalated
At this point, the conflict between the two sides has developed to an irreparable point. Ignoring their wounded bodies, the soldiers of our army raised their weapons and fought back, repelling the incoming enemy. But the enemy did not give up on this, and the next morning, under the cover of heavy fog, they openly crossed the border and opened fire on our sentries.
It is tolerable, and it is intolerable. In the face of the enemy's provocations, our side decided to teach him a heavy lesson and imposed a military and economic blockade on Macao. Our new China was not founded in two casual wars, but was bought by countless people with their blood and lives. For this reason, our country has always given in to the question of territory.
After the matter reached the Party Central Committee, Premier Zhou personally reported the matter to Chairman Mao. However, Chairman Mao still maintained the style of a great power and issued instructions to Marshal Ye Jianying: "
Big countries are strict, and small countries are lenient. Portugal is a small country that can be treated leniently.
”
It can be seen from this that in Chairman Mao's eyes, Portugal's provocations are nothing more than a drizzle, and we are not afraid at all. And this provocation, which did not cause casualties, can be tolerated once.
However, the blacks on the Portuguese side did not think so.
On July 28, 1952, a black Portuguese soldier fired a shot at our border post, knocking out our red flag. Such an act is a great insult to the dignity of our country. The warriors decided to raise our flag again, even if they were sacrificed.
That night, our soldiers, Punishment Qi and Su Guangzhao, rode out of the outpost in the dark of night, preparing to raise the national flag again. But at this moment, the Portuguese soldiers inside the gate launched an attack on the two men. The criminals and Su Guangzhao desperately raised the national flag, but their lives were forever left next to the flagpole in front of the border post.
Portugal's behavior has touched our bottom line. To this end, the people and militia in the Gongbei and Qianshan areas spontaneously organized to help the PLA rescue the wounded and build fortifications. In one of the clashes, a militia fighter named Li Chunjin was hit by an enemy stray bullet and died heroically.
The arrogant Portuguese side still did not stop, and even used artillery to shell the people's quarters and the plasters of the People's Liberation Army in our country. More than thirty soldiers and civilians were wounded in the shelling.
In order to combat the arrogance of the enemy, our army quickly mobilized 120 howitzers to the front. A salvo of 120 howitzers shelled the local positions for a whole night, beating the Portuguese troops to a pulp and a cry, and also making them truly realize the strength of the new China. Since then, the Portuguese side has never dared to provoke trouble.
Apologize and admit your mistake
Although the battle was over, the Portuguese side obviously did not intend to admit its mistake. To this end, our army has continued to impose a military economic blockade on Macao. For a time, local prices in Macao soared and resources were scarce. In just three days, more than 7,000 people fled Macau and came to Hong Kong.
Half a month later, the helpless Portuguese side only had to lower their "proud heads" and chose to negotiate. Our attitude is very tough, and the Portuguese side must publish a newspaper to apologize. Later, after continuous adjustment and negotiation between the two sides. The Chinese side agreed not to publish the apology letter, saving a little face for Spouty, the governor of Macau.
On August 23, 1952, the Portuguese side came to the gate, signed the apology, compensated 443.73 million yuan, and guaranteed that any armed forces of the Portuguese side would not appear outside the gate. At this point, the event is over.
In September, the Guangdong Provincial Military Region held a memorial meeting in the Qianshan area for the three martyrs, Named Punishment, Su Guangzhao, and Li Chunjin. In 1957, the Zhuhai County People's Government built a cemetery for the martyrs at the northern foot of Ma'anshan Mountain. Today, the cemetery still exists, and its monument reads:
People's warrior, the mighty spirit lives on!