Zhou Enlai has his unique significance for China. As early as the early 1920s, Zhou Enlai was already present in the Chinese revolution. The founding activities of the Communist Party of China are even more inseparable from his efforts.
In the half century after 1927, he also remained a core leading member of the CPC Central Committee, exhausting his efforts for China's national independence, people's liberation and socialist causes, and establishing immortal merits in various fields of party and state work. This is also the reason why countless people are very fond of Zhou Enlai.
When an elderly Japanese man named Kaheira Okazaki claimed to be the prime minister's brother at Zhou Enlai's memorial service in 1976, people immediately set their sights on him.
Zhou Enlai sowed friendship among the peoples of the two countries
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Chinese suffered heavy casualties during the 14 years of fighting against Japanese imperialism, and therefore hated Japanese imperialism.
After the founding of New China, China and Japan did not establish diplomatic relations for more than 20 years, and even the exchanges between the chinese and Japanese peoples gradually developed after experiencing a tortuous road.
Among them, Zhou Enlai made great efforts to promote friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples and to open up the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations.
As early as the founding of New China, Premier Zhou Enlai gave a lecture on how to deal with relations with the Japanese people. In his view, the Japanese people are distinguished from Japanese imperialism, and the responsibility for the war is not on the Japanese people, and the Japanese people have also suffered the disasters brought about by the war.
Therefore, he often instructed comrades engaged in japanese work to do more work of persuasion and explanation to the masses of the people, so that the people of the whole country would understand the truth that "friendly coexistence between the two peoples conforms to the common interests of the two peoples." In order to open up channels for people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan, Zhou Enlai chose to start with non-governmental trade.
In April 1952, Zhou Enlai received the first Japanese guests.
They were three members of the Japanese Diet invited by the Chinese delegation at the Moscow International Economic Conference, including Takayoshi Fu, Sail Foot, and Kisuke Miyazaki, as well as several pioneers in non-governmental trade.
Zhou Enlai and relevant departments introduced China's attitude and relevant policies toward Sino-Japanese non-governmental trade, and promoted the signing of the first non-governmental trade agreement, which began sino-Japanese non-governmental trade exchanges.
Since then, Zhou Enlai has also promoted exchanges, exchanges, and cooperation between the Chinese and Japanese peoples and non-governmental friendship groups through various non-governmental channels, and has always taken safeguarding the interests of the two peoples as the starting point, and has won the infinite respect and trust of the broad masses of Japanese people and Japanese friends from all walks of life.
Among them, Okazaki Yoshihira, who is one year older than Zhou Enlai, has great respect for Zhou Enlai and even regards him as his "teacher of life".
Zhou Enlai and Okazaki Yoshihita
Okazaki Washira was born in Japan, but has been in love with China since childhood.
When she was in junior high school, Okazaki Yoshihira became curious and fond of China because she met a Chinese student named "Chen Fanjiu". After graduating from university and entering the workplace, he spent 7 years in Shanghai, China for work reasons. This allowed him to gradually develop feelings for China and be friendly to China from the bottom of his heart.
Later, when Japan invaded China, Okazaki Yoshihira felt endless pain. In his view, the people of China and Japan should get along as brothers.
That's what he thinks and that's what he does. However, after openly opposing the Japanese invasion of China, he aroused the hatred of the Japanese army and the Japanese right wing and was included in their arrest list. In desperation, Okazaki Yoshihira had to go to Europe for refuge.
Okazaki Yoshihira has always been concerned about China's development. After the founding of New China in 1949 and Japan's continued hostile policy toward China, Okazaki Yoshihira commented that the Japanese government was "unwise and ridiculous."
As an entrepreneur and economic and trade person, he also began to actively carry out exchanges between The Chinese and Japanese peoples through non-governmental trade, and gradually became an important member of the Japanese economic delegation to China. This brought him to the attention of Zhou Enlai, and the two began to contact economic cooperation and trade exchanges between the two countries.
When Okazaki First met Zhou Enlai, he was in his thirties. Although Zhou Enlai was a year younger than him, when facing Zhou Enlai, Okazaki Yoshihira felt that he was facing a much more mature and superior predecessor than himself.
However, Zhou Enlai was far more cordial, easy-going and humorous than he thought. Okazaki Yoshihira felt the charm of Zhou Enlai from the bottom of his heart.
Attended Zhou Enlai's funeral
Okazaki Yoshihira liked Zhou Enlai too much and respected him. In front of Zhou Enlai, he often forgot his social identity and showed a "little fan" look.
Even in japan's own home, Okazaki Yoshihira will always hang the head of Zhou Enlai, and can always draw motivation and courage to continue to work hard and overcome difficulties.
Okazaki Yoshihira visits China once or twice a year. As long as his health allowed, Zhou Enlai would appear in the ranks of receiving him, and it was in the frequent exchanges that the two gradually deepened their understanding of each other.
Okazaki Yoshihira completely regarded Zhou Enlai as his life mentor. Whether it is life or work, they are trying to look up to Zhou Enlai.
In 1976, Zhou Enlai died, and Okazaki Yoshihira appeared at Zhou Enlai's funeral with her son. Although in terms of age, Okazaki Yoshihira was one year older than Zhou Enlai, in terms of personality and ability, Okazaki Yoshihira has always regarded Zhou Enlai as an elder brother. On weekday letters, Okazaki Kaheita will also end up with the "brother Okazaki Kaheita." ”
This is also the reason why at Zhou Enlai's funeral, Okazaki Yoshihira claimed to be Zhou Enlai's Japanese brother.
brief summary:
Okazaki Yoshihira and Zhou Enlai met during the sino-Japanese non-governmental trade exchanges. Impressed by Zhou Enlai's charm, Okazaki Yoshihira regarded him as his brother and as his mentor in life. Throughout his life, he never forgot his respect and love for Zhou Enlai.
Therefore, after learning of Zhou Enlai's death, he was in endless grief and attended Zhou Enlai's funeral with the support of his son, and sent the elder brother on his last journey as a "younger brother".