Chairman Mao is a great man unique in Chinese history, and even in the history of the world, and under his huge body, even history seems small.
With his genius and indomitable will, Chairman Mao wrote a magnificent chapter belonging to the Chinese nation in the history of the world and formulated a new order belonging to the working people in the old world order.
Chairman Mao has never left us, we are still using the wealth he left us, and his immortal ideas are still guiding the peoples of the world to fight against difficulties and sufferings.
The more complicated the world situation is today, the more the people of the world miss the great Chairman Mao.
I. De Gaulle calls Chairman Mao a "myth"
In January 1959, after de Gaulle re-entered the Elysée Palace, he began to promote de Gaulle doctrine, advocating confrontation with the United States.
In the 1960s, de Gaulle referred to the status of China and France as "an untamed ally challenging American hegemony on a global scale; a 'extended family member' who did not obey the baton until it openly disengaged from the Soviet Orbit." ”
Being in a similar position in different camps is precisely the basic factor that led to the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.
It can be said that independence and self-determination are the basic common ground between China and France, and also the most important political foundation for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.
In October 1963, General de Gaulle authorized former French Prime Minister Foul to come to China with his handwritten letter to discuss relations between the two countries on his behalf with the Chinese leader.
On January 27, 1964, China and France formally established diplomatic relations.
De Gaulle, who had been hoping to visit Beijing after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, said he wanted to "meet Mao Zedong, who had become a myth for a while."
And he believes: "Maybe in the next century, China will become the most powerful country in the world."
De Gaulle's itinerary to China was always planned, and it was constantly adjusted due to the changing international and domestic situation, until November 1970, when de Gaulle died suddenly, and this wish was ultimately not realized, which has to be said to be a huge regret.
Pompidou said that meeting Chairman Mao was his greatest honor
De Gaulle's plans for a visit to China came to an abrupt end because of his sudden death, but the friendship between China and France was not interrupted.
In September 1973, then-French President Pompidou became the first head of state in Western Europe to visit China.
The greatest purpose of Pompidou's visit was to fulfill de Gaulle's last wish and meet Chairman Mao.
In a meeting with Premier Zhou, Pompidou said: "If I can meet with Chairman Mao, it will be my greatest honor." ”
At this time, Pompidou was already suffering from cancer, which can be said to be his last wish before his death.
Premier Zhou reported Pompidou's wish to Chairman Mao, who met with him at the Zhongnanhai Swimming Pool on September 12.
When Pompidou saw Chairman Mao, he was so excited that he expressed to Chairman Mao his last wish to meet with Chairman Mao and his admiration for Chairman Mao.
In April of the following year after returning home from his visit, Pompidou died of cancer.
De Gaulle and Pompidou, two generations of French presidents, have built a solid bridge for Sino-French friendship.
Chairman Mao met with French President Pompidou
Schmidt said that Chairman Mao had made an indispensable contribution to the expulsion of the Japanese aggressors and the liberation of China
Former German Chancellor Schmidt was the only German chancellor to meet Chairman Mao, who visited China in 1975 and had a long conversation with Chairman Mao, who impressed him deeply.
At that time, Chairman Mao had reached the last moment of his life, and his legs and feet and speech were not very sharp, but Schmidt could feel Chairman Mao's strong will and spiritual demeanor in the conversation.
In recalling that period, Schmidt said: "The first thing Mao Zedong said when he saw me was that you are a member of the Kant school and I am a Marxist. We talked for 3 hours. He was surrounded by 3 women, all of whom were English translators. Mao Zedong spoke Chinese, the translator translated his words into English, sometimes they did not understand what he meant, they consulted with each other, sometimes they would write his words on a note, asking you what you mean? Mao Zedong nodded or personally revised the text on the note. ”
Speaking of Chairman Mao's influence on the Western world, Schmidt said: "He has indeed made an indispensable contribution to the expulsion of the Japanese aggressors and the liberation of China. When it comes to his foreign relations at that time, one thing that deserves praise is that he did not start a war. Mao Zedong once believed that war would break out between the Soviet Union and China. But he did not provoke the war, and the war did not break out. During the Korean War, he was cautious until the U.S. military moved north to the Chinese border and decided to take action. ”
Kissinger called Chairman Mao unfathomable
In the 1970s, due to the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations and the inferiority of the United States and the United States in the struggle for hegemony, Both China and the United States needed to strengthen communication and exchanges between the two countries.
Since Nixon came to power, he has sought engagement with China.
However, in May 1970, the U.S. government brazenly invaded Cambodia. Chairman Mao responded quickly, issuing a statement on May 20 entitled "The People of the World Unite to Defeat the American Aggressors and All Their Running Dogs."
Nixon was very pessimistic after seeing this statement, and he felt that the door to Sino-US contacts had been completely closed, and all previous efforts had been wasted.
However, on October 1, 1970, during China's regular National Day event, Chairman Mao received the famous American journalist Snow and his wife on the upper floor of Tiananmen Square, and the People's Daily reported the matter on the front page of the first page.
In fact, this is a very obvious hint that no American has ever been able to receive such a high-level reception in China, but such obvious and important information has been ignored by Kissinger and Nixon, causing Kissinger to recall his stupidity in hindsight and call Chairman Mao really unfathomable.
Kissinger visits China
Nixon called Chairman Mao a warrior who fought to the last breath
At 11:30 a.m. on February 21, 1972, Nixon's special plane arrived at Beijing Capital Airport, and Zhou Enlai and others personally greeted him.
Nixon descended the gangway, Zhou Enlai stepped forward, and the two shook hands warmly. Zhou Enlai said profoundly: "Your hand reached across the world's most vast ocean to shake my hand." ”
Later, Nixon also wrote in the article: "When we hold hands, one era is over and another era begins. ”
Nixon was received by Chairman Mao only three hours after arriving in Beijing, and they were not sure they would be able to see Chairman Mao because chairman Mao's physical condition was not optimistic at that time.
However, Chairman Mao suppressed the disease deeply for the sake of China's future and the friendship between China and the United States, and met with Nixon in his study in Zhongnanhai.
Chairman Mao met with Nixon
Considering Chairman Mao's physical condition, the medical staff originally only gave 15 minutes, but the two finally talked for more than an hour.
In the end, Nixon's visit to China achieved world-changing results, and Sino-US relations took a big step forward.
Originally, Nixon was full of ambitions for the normalization of Sino-US relations, but the sudden exposure of the "Watergate" incident discredited him and impeached, and his successor failed to deepen the relationship between China and the United States.
In February 1976, Chairman Mao again invited Nixon to visit China, which clearly sent a strong signal that he was dissatisfied with the US government's China policy.
After all, if Nixon continues to govern, Sino-US relations will continue to go smoothly.
At that time, Chairman Mao was already an old man with a broken candle, and he needed help from others to walk and sit down.
But to Nixon's surprise, Chairman Mao spoke to him for more than 100 minutes with extremely strong will.
Chairman Mao met with Nixon
Six months after Nixon's second visit to China, Chairman Mao passed away.
In his book The Leader, Nixon said: "No matter what people think of Mao, no one can deny that he was a warrior who fought to the last breath." ”
In November 1976, the United States held a general election, and the then President Ford lost the election, a large part of the reason was Chairman Mao's invitation to Nixon, which made Ford's China policy come under great criticism, and then the elected President Carter quickly formulated a new China policy, which became Chairman Mao's last contribution to improving Sino-US relations.