"We are dealing with the same great power that refuses to budge and is far more powerful than we are."
In her later years, Margaret Thatcher wrote such a sentence in her memoirs, which shows how profoundly her negotiations with Deng Xiaoping had affected her life.
She couldn't figure out why Deng Xiaoping could take such a tough attitude and tell her that although Chinese was poor, we were not afraid of war, and we could go out at any time to defend our country.
In response to The return of Hong Kong to China, she has always been grumpy about it.
On the morning of April 8, 2013, Margaret Thatcher died of a stroke at the age of 87. On the same day, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and many other iconic Buildings in the United Kingdom lowered their flags to half-mast in silence.
After the funeral, in order to mourn Margaret Thatcher, a bouquet of flowers was offered to express his sorrow for her outside the house where she lived, and a small card was attached to the flowers:
"The greatest British leader, the real woman."
So beloved by the British people that Margaret Thatcher, who even had a high-standard funeral, was confused in the two-hour negotiations with Deng Xiaoping.
Doesn't that sound bizarre? What exactly happened in the negotiations?
- Reinventing British politics
Thatcher was born in a grocery store in a small town in England, and although her family was not prominent, she relied on her own efforts to get all the way from here to the British power center at 10 Downing Street in London.
In Britain, where aristocratic politics or male democracy are deeply rooted, this would have been a difficult thing to do, perhaps a revolution.
Thatcher has been prime minister three times, serving an 11-year term, something that no one else can hope for.
The day after taking office, Margaret Thatcher took aim at the striking miners, who had always used this set to threaten the government, but unfortunately Thatcher did not eat this set.
Britain's trade unions, which have been in an absolutely strong position for more than 100 years, were beaten by a newly appointed female prime minister, and this blow made them angry. Can't help but think:
"What the hell is this madwoman trying to do?"
In retaliation, the unions launched the 1980 steelworkers strike and the 1984 coal miners' strike, which rioted among workers and civilians in many cities.
In other words, other British prime ministers may have already compromised with the workers, and even if they did not compromise, they would give up their posture to make a show, but Thatcher was different.
She is a woman who does not accept defeat, and if she can go all the way from an obscure town to the center of power, you can imagine the fierceness of her means.
Mrs. Thatcher did not budge, and gritted her teeth and said, "Difficult union." ”
Then the crackdown on hardline unions continued.
The game ended with Margaret Thatcher winning, and throughout the 1980s Britain's economy grew dramatically, with inflation falling to around 4 percent.
She was also the first Prime Minister in British history to give her name to the policies she pursued.
During her 11 years in power, British politics was transformed, and her influence did not depart with her death.
- Dispute over the Falklands
During that time in power, Margaret Thatcher made a number of reforms: fiscally implemented monetarist policies, reduced public spending, and reduced taxes; she implemented a large-scale privatization policy in the economy;
Reduce and control the reform of the social welfare system in the social field.
But the most emblematic of her "Iron Lady" style is the Falklands War in 1982.
"When I was prime minister, I never thought that one day I would have to order the British to fight, and during the war, I never lived so tightly or tightly ever."
In 1982, ten weeks after Thatcher occupied the Falklands in Argentina, she resolutely sent troops without fear of thousands of miles away.
Thatcher's greatest ambition was to reinvigorate Britain and put it to its peak.
In order to achieve this goal, since she took office, she has embarked on the development of Britain's economy, foreign policy, and revitalization of the army, but it has not been able to awaken the national goals and willpower of the people as desired.
Gradually, she discovered that new economic policies alone were not enough, but also that humiliation would be felt in the British people to awaken their sense of national pride.
Originally, there was a dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, and the negotiations between the two countries on the sovereignty of the Falklands have been going on for fifteen years without result.
Margaret Thatcher had her own plans for the Falklands, and she sent people to eavesdrop and decipher Argentine intelligence and grasp their every move.
After British control of the Falklands in 1833, Argentina remained dissatisfied.
They had always regarded the Falklands as their own territory, and in their view the British had seized their territory.
On April 2, 1982, Argentina took advantage of its unpreparedness to suddenly leave the island and regain control from the British garrison, and the war was on the verge of breaking out.
Argentina's initiative was a godsend for Margaret Thatcher to prove:
"War, let women go" is a lie.
When Margaret Thatcher learned of the news, her advisers advised her to consult with the then-U.S. government first, rather than by force force.
Throughout the day on the 2nd, Margaret Thatcher was arguing with cabinet members about whether to seize by force or to fight for peace.
The cabinet members did not approve of Britain's invasion of Argentina, and their reasons for not going to war were strong:
The Falklands are more than 4,000 kilometers from the British mainland, it takes a long time for the fleet to arrive, and it is located in the southern hemisphere, and the strong storms in winter can greatly reduce the combat ability of the soldiers.
On 6 April, Margaret Thatcher received an assessment of the Conservative Party's views, and MPs were polarized.
Margaret Thatcher had always been strong, and she wanted to take back the Falklands by fighting back by force, but this initiative was rejected by then-President Ronald Reagan.
Reagan was still inclined to reach a peaceful agreement, calling on the British side to abandon the position that the people of the Falklands would vote to determine their ownership.
After all, the Falklands are much farther from the British mainland than argentina, and it is indeed not a wise move to fight a long-distance raid.
But Margaret Thatcher decided to leave Terracotta, and although the matter was not supported by the United States, she chose to deal with it in her own way.
Henry Richie, chief of the naval staff, told Margaret Thatcher:
"I can form a task force of destroyers, cruisers, landing ships, and I can set off in 48 hours, enough to reclaim the archipelago."
The war lasted 74 days, and even Prince Andrew, the heir to the throne in the third order, was on the front lines.
The Argentine junta eventually conceded defeat and withdrew its forces on the Falklands, and Britain once again regained control of the Falklands.
It is said that in order to win this battle, Margaret Thatcher did not go to bed for three months.
When she is sleepy, she takes a nap in a chair or takes a nap on the table, and she spends all the time she saves on work.
In addition to her resolute wrist, the "Iron Lady" is also a "desperate third lady", no wonder she can be re-elected for more than ten years.
However, it is such an iron-fisted, hard-no-eat British leader who suffered a big loss in China and suffered Waterloo.
- The Iron Lady
In September 1982, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited China and held talks with Chinese leaders on the future of Hong Kong.
Before coming to China for negotiations, Margaret Thatcher did not pay attention to Deng Xiaoping, after all, in her opinion, Deng Xiaoping was small, spoke slowly and logically, and did not have the slightest boldness.
Looking back at herself, she won the Falklands War when everyone was not optimistic and resolutely opposed.
This time in negotiations with The Chinese leader, she is bound to win.
At 9 a.m. on September 24, 1982, Deng Xiaoping met with Margaret Thatcher at the Great Hall of the People.
Deng Xiaoping was already familiar with Margaret Thatcher, so he learned more about her before the meeting.
Unlike Margaret Thatcher's arrogance, Chinese pay attention to knowing oneself and knowing the other to win every battle, Deng Xiaoping was fully prepared.
Negotiation is a technical work, the test is the psychological quality of both sides and the ability to resist pressure, in order not to lose momentum, Margaret Thatcher wore a silk suit skirt, a pair of black high heels to attend, set off her more noble and moving.
Since the British side has officially made public its position on resolving the Hong Kong issue "without compromise", this negotiation is a comprehensive quality competition between the leaders of the two sides.
As the leader of the country, Deng Xiaoping was naturally well aware that Margaret Thatcher had recently won the Falklands War.
Therefore, before the talks began, Deng Xiaoping explained to the staff around him:
"China will definitely not be argentina's second, and it will not let the national territory be left alone."
There are two things in this world that cannot be discussed, one is national sovereignty, and the other is a matter of principle.
Mrs. Thatcher came to the Great Hall of the People in advance and walked slowly toward the Fujian Hall, and before she reached the door of the Fujian Hall, the door of the Fujian Hall was already slowly opening.
Deng Xiaoping walked over with a smile and held out a hand to Margaret Thatcher.
Margaret Thatcher also held out her other hand to hold Deng Xiaoping.
After meeting with Deng Xiaoping, Margaret Thatcher said:
"I am very happy to see you when I visit China as the current prime minister."
Not to be outdone, Deng Xiaoping said:
"Yes! I know a few British prime ministers, but the ones I know have all stepped down. Welcome! ”
After the two men met, the greetings were tense, and Deng Xiaoping's words were really not very good, and Mrs. Thatcher understood that this meeting was not very good.
After the two sides sat down in the Fujian Hall, Deng Xiaoping and Mrs. Thatcher briefly exchanged a few words of greeting, and the atmosphere in the conference hall was harmonious, and the two people seemed to have been friends for many years.
Margaret Thatcher chatted with Deng Xiaoping about Marx, who had lived in London for decades, and Margaret Thatcher felt that although Marx wrote a book on Capital, he was the person who knew capital the least.
Deng Xiaoping did not argue with Margaret Thatcher about this issue, after all, the subject of their discussion was Hong Kong.
After a few minutes of greeting, the reporters were invited to leave the venue, the talks were held behind closed doors, and in a friendly atmosphere, the two people officially turned the topic.
According to the pre-designed plan, Margaret Thatcher made a tough gesture, playing the two trump cards of "the three treaties are effective" and "maintaining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability cannot be separated from Britain", and she also insisted that the three treaties must be observed.
In order to let Deng Xiaoping know that Hong Kong would not develop without Britain, she even intimidated Deng Xiaoping:
"If China takes back Hong Kong, it will have a disastrous impact on Hong Kong, and if hong Kong's prosperity is to continue, it will have to be regulated by Britain."
In the face of the British prime minister's challenges and intimidation, Deng Xiaoping did not budge, acted more tough, and spoke with reason.
Although the voice is not loud, it is not inferior to Thatcher in momentum.
Although the "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher commanded the Falklands War, there is no comparison with a general like Deng Xiaoping who personally experienced the battlefield.
He was a man who had experienced bloody battles on the battlefield, and his insight and strategy were extraordinary.
Deng Xiaoping pointed out:
"There are many issues to be resolved in this negotiation, not just about the return of Hong Kong.
There is also the way to manage Hong Kong after 1997 in order to continue to maintain its prosperity;
And how the Chinese and British governments can properly negotiate so that Hong Kong will not have major fluctuations in the 15 years between now and 1997. ”
Speaking of Hong Kong's sovereignty, Deng Xiaoping unequivocally pointed out:
"China has no room for manoeuvre on this issue."
Deng Xiaoping also stressed: The premise of the negotiations between China and Britain is that China will take back Hong Kong, otherwise there is no need for peace talks at all.
He also told Margaret Thatcher that China would not yield an inch of territory, so Hong Kong undoubtedly had to be recovered.
In response to Margaret Thatcher's view that Hong Kong's prosperity could not be separated from British management, Deng Xiaoping said:
"To keep Hong Kong prosperous, we want to get the cooperation we deserve, but that doesn't mean that Hong Kong can continue to prosper only under British jurisdiction."
Hong Kong's continued prosperity fundamentally depends on the implementation of policies appropriate to Hong Kong after China takes back Hong Kong and under China's administration. The main feature of these policies is to basically maintain the status quo of the political and economic system in the region. ”
Both sides insisted on their own positions and refused to back down one step, and the original time for negotiations was one and a half hours, but it was extended by 50 minutes, which shows the fierceness of the contest between the two sides during this negotiation.
The two sides agreed to begin diplomatic consultations on the issues, of course, on the premise that China would take back Hong Kong in 1997.
But that proposal was rejected by Margaret Thatcher, who insisted that China should not presuppose the takeover of Hong Kong.
In the end, the two sides decided to issue a communiqué of the talks without any substantive commitments, and this was the end of it.
Although the talks were over, Margaret Thatcher still did not come out of the shock that Deng Xiaoping had caused her.
She has been the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for such a long time, and she is also a person who has experienced great winds and waves, what kind of person has not dealt with it?
But even so, she was struck by Deng Xiaoping's rigorous but logical, firm but gentle temperament.
She felt that the two attitudes of gentleness and resoluteness would not exist in a person at all, but Deng Xiaoping fully displayed the two and did not contradict each other.
So much so that when she left the venue, she still couldn't relax, and she was still thinking about when she fell behind.
A lonely Mrs. Thatcher came out of the doorway with a dignified face, she had never met such a strong opponent.
On the steps outside the Gate of the General Assembly Hall, Margaret Thatcher was still reviewing the negotiations that had just taken place, so that she did not look at the road at all, and just as she was about to walk down the steps, her high heels tripped her on the stone steps.
Or the staff rushed to her side and helped her up, fortunately the fall was not serious.
The "Iron Lady" was the "Iron Lady" after all, and in the initial panic, she quickly regained her composure and smile.
After being helped up, she generously said to the staff:
"Thanks, I'm okay."
The fall of the British female prime minister aroused the strong interest of reporters, and a reporter who was well aware of the character of the "Iron Lady" and Deng Xiaoping said:
"Thatcher was sharp in this negotiation, but Deng Xiaoping was hiding a needle in the cotton. Although Margaret Thatcher was iron-fisted, she was determined. But when she met Deng Xiaoping, a general who had experienced hundreds of battles, she seemed too immature. ”
In the afternoon, Mrs. Thatcher held a press conference, and when she read the statement to reporters, her voice became hoarse, but she insisted on reading the 83-word statement.
Margaret Thatcher had no idea that Deng Xiaoping would be so tough and not back down.
After returning home, she said privately to Ambassador Kolida to China:
"Deng Xiaoping is so cruel!"
Margaret Thatcher really did not expect that Deng Xiaoping's position on the issue of Hong Kong's sovereignty would be so firm, that he would not back down at all, and that there would be no room for accommodation.
All her deployments became empty, as if she had riveted enough to punch the cotton.
This time the Hong Kong issue was not resolved, and Margaret Thatcher decided to compete with Deng Xiaoping on post-1997 administrative issues.
Originally, Margaret Thatcher was ready to adopt a new strategy of exchanging sovereignty for power, which could return Hong Kong to China, but it would be governed by Britain.
Such a request was again rejected by China, the negotiations were in crisis, and Britain could not send former Prime Minister Heath to Beijing to meet with the leaders.
When the topic turned to Hong Kong, the atmosphere was once again heavy, and Deng Xiaoping was extremely dissatisfied with the British government's approach in the negotiations.
No matter how the British made moves, Deng Xiaoping always had the same attitude, Hong Kong is China's, and the issue of governing Hong Kong does not require the Intervention of the British.
Finally, after more than a year of arduous negotiations, the British government finally backed down.
At 8:20 p.m. on December 18, 1984, a plane landed at Beijing Airport, Andre Thatcher visited China again, and the two sides signed an agreement the next day.
Hong Kong has finally returned!
This incident also became the biggest regret in Thatcher's life, and the British also understood that the return of Hong Kong to China was the trend of the times, so they did not have any opinion on her.
But she herself could not pass this hurdle, and resigned as the leader of the British in 1990 to spend her old age.
What do you think about this, you may wish to tell us your opinion in the comment area! Salute to the motherland, may the motherland prosper and be strong!