After the founding of New China, Taiwan's return to the motherland became an urgent problem to be solved by the mainland.
However, under the intervention of the United States, Taiwan will turn into an international problem if it is not careful, completely lose the opportunity to return, and face many crises, and Premier Zhou has provoked this heavy burden.
Since the 1950s, Premier Zhou has been doing his best to liberate Taiwan for more than 20 years, and finally even left a will before his death, asking that the urn be placed in the Taiwan Hall of the Great Hall of the People as a clear vision.
In order to allow Taiwan to return to the motherland at an early date, Premier Zhou has visited various countries many times since the Bandung Conference to convey China's attitude to the world.
During a tour of seven Southeast Asian countries, including Burma and India, a reporter asked him a tricky question: If Chiang Kai-shek returns to the mainland, will he consider giving him a ministerial post?
Premier Zhou just smiled at this, and then a sentence attracted a lot of applause.
15 years of Sino-US negotiations
After the end of the Korean War, the Taiwan issue once again became the focus of the central authorities' attention.
However, at this time, the Taiwan issue was already extremely complicated, and Chairman Mao sent a telegram to Premier Zhou in July 1954, instructing him to liberate Taiwan by force:
"It is inappropriate that we did not put forward the task of 'liberating Taiwan' in a timely manner after the Armistice in Korea, and if we do not carry out this work now, we will make a serious political mistake."
However, the United States reacted strongly to this, not only signing the Mutual Defense Treaty with Taiwan in November of the same year, but also passing the "Emergency Resolution authorizing the President to Use Armed Forces in the Taiwan Strait" and sending five aircraft carriers and their supporting combat fleets to the South China Sea on the mainland.
Faced with the change of actual conditions, the central government, after achieving some of its strategic goals, chose to change its strategy and shift from liberation by force to peaceful liberation, and this burden was shouldered by Premier Zhou.
In order to smash the CONSPIRACY OF the United States to make the Taiwan issue an international issue, Premier Zhou has sternly refuted the "theory that Taiwan's status is undecided" on various diplomatic occasions.
Proceeding from the aspects of history and facts, he refuted the Taiwan independence remarks and informed all countries of the world the fact that Taiwan has been China's sacred and inviolable territory since ancient times.
In April 1955, when Premier Zhou visited the Bandung Conference, he put forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, indicating the mainland's firm position on the Taiwan issue, which caused many countries to pressure the Meddling United States to negotiate with the mainland government on the issue of Taiwan's withdrawal of troops.
Under the influence of Premier Zhou, US Secretary of State Dulles had to bow to international public opinion and said that Sino-US ambassadorial negotiations would be held as soon as possible.
The meeting was scheduled for August 11, 1955, the beginning of a 15-year long sino-American negotiations.
During the negotiations, Premier Zhou, as the person in charge, clearly pointed out the mainland's bottom line: "The Taiwan issue is the crux of the settlement of Sino-US relations, and if the United States does not withdraw troops from Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait and sever diplomatic relations with the Taiwan authorities, cross-strait relations will not be normalized." ”
Wang Bingnan, former vice foreign minister, sighed: "It is hard to imagine that without the wisdom and talent of Premier Zhou Enlai and without the Sino-US ambassadorial talks of more than a decade, the United States would have established diplomatic relations with the mainland under the condition of recognizing Taiwan as a sacred territory of the mainland." ”
In order to resolve the Taiwan issue, Premier Zhou went one step further.
On January 30, 1956, Premier Zhou officially announced the new strategy of "striving for the peaceful liberation of Taiwan" at the Second Session of the Second CPPCC National Committee.
Subsequently, Premier Zhou made a message to Chiang Kai-shek on the pretext of relevant people going to Taiwan: "We have never closed the door to peace talks, and we welcome any opportunity for peace talks." Since we are talking about peace talks, we will not exclude any one person as long as he is in favor of peace talks. ”
In this regard, the situation in Taiwan has finally eased from the initial sword-rattling, and Premier Zhou has also relied on the two trump cards of "international public opinion" and "peaceful liberation" to completely smash the CONSPIRACY OF the United States to try to internationalize the Taiwan issue, leaving a spark for the future settlement of the Taiwan issue.
The third cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party
In order to further win international support, Premier Zhou visited Seven Southeast Asian countries, including Burma and India, in an attempt to strengthen ties with third world countries and convey China's attitude toward Taiwan to the world.
On the evening of December 9, 1956, Premier Zhou attended a welcome banquet in Kolkata, India.
At the press conference, Premier Zhou responded to many questions about the mainland.
When a reporter asked about Taiwan's return, Premier Zhou immediately stated the mainland's position: "The Chinese government is working hard to win over Chiang Kai-shek, and if Chiang Kai-shek has made a contribution, he can stay anywhere in China according to his own wishes." ”
This remark immediately provoked a reaction from the reporter: "Then, if Chiang Kai-shek returns to the mainland, will he consider giving him a ministerial post?" ”
This is by no means an easy question to answer; if it is given a low price, the Taiwan side will certainly not be satisfied, then it will not be able to achieve the purpose of persuading Chiang Kai-shek to surrender, and if it is high, then those who held their former posts in China may have ideas again.
After Hearing the question, Premier Zhou smiled and looked at the reporter: "The minister is too low. If Chiang Kai-shek returns to the motherland, he will never be lower than the status of a premier of the State Council. ”
As soon as these words came out, the brains of those present turned and realized the beauty of these words.
Premier Zhou's opening up of his position not only shows the importance that the mainland attaches to Taiwan, but also does not harm the interests of anyone, but on the contrary, it shows the arrogance of Being China's diplomatic representative and shows the style of a big country.
This time was also the first time that Premier Zhou publicly announced the conditions for Chiang Kai-shek's return.
Previously, Premier Zhou had already made secret efforts to win chiang kai-shek's return.
Three months before his visit to the seven Southeast Asian countries, Premier Zhou held secret talks with Zhang Shizhao and other patriots, who secretly conveyed to the Taiwan authorities the central authorities' plan for Taiwan's return to Taiwan, and said to his former colleague Chiang Kai-shek: "We have sincerity and can wait patiently." ”
The American writer Tao Han clearly recorded in his biography of Chiang Kai-shek the conditions offered by Premier Zhou on behalf of the Central Committee: "Zhou Enlai secretly proposed to the Kuomintang that after Taiwan's return, the Kuomintang could still rule Taiwan and 'will find a suitable seat for Chiang Kai-shek.'" ”
In addition to Zhang Shizhao's line, Premier Zhou also met in Beijing with Cao Juren, a reporter for the Kuomintang Central News Agency, who had worked with Chiang Ching-kuo.
In his speech, Premier Zhou cited the success of cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in the past, and put forward a proposal for the third cooperation: "Taiwan is an internal affair, and the patriotic family is a family, so why can't we cooperate in construction?" ”
After answering some specific questions from Cao Juren, he further said: "We are by no means inviting Taiwan to surrender, but to discuss with each other, as long as the regime is unified, others can sit down and jointly agree on arrangements." ”
Premier Zhou's good manners were passed on to Chiang Kai-shek's father and son through Cao Juren's mouth, and after this meeting, the contacts between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China increased significantly, and some specific substantive issues were discussed.
In the spring of 1957, when Song Yishan, a legislator of the Taiwan authorities, went to Beijing for a "field investigation," Zhou Enlai personally met with Song Yishan and expounded the specific policy for the peaceful liberation of Taiwan:
First, the two parties realized peaceful reunification through reciprocal negotiations;
Second, Taiwan, as an autonomous region under the jurisdiction of the Chinese government, exercises a high degree of autonomy;
Third, Taiwan's administrative affairs are still led by Chiang Kai-shek, and the central authorities do not send people to intervene;
Fourth, the withdrawal of US troops from Taiwan will not allow foreign interference in China's internal affairs.
And these four points are the prototype of Premier Zhou's "one program and four eyes" thinking.
Premier Zhou's idea was strongly supported by Chairman Mao, who offered enough weight to raise the stakes in order to save Taiwan from the flames of war and return to the motherland:
As long as Taiwan returns to the motherland, except for diplomatic reunification with the central authorities, all military and political powers and personnel arrangements are in Taiwan's hands; all military and political construction expenses are insufficient, and the central authorities will pay for all deficiencies in military and political construction.
However, these generous proposals could not be exchanged for the third Kuomintang-Communist cooperation, and the great cause of Taiwan's return to Taiwan was bankrupt due to the selfishness of Chiang Kai-shek's father and son.
Although he was well aware of Chiang's greed, Premier Zhou, who was bent on the reunification of the motherland, did not give up, and while continuing to win support, he put forward suggestions for limited contacts first, such as mutual visits and postal services, which were conducive to reunification.
Win a "historical document"
After the US "two Chinas" conspiracy was cracked, Premier Zhou devoted all his energy to the peaceful liberation of Taiwan.
In 1959, a help was put in front of Premier Zhou, but he refused.
In 1959, Li Zongren, through Cheng Siyuan, expressed his wish to the central government for the first time to "return to the roots of fallen leaves".
As a veteran politician, Mr. Lee is influential in Taiwan, and if he wins his stance, he will be able to win the support of many Taiwanese.
However, in the face of this help, Premier Zhou refused with "the time is not yet ripe".
This was a very rational judgment, although Li Zongren was of a high status at that time, he was monitored by US and Kuomintang agents, and if he showed any change, he was likely to lose his life, and although Li Zongren had the intention of returning, his thinking was in a state of vacillation under the influence of all sides, and he was not completely reliable.
In order to play this card well, Premier Zhou did two things.
In order to free Li Zongren from the influence of thought, Premier Zhou repeatedly stated the bottom line through Cheng Siyuan's mouth:
First, do not make a fuss between China and the United States;
The second is to insist that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair.
After determining that Li Zongren and the mainland could reach a consensus on two principles, Premier Zhou began to arrange a return path for Li Zongren.
In 1959, under the arrangement of Premier Zhou, Li Zongren flew to Europe to meet Cheng Siyuan, then returned to the United States, and then flew to Europe again in 4 years, making travel to Europe a routine operation and preparing for his return to the mainland in 1965.
In an interview with the European Weekly in Milan, Italy, Li Zongren made his attitude clear: "As an individual, I myself am irrelevant, we cannot hinder China's future and its progress, I am happy because of my failure, because from my mistakes, a new China is being born." ”
In 1965, after Li Zongren once again conveyed his eagerness to return, Premier Zhou waited for the moment.
Taking advantage of Chen Cheng's death, Li Zongren came to Shanghai on July 19.
The next day, Premier Zhou had a long talk with him.
With the "four must not" (not to intervene in Sino-US relations; Not to interfere in U.S.-Taiwan relations; Non-intervention in the relations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party) is also the "four cans": they can return to their home countries to settle down, and we welcome them; You can return to your home country and settle down and then go to the United States; Can come back at your convenience; It is possible to stay in Europe for a period of time and then set the end.
Cheng Siyuan later recalled: "Zhou Enlai was not concerned about Li Zongren personally, but the great cause of the reunification of the motherland. ”
This campaign was a success.
With Li Zongren's return to the mainland, we once again won a good card for the peaceful liberation of Taiwan, and after Li Zongren's death in 1969, a letter dictated by him became a "historical document" of great significance.
In the letter, Li Zongren said: "At the last moment when I was about to die, I was still deeply concerned about the future of the Kuomintang and all patriotic intellectuals who remained in Taiwan and overseas. They have only one way at present, and that is to return to the embrace of the motherland like me." ”
Thanks to premier Zhou's efforts, the progress bar for peaceful Taiwan has been moving forward.
On June 21, 1971, when Zhou Enlai met with american press figures, he expounded on the "one program and four eyes" from a theoretical height, and pointed out that after the return to the motherland, Taiwan will have a better life:
"Some people say that Taiwan's living standards are very high, and after Taiwan returns to the motherland, its living standards will be reduced." On the contrary, after Taiwan's return to the motherland, it is possible for us to gradually improve their living standards on the basis of their original foundation. ”
Subsequently, five measures to protect Taiwan's economy were introduced: the same tax as the mainland, free construction, no income tax, the return of taiwanese unemployed people to work in their homeland, and the liberation reward for all personnel.
Premier Zhou is very confident about his proposal: "Doing so will only benefit Taiwan more, and will not cause Taiwan to suffer any losses." ”
This concrete elaboration of the idea of "one program and four eyes" was the source of Deng Gong's future concept of one country, two systems.
In the 1970s, although Premier Zhou was old, he still had to stand on the last shift.
In order to strive for the early liberation of Taiwan, he personally ordered that one hall of the Great Hall of the People be changed into the Taiwan Hall and invited Taiwan compatriots to participate in the preparatory work, thus bringing cross-strait relations closer.
Thanks to the efforts of Premier Zhou, from 1973 onwards, the headquarters of the Taiwan Democratic League was also resumed, and it was one of the first parties to be revived after the democratic parties were suspended.
The peaceful liberation of Taiwan was Premier Zhou's dream, and he struggled for more than twenty years, but with the death of Chiang Kai-shek on April 5, 1975, the situation in Taiwan changed greatly, and Almost all of Premier Zhou's years of hard work were wiped out.
Later, Premier Zhou fell ill in his hospital bed, and with all kinds of regrets, he summoned the comrades who had taken over from the Central Liaison Department, endured the pain of illness to inquire about the work situation, and instructed the comrades to make good efforts to strive for the reunification of the motherland at an early date.
On January 8, 1976, Premier Zhou's heart stopped beating after a lifetime of hard work, and Deng Yingchao also put the urn into the Taiwan Hall according to the premier's last wishes.
Deng Yingchao said that this represents the premier's spirit of "bowing down to the reunification of the motherland and dying without end."
Sources of information:
News of the Communist Party of China " Zhou Enlai and the Historical Process of Resolving the Taiwan Issue "
"Zhou Enlai replied, "If Chiang Kai-shek returns to the mainland, what position will he be given?"
People's Daily "Demystifying the Relationship between Zhou Enlai and Chiang Kai-shek: From Working together in Huangpu to Parting Ways"