In 1976, the Watergate incident that shocked the world occurred in the US political arena, and President Nixon, who had just been re-elected, was forced by the pressure of huge public opinion to choose to resign. At the darkest trough of his life, an invitation from a distant China made him smile.
At Chairman Mao's invitation, the former PRESIDENT of the United States came to China again and was warmly welcomed by the people. During the conversation, Nixon suddenly asked about the chairman's personal preferences, and when Chairman Mao heard it, he only used five words to answer Nixon, but it was these short five words that made Nixon have a heartfelt respect for Chairman Mao.
Before the meeting was over, he also bowed deeply to the Chairman as a tribute.
What were the five words that shocked Nixon so much?
As early as Nixon's first visit to China, Chairman Mao made an exception and talked with him for 75 minutes, and the two also established a deep friendship. Nixon's visit to China is the most crucial step in the history of the progress of Sino-US relations, and out of consideration for the international situation, China and the United States, which have been indifferent to each other for nearly 20 years, are interested in breaking the ice and establishing more harmonious AndMA relations.
With the development of ping-pong diplomacy, the United States has also put the president's visit to China on the agenda.
In order to ensure that his visit to China went smoothly, Nixon immediately set out to study Mao Zedong, collecting everything related to Mao Zedong and trying to piece together a complete image of Mao Zedong.
Nixon not only read the English version of "Selected Works of Mao Zedong" and the introductory materials on Mao Zedong's situation produced by the US intelligence services, but also read many biographies of Mao Zedong, wanting to find out Mao Zedong's thought, and heard that the Italian film master Antonioni made a rather sensational documentary "China", and he hurriedly let people find this film, and watched it repeatedly, wanting to understand Mao Zedong's leadership style and see how much prestige Mao Zedong had in Chinese mind.
I had just heard that Malraux, who had been the minister of culture in France, had met Mao Zedong, and Nixon directly invited him to the White House to introduce Mao Zedong's personality and habits. Malraux enthusiastically described to Nixon the scene of meeting Mao Zedong, and finally he told Nixon, somewhat mysteriously, "You will face a giant." ”
This sentence made Nixon, who was already mentally prepared, have some worries.
In 1972, chairman Mao, who was 79 years old, was in deteriorating health, so he met with foreign guests much less often.
On January 13, Chairman Mao's high fever caused severe hypoxia, and later a shock condition, after emergency treatment by doctors, he was able to slowly wake up. A few days later, Chairman Mao suddenly went into shock again, and the doctor rushed to do a comprehensive examination of him, only to find that Chairman Mao's heart and lungs were already suffering from serious diseases.
Until Nixon arrived in Beijing by special plane on February 21, Chairman Mao's body was still not fully recovered. When he received the news that Chairman Mao was in poor health, Nixon was really worried, and if he did not see this great Chinese man on this trip, it would be a great regret!
But he was obviously worried, and Chairman Mao, who was well aware of the importance of the US president's visit to China, overcame his great physical discomfort with a strong will and soon received Nixon. At about two o'clock in the afternoon on the day nixon arrived in Beijing, Premier Zhou Enlai received instructions from the chairman to quickly find Kissinger and said to him: "Chairman Mao wants to meet with the PRESIDENT of the United States as soon as possible. ”
About to meet this mysterious leader of the East, Nixon suddenly felt nervous.
In the afternoon, according to the scheduled time, a red flag sedan drove Nixon into Zhongnanhai, and after getting off the car, Zhou Enlai accompanied Nixon into Chairman Mao's study in the swimming pool.
In his memoirs, Nixon exclaimed, "The most breathtaking thing is the stack of books from floor to ceiling." ”
The chairman's penchant for reading was a great impression on Nixon.
Seeing Nixon and the others walking in with steps, Chairman Mao calmly stood up and stared at Nixon with an extremely sharp eye. Nixon first extended his hand to Greet Chairman Mao, and the Chairman also extended his hand, so that the hands of the two leaders of the two great powers were tightly clasped together.
To Nixon's surprise, the atmosphere of the talks was not as dull as he had imagined, and Mao's language had a kind of idleness between them, which made people relax their nervous nerves. In the relaxed and casual conversation, Nixon gradually removed the tension in his heart.
He didn't even feel that he was talking to the leader of a big country who had always been known for his toughness, but rather like chatting with an old friend he hadn't seen in years, and he could have such a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere at the highest level, which was the first time in his decades of political career.
Chairman Mao's humorous and humorous way of talking made everyone present feel very cordial, not only that, but he was very touched by his comprehensiveness, and in addition to talking to Nixon, he did not forget to take care of the staff around Nixon. While shaking hands with Kissinger, he looked at Kissinger carefully, smiled and said to him, "Oh, you're the famous Dr. Kissinger." ”
But whenever Nixon wanted to turn the topic to serious political issues, Chairman Mao would directly wave his hand: "I am not interested in these questions, that is what he talks to you about, I only talk to you about philosophy." ”
Although Mao Zedong was in extremely poor physical condition and had difficulty speaking, his mind was very active and agile, and he could still talk and laugh with Nixon with a high emotion. The meeting, which was supposed to end in a moment, lasted 75 minutes due to the Chairman's high level of interest in talking.
The powerful charisma and political wisdom displayed by Mao Zedong in his conversation deeply shocked Nixon.
Mao's first meeting with Nixon was a meeting that changed the world. Not long after, China and the United States issued the Sino-US Joint Communiqué in Shanghai, and Sino-US relations gradually began to normalize. Before leaving for the United States, the Shanghai Chinese government specially held a farewell banquet for Nixon.
At the banquet, Nixon walked up to the microphone with his glass and made an impromptu speech:
"We want to build a bridge that spans 16,000 miles and 25 years of hostility, and it can be said that the Sino-US Joint Communiqué has built this bridge to the future."
Finally, he also said: "The week we visit China is a week of world change. ”
It can be seen that Nixon was extremely satisfied with this trip to China.
After Nixon's visit to China, many trends indicate that the ice between China and the United States is gradually melting, and multi-party exchanges between the two countries are also proceeding in an orderly manner. What people did not expect was that one of the most disgraceful political scandals in the history of the United States smashed the brand-new diplomatic situation that China and the United States had so hard to establish, which was the sensational Watergate incident.
On June 17, 1972, five men who had installed wiretaps at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Building in Washington, D.C., were arrested, and to their surprise, one of them was a member of Nixon's campaign. As soon as this news came out, it immediately caused an uproar, and Nixon suddenly became the target of public criticism.
Although he was re-elected as president by an overwhelming margin, the impact of Watergate was also growing, and people regarded him as an accomplice to cover up Watergate, when he not only had to face a tidal wave of insults and insults from the outside world, but also faced the danger of being impeached by Congress.
Although Nixon has always denied that he was involved in the planning of the Watergate incident, he also had a hard time arguing, and he had no choice but to resign, and Vice President Gerald Defort took the presidency.
As soon as he took office, Ford immediately declared that he would continue Nixon's China policy and promote the friendly development of Sino-US relations. Initially, he did fulfill his promise, and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, at his behest, has been traveling frequently between China and the United States, maintaining extremely close contact and communication with the Chinese side.
But it didn't take long for Ford to reveal his true intentions on the Taiwan issue. Despite his claims, he will continue to promote the further development of Sino-US relations. In reality, however, his attitude on many issues was ambiguous, not only openly stating that he would send troops to aid Taiwan and resist the so-called mainland invasion, but in his talks with Deng Xiaoping, he even put forward the fallacy of using Japan to normalize Sino-US relations.
The so-called Japanese way is to negate the one-China principle.
This is basically stepping on China's minefield, and China has sternly rejected the rude conditions proposed by the United States. Seeing that Sino-US relations, which have ushered in a glimmer of friendship, have once again been extinguished, China's leaders have not sat idly by. In order to solve these thorny issues, Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai had a three-hour long conversation and finally decided to invite Ford to visit China for friendly consultations on key issues.
Of course, Chairman Mao never forgot his old friend, and when Nixon returned to California with a tired and lonely body, a congratulatory telegram from Zhou Enlai gave him great comfort. In the telegram, Premier Zhou Enlai expressed his consistent good wishes for Nixon, and also expressed his desire for Nixon to visit China again.
Two months later, when Nixon was hospitalized with phlebitis, Mao Zedong personally called to greet him and told Nixon through an interpreter:
"You are one of the greatest politicians in the world, and China welcomes you to visit at any time."
Nixon was the personal architect of good Relations between China and the United States, so seeking him to visit China again will have a great impact on the future direction of Sino-US relations. Chairman Mao also repeatedly raised the idea of hoping that Nixon would visit China again when meeting with political leaders of other countries.
China's repeated proposals allowed Nixon to truly understand China's enthusiasm and sincerity, and he himself could not wait to leave. Unfortunately, at the end of the year, President Ford's visit to China had been confirmed, and Nixon could only postpone his plans.
When President Ford arrived, the Chinese side did not prepare a grand welcome ceremony due to the increasing rigidity of Sino-US relations. Ford was slightly dissatisfied with this, and when he shook hands with Zhou Enlai, he said unceremoniously: "The winter in Beijing is so cold!" ”
A pun intended to refer to the weather, but in fact refers to the cold attitude of the Chinese side.
Zhou Enlai then said: "This is a cold current from Siberia. The witty and witty answer left Ford speechless on the spot. When he met Chairman Mao, President Ford was even more full of fire, and when they first met, he warmly invited him:
"I know that when you are 70 years old, you can still swim in the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, and if I am lucky enough to win the next re-election and invite you to the United States, then even though I can't swim, I will definitely accompany you to swim in the Mississippi River."
Chairman Mao was well aware of Ford's vague attitude toward China and intended to intimidate him with a resolute, tough, yet manly way of talking. After hearing these words, Chairman Mao only smiled slightly, and then gave the answer: "I am afraid that you are not that honored, because I have already received Marx's invitation." ”
The clever answer made everyone present feel admiration.
The sharp conversation between the two sides also sowed the seeds for the outcome of this interview. During Ford's four-day visit to China, the two sides did not reach an agreement or form any substantive agreement, and China and the United States once again reached an impasse.
In order to break the deadlock, seek a breakthrough in Sino-US relations. The Chinese government still maintained close contact with former President Richard Nixon, and when Nixon could not immediately leave for China, Chairman Mao played a "flexible response" strategy, choosing to invite Nixon's daughter Julie and son-in-law David to visit China.
A few days after Ford's plane flew out of China, the Chinese government called The Julies and told them that "Mao Zedong would most likely meet in person," which made the Julies very excited and did not hesitate to agree to the proposal to go to China.
In the early hours of December 29, Julie and David arrived in Beijing by plane with Nixon's handwritten letters to Mao zedong and Zhou Enlai. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Premier Zhou was suffering from cancer and his life was in danger, he was unable to receive the two guests. Fortunately, mao zedong soon personally received Julie and David in his study.
Chairman Mao asked Nixon with great concern about his physical condition: "What happened to Mr. President's legs?" ”
Zhu Lize replied, "It's much better." ”
"Take good care of his legs, he said he would climb the Great Wall, and he told Mr. President about this."
"He's not president anymore." David interjected.
Mao paused and said, "I'd like to call him that," and then he turned to Julie and said, "Write a letter to your father right now, saying I miss him." ”
"I can put this sentence in the newspaper", and before anyone could react, he immediately added, "Now, in the United States." ”
David groaned and said the words hidden in his heart: "There are many people who oppose him, and there are still people who strongly demand that he be judged." ”
Hearing this, Mao Zedong was obviously more excited: "Well, I will immediately invite him to visit China." Then he intensified his tone and said to Julie, "Add a stroke to the letter, saying that I am waiting for your father to come to China again." ”
At this time, Julie remembered her father's handwritten letter and immediately handed it to Mao Zedong. After reading the letter, Mao Zedong was in a good mood and had a fervent conversation with two young people, during which the atmosphere was very warm, and this conversation lasted more than an hour.
Seeing that the scheduled meeting time had passed, the chairman was still unimpressed, and the staff had to repeatedly signal to the visitors, and it was not too early. When it was time to say goodbye, Chairman Mao glythed his hands and repeated his invitation to Nixon.
During their time in China, Julie and David enjoyed treatment that they did not imagine. A newspaper at the time described it this way: "This kind of out-of-the-box treatment is unprecedented for people who do not hold senior government positions." ”
At a New Year's luncheon for the two men, Deng Xiaoping said: "We never take watergate seriously. At the farewell banquet, Huang Zhen quoted a sentence from Nixon as a toast: "After leaving office, I found out who was a real friend." ”
Not only that, he also said: "Chinese people will not forget their old friends." ”
Before leaving, the Chinese government specially prepared a birthday cake for Nixon in a beautiful velvet box, as a gift, and asked Julie and his wife to hand it over on their behalf.
All these moves are sending a welcome message to Nixon.
On February 6, 1976, Xinhua News Agency broadcast an announcement from the government of the People's Republic of China inviting Mr. and Mrs. Nixon to visit China again, and the Nixons gladly accepted the invitation, and soon the news of Nixon's re-visit to China caused a sensation in the United States and also aroused widespread concern in the international community.
At 10:16 p.m. on February 20, Nixon arrived in Beijing on a brand-new Boeing 707 special plane of China Civil Aviation, and when he disembarked, 300 representatives of the masses holding plastic bouquets expressed their warm welcome to Nixon's visit, and more than a dozen senior officials, including the new acting prime minister Hua Guofeng, foreign minister Qiao Guanhua, and Huang Zhen, were already waiting to greet him.
Such a high-standard treatment made Nixon both surprised and moved, in any case, he did not expect that now that he has no position in his body, he can still get a presidential-level reception, which makes people feel infinitely regretful that Zhou Enlai, who personally came to greet Nixon's visit, died of illness a month ago, and Chairman Mao's health is getting weaker and weaker, and even walking must be supported.
However, the chairman of the country still insisted on personally entertaining Nixon and meeting old friends, Chairman Mao naturally talked with Nixon, at first, the latter was still a bit restrained, but in the harmonious atmosphere of conversation, Nixon gradually lowered his guard and gradually entered a better situation, not only with a smile on his face, but also with Chairman Mao talking endlessly.
The poor physical condition caused Problems in Chairman Mao's attention, and sometimes he suddenly became vague in his speech, and Chairman Mao, who was worried that the other party would not be able to correctly appreciate his intentions, took the initiative to pick up a pen and paper and write down his thoughts so that the translator and Nixon could correctly understand their own ideas.
Chairman Mao's thinking was as agile as ever, and he always gave the most incisive and concise answers to nixon's questions.
Toward the end of this pleasant conversation, Nixon looked at Chairman Mao and couldn't help but ask, "What is your hobby?" ”
The question was bewildered by everyone present, and it was clear that the question had not been designed before, but had been improvised by Nixon. In the face of some abrupt questions, Chairman Mao still maintained a calm smile and said to him: "Serving the people is my hobby." ”
Nixon's thought-provoking answer, in awe, looked deeply at the Chinese leader in front of him, his eyes filled with an ideal glow, and although the years had made his body old and weak, it still did not compromise his witty humor and ambition.
The meeting lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes, and before parting, Nixon took out a porcelain panda made by the late American porcelain master Bohm and gave it to Chairman Mao as a gift. The Chairman was very pleased, and toasted him with green tea instead of wine, and before stepping out of the house, Nixon bowed deeply to Chairman Mao with infinite feelings of nostalgia.
This bow may have the sorrow of friends when they were separated, and perhaps there was also infinite reverence and love for Chairman Mao.
Although Nixon did not visit as U.S. head of state on his second visit to China, his actions still caused a huge reaction in the United States, put enormous pressure on President Ford, and seriously affected his subsequent elections. Later, Ford lost to Carter of the Democratic Party in the general election, and after Carter took office, he fully learned ford's lessons and really began to actively promote the development of Sino-US relations.
In December 1978, China and the United States jointly issued the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the United States.
Since then, China and the United States have recognized each other and formally established diplomatic relations, and relations between the two countries have finally been normalized, and the achievement of this goal is inseparable from Chairman Mao's far-sightedness.
Decades later, when we look back, we have to admit that Chairman Mao used superhuman wisdom to promote the Sino-US issue. On September 9, 1976, Mao Zedong died in Beijing at 00:10 due to illness at the age of 83.
The legendary life of a generation of great people has come to an end!
Of Mao Zedong, Nixon commented: "No matter what people think of Mao, no one can deny that he is a fighter who fights to the last breath." ”
Chairman Mao said that serving the people is his hobby, but history says that serving the people is not only his hobby, but also the cause of his unremitting efforts throughout his life.
Until the last few days of his life, he was still unwilling to stop the work at hand and continued to practice the slogan of "serving the people", and it was a national blessing to have such a leader.
As a proletarian fighter, his extraordinary courage and firm thinking, like a dazzling light, illuminated the way forward for the Chinese nation, and future generations will always sing his merits, follow his footsteps, and complete the cause that he has not yet had time to complete!