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On June 20, 1982, the "Falklands War" that fought for 74 days ended with a great victory for Britain, and the Great War between Britain and Afghanistan brought the "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher to the peak of her international prestige. Standing in front of the window of the Prime Minister's Office, Margaret Thatcher, holding a cup of black tea in her hand, looked at the far East and confidently said: "It is time to solve the Problem of Hong Kong!" ”
What Margaret Thatcher never expected, however, was that three months later, in Beijing, China, she, threatened by the victory of the "Falklands War" and was ready to intimidate Deng Xiaoping into submission, left the conference room worriedly after talking with Deng Xiaoping, and then accidentally fell heavily from the stone steps at the north gate of the Great Hall of the People.
Although in the reporting of our country, Margaret Thatcher was given face, she did not report this image and photograph. But the scene of her falling has become the focus of media coverage and attention around the world, and people have such a question in their hearts:
"What exactly did Deng Xiaoping say to Margaret Thatcher? What made this strong-willed "Iron Lady" so distraught that she fell off the stone steps of the Great Hall of the People? ”
This has to start with the world-renowned Sino-British negotiations on Hong Kong.
Deng Xiaoping met with Margaret Thatcher
On September 22, 1982, when Beijing was in a high autumn, Margaret Thatcher landed at Beijing Airport on a British Royal Air Force plane, and came to pick up Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Wenjin and his wife, Hong Kong Governor Sir Youde, and "Ship King" Bao Yugang.
The core purpose of Thatcher's visit to China is to talk with Chinese leaders about the Hong Kong issue. In order to create public opinion, before coming to Beijing, Margaret Thatcher issued a statement in advance: "The three treaties concerning Hong Kong are still in force." In this way, she wants to test the position of the Chinese side.
What exactly is the "theory of the validity of the three treaties" that Margaret Thatcher emphasized?
Since 1840, due to the weakness and incompetence of the Qing government, it has suffered the humiliation of the Western imperialist countries. In the 57 years from 1841 to 1898, britain forced the Qing government to sign the Sino-British Treaty of Nanjing, the Sino-British Treaty of Beijing, and the Special Article on Expanding the Boundary Site of Hong Kong three times.
These "three treaties" not only occupied Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula as British colonies, but also forcibly leased the land south of the Shenzhen River and 262 outlying islands for 99 years, including them in the scope of Britain's colonies, expanding the colonial area tenfold, which also enabled Hong Kong to leave the embrace of the motherland for more than a century.
After the founding of New China, the Chinese Government solemnly declared: Abolish all unequal treaties imposed by imperialism on the Chinese people, and Hong Kong must return to China!
Given the Chinese government's tough claim to take back Hong Kong, Thatcher's temptation was tantamount to a showdown with China: Britain would continue to occupy Hong Kong.
Deng Yingchao welcomed Margaret Thatcher
On the morning of September 24, Mrs. Thatcher came to the Great Hall of the People with grace and magnificence, dressed in a silk suit dress with red dots on a blue background, a pearl necklace around her neck, a black hand belt in her hand, a smile and a conversation with Deng Yingchao for a moment, and then under the guidance of the staff, she went to the Fujian Hall where the meeting was held.
Unlike Deng Yingchao, who greeted her in advance, Mrs. Thatcher was about to walk to the door of the Fujian Hall, and still did not see The figure of Deng Xiaoping, whether she was worried or expecting us in her heart, but her expression was very solemn.
Just as she was hesitating and thinking about whether to enter or stop, the door of the Fujian Hall suddenly opened, and Deng Xiaoping walked out of the hall with a smile on his face and shook hands with Mrs. Thatcher to say hello.
Margaret Thatcher said: "I am visiting China as the current prime minister and I am very happy to see you. ”
Deng Xiaoping's reply was unexpected: "Yes, I know several British prime ministers, but all the people I know are now stepping down, welcome to come!" ”
I don't know how Margaret Thatcher understood China's profound language and how she felt after hearing these words, but the accompanying personnel at the scene were obviously stunned, which made people who were good at guessing the sound of the strings inevitably start to think wildly.
Deng Xiaoping spoke with Margaret Thatcher
After entering the Fujian Hall, Deng Xiaoping was half-leaning on the sofa, in a very relaxed state, while the "Iron Lady" had a serious look and was sitting in a dangerous position. After a few small talks, the reporters were invited to leave the venue and the talks officially began.
This is a talk that will surely go down in history, the scene was broadcast live by satellite, and people with hearts around the world are paying attention to every detail and every sentence of this talk, and for Hong Kong people who are related to their fate and future, they are watching every move in the venue intently.
In the initial talks, Margaret Thatcher not only arrogantly reiterated the view that "the three treaties are still valid", but also completely ignored the "Twelve-Point Plan" proposed by the Chinese side.
Margaret Thatcher demanded that britain continue to rule Hong Kong after 1997, saying in a threatening tone:
"To keep Hong Kong prosperous, it must be governed by Britain. If China announces the takeover of Hong Kong, it will have disastrous consequences and consequences for Hong Kong. ”
Margaret Thatcher
Hong Kong, one of the most efficient ports in the world and a financial center in terms of Eurasian economy, for the British Empire, which has been in decline, continuing to own Hong Kong is not only a matter of maintaining face, but also a real benefit.
Hong Kong generates more than £5 billion a year in revenue for the UK, which accounts for more than half of the total return on ukh overseas investments.
How could Margaret Thatcher willingly return such a small amount of gold? How could she give it up!
However, the recovery of Hong Kong is a major matter related to the dignity and prestige of the Chinese nation and how to explain it to history and the people, and Deng Xiaoping's answer is categorical: "Hong Kong is China's territory, and we must take it back!" ”
The Chinese Government will never compromise or back down on the recovery of Hong Kong, and this clear position has also been made known to the world through satellites.
Deng Xiaoping told Margaret Thatcher: "The issue of Hong Kong's sovereignty cannot be discussed, we have never recognized three unequal treaties, and Hong Kong's sovereignty has always belonged to us in China. ”
Listening to Deng Xiaoping's words, Thatcher also tried to threaten with force: "We will consider preserving Hong Kong in a non-peaceful way..."
Deng Xiaoping looked at her contemptuously: "Chinese poor is a little poor, but fighting a war is not afraid of death!" ”
Hong Kong in the 1980s
Margaret Thatcher, who was supposed to be the power of the Victory of the "Battle of the Falklands" between Britain and Argentina, came to negotiate the Hong Kong issue with China, fantasizing that she could continue to maintain the three unequal treaties of British occupation of Hong Kong. But she was looking for the wrong person, China is not Argentina, and Hong Kong is not the Falkland Islands.
Thatcher's face changed at the moment of hearing these words, and everyone present saw Thatcher and was stunned there for a long time.
Although Margaret Thatcher was fierce, although he was deeply influenced by Churchill and was known as the "Iron Lady", she was still young after all in front of Deng Xiaoping, who commanded thousands of troops...
I don't know if during that time when Margaret Thatcher was stunned, she remembered the British "Purple Quartz" was hit by heavy artillery of the People's Liberation Army, and hung a white flag and surrendered on the Yangtze River, and whether she remembered the Gloucester Battalion and the Royal Heavy Tank Battalion, a British meritorious unit that were completely destroyed in the Korean War.
Deng Xiaoping was confident and calm in his attitude toward Britain's refusal to return Hong Kong, saying: "Chairman Mao had long anticipated this day and made strategic and political and diplomatic preparations in advance for Hong Kong's return. ”
Chairman Mao
Why? As early as October 1949, when Guangzhou was liberated, Chairman Mao withdrew the People's Liberation Army from Shenzhen. Later, the Hong Kong Overseas Chinese Daily revealed the secret: "Mao Zedong has guaranteed the security of Hong Kong's status, and Britain will recognize the CCP within this year." ”
At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, there was much need to be rebuilt, and Chairman Mao saw that it was not of much significance to rush to solve the problems of Hong Kong and Macao, but it was better to use Hong Kong's international status to better develop overseas relations and import and export trade.
Chairman Mao was keenly aware that in the Cold War pattern after World War II, the Western countries led by the United States would impose a blockade and embargo on New China, and that it would obviously be more advantageous for Hong Kong to remain in the hands of the British for the time being than to immediately take it back.
In order to protect its interests in the East and to maintain the stability and development of Hong Kong, Britain must maintain good relations with China and maintain a certain distance from the blockade imposed by the United States on China.
It was precisely because of Chairman Mao's series of strategic decisions on the Hong Kong issue that Britain was the first among the Western capitalist countries to recognize New China and establish diplomatic relations with New China.
It is precisely because of Mao Zedong's strategic decision that when the United States and Western countries imposed a blockade and embargo on China, China was able to import important strategic materials such as petrochemicals and machine tools through the special channel of Hong Kong.
In 1963, Hong Kong did not rain for nine consecutive months, the worst drought on record, more than 3 million residents had extreme difficulty in drafting, and all the ponds in Hong Kong had enough water to drink for 43 days.
This matter attracted the special attention of Chairman Mao, who, after careful consideration, finally made a decision that puzzled most of the leaders: it was necessary to give priority to solving the problem of building canals and diverting water in Hong Kong.
At that time Chinese mainland had just experienced three years of natural disasters and needed money everywhere, but Chairman Mao decided to allocate 38 million yuan from the central government to build the Dongjiang-Shenzhen water supply project and divert the water from the Dongjiang River to supply Hong Kong compatriots.
Children waiting on the streets of Hong Kong to fetch water
Many leaders did not approve of Chairman Mao's decision, but Chairman Mao said: "My decision will be understood in 30 years and 50 years. ”
In order to implement Chairman Mao's instructions, Premier Zhou did not hesitate to suspend many domestic projects and raise funds for the construction of Hong Kong's water supply projects. The official statement is: "Ninety-five percent of Hong Kong's residents are our own compatriots, and water supply projects should be organized by our country and included in the national plan." ”
In the end, Hong Kong drank fresh water supplied by the mainland, while the British cancelled the desalination project previously planned, and the matter of Hong Kong's drinking water was decided by the mainland.
This is the real reason why Chairman Mao tried his best to build water supply projects for Hong Kong. The 'prosperity and stability' environment in Hong Kong in the post-war decades was largely deliberately created by Mao's foresight.
As Chairman Mao's close comrade-in-arms for decades, Premier Zhou has a deep understanding and once said: "If we don't listen to Chairman Mao's words, then we will suffer a big loss!" ”
That's exactly the case, and Deng Xiaoping stunned Margaret Thatcher with a single sentence about Thatcher's threat of force: "At present, Hong Kong's water supply is all provided by the Chinese government, and if the Chinese government cuts off the water source, Hong Kong will become a dead port." ”
Don't look at Deng Xiaoping's words that are not hurried or slow, but they can be heard in Thatcher's ears, but they are nothing more than a thunderclap. She knows very well in her heart that not only fresh water, but also basic daily necessities such as fuel, vegetables, meat and poultry needed by Hong Kong residents are mainly supplied by the mainland, and as long as the mainland cuts off supply, Hong Kong will be doomed immediately.
Chairman Mao's foresight in looking at things is far-sighted, and the accuracy of his judgment on future development is simply not clear to ordinary people. Many of his seemingly incomprehensible decisions turned out to be correct.
Deng Xiaoping
With regard to the management method after the repossession of Hong Kong, Deng Xiaoping proposed to Margaret Thatcher to implement "one country, two systems": Under the premise of one China, the main body of the country adheres to the socialist system, and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan maintain the original capitalist system unchanged for a long time.
The fundamental source of this pioneering policy decision is Chairman Mao's "one program and four objectives" for the peaceful liberation of Taiwan.
In April 1956, Chairman Mao clearly pointed out at the cppcc meeting: "Chinese people are willing to strive to liberate Taiwan in a possible way when possible. ”
Chairman Mao sent a handwritten letter to Chiang Kai-shek, in which he expounded the principle of "one program and four eyes" put forward for the peaceful liberation of Taiwan, which made Chiang Kai-shek very moved.
"One Program" means that Taiwan Province of China must be unified with the People's Republic of China.
The "four eyes" refer to: 1. In addition to the diplomatic unification in the central authorities, the military and political powers and personnel arrangements of Taiwan are managed by Chiang Kai-shek; 2. The Kmts and the Communists have pledged not to sabotage each other's affairs in order to facilitate the resumption of cooperation between the KMT and the CPC;
3. If there are insufficient funds for Taiwan's economic construction, the central government may allocate funds to subsidize them; 4. Taiwan's social reform can be eased, and when the conditions are ripe, respect Chiang Kai-shek's opinions and consult with the representatives of the people from all walks of life in Taiwan.
Chairman Mao's concept of "one program and four objectives" properly arranged the treatment of the Kuomintang government, Taiwan, and Chiang Kai-shek, and fully demonstrated the extraordinary political wisdom of the great man, and this was precisely the rudiment of Deng Xiaoping's "one country, two systems."
Deng Xiaoping hoped to resolve the Hong Kong issue within a year or two, and asked Margaret Thatcher and the British government to consider it carefully, otherwise China would unilaterally announce a solution to the Hong Kong issue; if there was an unmanageable situation in Hong Kong, then the Chinese government would reconsider the date of regaining hong Kong sovereignty.
The weight of Deng Xiaoping's words was so heavy that the wise Mrs. Thatcher heard them very clearly and clearly. She understood, and naturally knew that this trip to China would not be able to achieve her goal.
After coming out of the north gate of the Great Hall of the People, Margaret Thatcher looked very confused, a worried look, and when walking on the penultimate steps, her high heels and stone steps stumbled together, and fell heavily on the flat ground, showing the depth of the stimulation.
Margaret Thatcher fell on the steps of the Great Hall of the People
In this confrontation, Margaret Thatcher was completely defeated, and this "Iron Lady" of Britain really could not stand up to the "steel company" in Chairman Mao's mouth. This "steel company" was the nickname that Mao Zedong gave to Deng Xiaoping that year.
After returning to the Diaoyutai State Guest House, Margaret Thatcher said a word to the British ambassador to China, Collida, fully expressing her feelings of helplessness in her heart: "He (Deng Xiaoping) is so ruthless!
Margaret Thatcher saw clearly that if there was a conflict between safeguarding national sovereignty and maintaining Hong Kong's prosperity, Deng Xiaoping would rather sacrifice temporary economic interests than make concessions on national sovereignty.
In February 1983, just before the completion of the policy paper on Hong Kong, the Chinese government formally informed Britain that if Britain did not negotiate a compromise, then China would no longer consider whether Britain would cooperate or not, and directly implement the plan of sovereignty return.
Britain saw that China's position was so tough and had to accept China's demands for negotiations.
On September 26, 1984, after eight rounds of negotiations, under the control of Deng Xiaoping, Britain finally chose to compromise, accepted the "Twelve-Point" policy proposed by China, and signed a joint statement on Hong Kong, which was attended by both Deng Xiaoping and Margaret Thatcher.
Signed the Joint Statement on Hong Kong
Hong Kong returned to the embrace of the motherland
On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong, which was forced to leave China for more than 150 years, finally returned to the embrace of the motherland, washed away the shame of the modern Chinese nation, completed an important step in realizing the complete reunification of the motherland, and proved that the great concept of "one country, two systems" put forward by Deng Xiaoping was wise and correct.
Hong Kong's smooth return not only gave a powerful blow back to the Western powers, provided a successful example for resolving similar problems in the world, but ultimately left a valuable asset for resolving the Taiwan issue and realizing China's complete reunification.
Looking back at these great historical processes, we cannot but admire the farsightedness and foresight of Chairman Mao, Deng Xiaoping, and other leaders!