Mao Zedong: When you go to the United Nations, you must adopt the policy of Ah Qingjie

【50 Years of New China and the United Nations】

Author: Le Chang

After the founding of New China, China's seat in the United Nations was stolen by the Taiwan side for a long time, and New China, which accounted for a quarter of the world's population, was excluded from the United Nations, which became a very abnormal phenomenon in international relations after World War II. The United States has repeatedly obstructed New China's restoration of its legitimate seat in the United Nations and even vainly attempted to create the fact of "two Chinas" in the United Nations. In this regard, Mao Zedong said categorically: "We will never get on the 'thief ship' of the 'two Chinas', and if we do not enter the United Nations, China will still survive and develop as it is." We have made up our minds, whether it is the barking of magpies or crows, not to enter the United Nations this year. ”

On 25 October 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted draft resolution No. 2758 by an overwhelming majority of 76 votes in favour, 35 against and 17 abstentions, restoring the legitimate rights of the People's Republic of China in the Organization and immediately expelling the representatives of the Kuomintang clique from the United Nations and all its subordinate organs. When the resolution was adopted, the scene was boiling, thunderous applause and cheers sounded, the representatives of Asian, African and Latin American countries hugged each other and sang loudly, and Salim, Tanzania's representative to the United Nations, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, danced happily at the venue, all of which became the eternal memory of the Chinese people.

Resolution 2758 was adopted during Kissinger's second visit to China. The good news has been returned to China, but the US delegation has not yet learned of it. Qiao Guanhua asked knowingly: "Doctor, do you think China can restore its seat at this year's UN General Assembly?" Kissinger said without hesitation: "I estimate that you will not be able to enter the United Nations General Assembly this year, and next year will be almost the same." After President Nixon visits China, you will be able to go in. On the way back, the translator on board sent Kissinger a telegram from the United Nations accepting the People's Republic of China and expelling the Kuomintang clique. Kissinger said with a bitter smile: "My words have been fulfilled, and the mere proximity between China and the United States will bring about a revolutionary change in the international situation – even I myself do not know enough about this." But I didn't expect things to come so quickly. ”

In the midst of strategizing, decisive victory is thousands of miles away

On October 26, the United Nations called to invite China to attend the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly. In the afternoon of the same day, Zhou Enlai summoned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to a meeting to discuss. In the evening, Mao Zedong had a deep conversation with Zhou Enlai, Ye Jianying, Ji Pengfei, Qiao Guanhua and others at his residence in Zhongnanhai for nearly 3 hours, and Mao Zedong directly made a decision: "If you want to go, why don't you go?" Mao Zedong also pointed out that the most important thing is to prepare for the first speech at the United Nations General Assembly. This time, you are here to uphold justice, to extend the aspirations of the people of the world, to destroy the prestige of the superpowers, and to shout solidarity for countries subject to foreign interference, aggression and control. It is necessary to take a clear banner, "build from a high vantage point" and "break through the bamboo". When you go to the United Nations, there are many difficulties, and you must "take courage as the foundation", and pay more attention to "when there will be cowardice". The head of the delegation is the "will", do not be carried away by the victory.

On the evening of 8 November, Mao Zedong personally received Qiao Guanhua, Huang Hua, Fu Hao, Xiong Xianghui, Chen Chu, Tang Mingzhao, An Zhiyuan, Wang Hairong, Tang Wensheng, and other members of the delegation who were about to attend the UN General Assembly. Borrowing from the ancient metaphor of the present, Mao Zedong likened the Chinese delegation's attendance at the UN General Assembly to "Chai Sangkou Wolong Hanging Filial Piety" in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and demanded that the delegation should have the courage to "not go into the tiger's den and win the tiger's son" when the Han Dynasty went beyond the western region, and that when things happened, it should not be "resourceful and indecisive," let alone "not arbitrary," and it should adopt the policy of Ah Qing's sister-in-law, not to be humble or profane, and not to be afraid of making mistakes.

I have guests, drummers and trumpeters

On November 15, 1971, the new Chinese delegation appeared at the United Nations. As the members of the delegation entered the venue with great enthusiasm, the full hall immediately erupted into thunderous applause. The President of the General Assembly, Malik, first delivered a welcome speech, and then representatives of many countries rushed to the stage to speak, and the momentum was like a flood, which instantly broke through the original limit of the number of speakers and time, and the United Nations General Assembly, with the discussion of disarmament as the main topic, became a general assembly dedicated to welcoming the Chinese delegation. The meeting, which had been scheduled to end in the morning, lasted about six hours until 6.40 p.m., and the President of the General Assembly had to circulate the texts of the speeches of the delegates who had not rotated to the meeting. In the 22 years since the founding of the United Nations, it is unprecedented for so many people to be present, and it is unprecedented for such a warm scene.

In the General Assembly, the representative of Kuwait said that without the active and constructive role of China, the pressing issues of peace and equality that had arisen in the world, such as disarmament, international security, peace and, in particular, South-East Asia, could not be resolved. Restoring the legitimate rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations will make the future of mankind in the new era brilliant. The representative of the Netherlands said that the United Nations had now entered a new era and that the arrival of the representative of the People's Republic of China would undoubtedly give the United Nations greater authority in dealing with the major international issues before us. The representative of Zambia said that the restoration of the legitimate rights of the People's Republic of China at the United Nations marked the end of an era characterized by apprehension, stress and fiction, the end of the old, outdated politics and the beginning of an era of new realism and hope. Since then, the United Nations has been a new Organization, and it is no longer the same Organization it was. The representative of Ghana said that without the participation of the People's Republic of China, which accounted for a quarter of the world's population, any major problem in the world could not be resolved. A new era is unfolding before us, and the entry of the People's Republic of China into the United Nations will help to make this new era an era of peace, justice and progress.

Amid the unceasing applause and cheers, Qiao Guanhua, head of the regiment, ascended to the podium of the UnGame and read out an important speech at the behest of Chairman Mao and approved by Premier Zhou. When the Chinese Government and the people of Chinese resolutely support the just struggle of the Palestinian people and the Arab peoples, the representatives of all Arab countries looked at them with satisfaction and appreciation. When it comes to the resolute support of the Chinese Government and the Chinese people for the struggle of African countries and all oppressed peoples and peoples for freedom and liberation, the representatives of the countries of the third world are all rejoicing. When it came to the resolute support of the Chinese Government and the people of Chinese for the 200-nautical-mile territorial sea rights initiated by the Latin American countries and peoples, the representatives of Latin American countries could not contain their excitement, and some of them were so excited that they jumped from their seats. At the end of Qiao Guanhua's speech, the venue once again erupted into two minutes of warm applause, which reverberated throughout the conference hall for a long time. The delegates once again rushed to the seats of the Chinese delegation to express their heartfelt congratulations. The representative of Algeria said that it was precisely such a statement that we were looking forward to and needing. After the meeting, the three major US television networks reported that the first statement made by the Chinese representative after entering the United Nations was like a bombshell. The New York Times published the full text of Qiao Guanhua's speech; Reuters wrote: "The speech shook many diplomats, the representatives of the Third World applauded enthusiastically, and the representatives of the United States and the Soviet Union looked gloomy." ”

The restoration of a legitimate seat in the United Nations is an important milestone in the history of New China's diplomacy and the history of the development of the United Nations, and is not only a major victory for New China's diplomacy, but also a victory for the forces of justice in the world. As U Thant, then Secretary-General of the United Nations, said, the United Nations would never have become truly united nations without the People's Republic of China.

Guangming Daily (October 28, 2021, 15th edition)

Source: Guangming Network - Guangming Daily