On November 25, 1985, Chinese diplomatic courier Yang Shuichang took advantage of the opportunity of his fellow courier He Cunfeng to go to the toilet on a 10,000-meter-high US civil aviation airliner to apply for "political asylum" with a diplomatic pouch to the captain of Pan Am Flight PA72. The captain hid Yang Shuichang and his diplomatic pouch in the "safe house" of the passenger plane and landed at chicago airport on the grounds that the plane was malfunctioning. After the messenger He Cunfeng found that the pouch was missing, he used diplomatic tactics to wield the U.S. civil aviation personnel, and after a few hours, he finally saw the two diplomatic pouches again.
36 years ago, there was a Sino-US game. It takes place neither at the negotiating table nor in the conference hall, but at an altitude of 13,000 meters. Yang Shuichang, a Chinese courier carrying top-secret diplomatic pouches, suddenly defected to the United States. What is the fate of China's top-secret diplomatic pouches? What happens to the traitors?
At a height of 10,000 meters, China's diplomatic pouch mysteriously disappeared
November 25, 1985, 8:00 a.m., San Francisco International Airport, USA.
At the entrance of a PA72 flight on Pan Am preparing to fly to New York, Chinese couriers He Cunfeng and Yang Shuichang, who were boarding the plane, carried a bag of diplomatic mail and entered the cabin under the guidance of a smiling American flight attendant, sitting in the second row of C cabin, Number E and F, respectively.
At 8:30, the plane took off on time. After 40 minutes, the screen fell in front of the cabin and the movie began to be screened. Yang Shuichang, a Chinese courier, said he had not slept well in San Francisco for two days, and pushed the task of guarding the pouch to He Cunfeng and slept alone. He Cunfeng watched the movie, still remembering his mission in his heart, and his eyes swept to the two diplomatic pouches at his feet from time to time.
After about 20 minutes, He Cunfeng wanted to go to the bathroom, so he woke up Yang Shuichang and told him to look after the pouch. When He Cunfeng returned to his seat, he couldn't help but be shocked, two pouches were missing! Yang Shuichang is no longer there!
He Cunfeng's mind quickly pondered: "Diplomatic pouches are the life of messengers, and people are in pouches." The sudden disappearance of Xiao Yang and the pouch on the American plane must have been a problem. Could it be that Xiao Yang defected with a pouch? He Cunfeng suddenly became alert.
He searched every corner of the cockpit, but never found Yang Shuichang and the diplomatic pouch. He Cunfeng stepped up the ladder and prepared to look for it in the only "attic" on the plane, which was closely connected to the cockpit, but was stopped by two uniformed US security guards.
Due to his limited foreign language proficiency, He Cunfeng had to ask a Chinese passenger in the same cabin who was fluent in English as an interpreter to assist him in negotiating with the American personnel. However, the attitude of the US security personnel was arbitrary, and this information told He Cunfeng: Yang Shuichang had no doubt that something had happened! Two diplomatic pouches containing top-secret documents are in distress! Yang Shuichang was hidden in the "attic" by the US side.
Using diplomacy to outwit U.S. civil aviation personnel
After analyzing the incident clearly, He Cunfeng thought about how to "engage the US side with short troops."
Rush upstairs and retrieve the pouch!
No, this is on the plane in the United States, not to mention that the other side has a large number of people, can not be arrogant, must be outsmarted! He Cunfeng calmed down, and he decided to argue on the basis of reason and use diplomatic means to compete with the US civil aviation personnel.
"Please pay attention to the mission of the diplomatic courier and the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples, and hand over Yang Shuichang and the diplomatic pouch, otherwise you will bear full responsibility." He Cunfeng made his attitude clear to the US side in a stern and righteous manner.
"Mr. Yang asked for 'political asylum' and took the documents with him. He doesn't want to see you again. The US side replied.
He Cunfeng's reasonable request was rejected. An American flight attendant handed him a handbag containing He Cunfeng's passport, air ticket and pocket money he had prepared when he and Yang were on their trip, and a note written by Yang Shuichang. The truth was completely revealed, and Yang Shuichang defected! He Cunfeng was extremely angry.
The US side felt that there was no need to go around in circles with He Cunfeng anymore, fabricated the lie that the engine of the aircraft had failed, and decided to temporarily land the plane at Chicago International Airport.
"Why change course at this juncture? There must be ghosts in it! He Cunfeng immediately protested, but was pushed and shoved by US personnel.
He Cunfeng secretly swore that he absolutely could not let state secrets fall into the hands of the Americans, and he would have to recover two diplomatic pouches at the cost of his life!
By this time, the plane had landed at Chicago International Airport at 1:30 p.m. The captain of the US civil aviation cannot but show his face. After a polite greeting, He Cunfeng said bluntly: "My colleague and two diplomatic pouches are now detained on the 'attic' of your machine. I hope that the captain will exert influence in line with the purpose of civil aviation airliner service, return my colleague and the two diplomatic pouches, and ensure a smooth arrival at the destination. ”
"Mr. Yang asked for 'political asylum' and said he would take his pouch to Taiwan."
He Cunfeng refuted it again: "He is performing urgent official duties, which shows that the authorities trust him and there is no so-called 'political asylum' problem." If he leaves his post without permission and has other intentions, he has lost his credentials, and the diplomatic pouch should, of course, be returned to the messenger on his mission. ”
The captain was embarrassed and embarrassed, but still struggled for the end: "Mr. Yang wants to unpack the package and get the documents, and suggests that you get off the plane together." You can supervise Mr. Yang's unpacking in person, and then change planes to go to New York. ”
He Cunfeng pointedly pointed out: "Diplomatic pouches cannot be opened or withheld by others, which is a universally recognized principle of diplomatic relations. If our diplomatic pouches are unreasonably unsealed, the Government of the United States and The Captain himself must bear full responsibility. He Cunfeng did not back down and firmly said: "I am a passenger of your flight, my destination is New York, and I will never get off the plane until New York." ”
As a result, the U.S. civil aviation captain, China's diplomatic courier He Cunfeng, and the traitor Yang Shuichang were all deadlocked on the PA72 civil flight.
After 2 p.m. local time, officials from the U.S. Immigration Service and the State Department boarded the plane. After listening to He Cunfeng's statements and explanations, although they knew that they were wrong, they still did not spare people: "Your friend does not agree to hand over the pouch to you, he will take it away." Therefore, He Cunfeng once again affirmed his position and reminded the US side to follow diplomatic principles, otherwise all the consequences arising therefrom will be completely borne by the US side. The U.S. officials were speechless, and after a whisper of deliberation, one of them approached He Cunfeng and had to say, "You have won." ”
He Cunfeng finally retrieved the two diplomatic pouches that he regarded as his life.
Yang Shuichang was taken away by two policemen.
One day four years later, a diplomat from the Chinese mission to the United Nations met Mr. Yang on the street in New York. He was alone, faltering and mentally exhausted, and a man in his 30s looked like he was over half a hundred years old. It is understood that he has been living in a refugee camp, doing nothing all day, and traitors without top-secret diplomatic pouches are naturally of little value.
After the incident, the Chinese side made solemn representations to the US side on this incident. The US side was short of breath and, after making some excuses, promised that such incidents would not occur again in the future.
At this point, the diplomatic game that occurred at an altitude of 10,000 meters ended. The messenger He Cunfeng was not alarmed in distress, had the wisdom to respond to changes, did not fail in his mission, and was appreciated by the leaders, and the relevant departments gave him a circular and commendation, and remembered his great merits once, and was promoted to two levels of salary.
——Excerpt from the third issue of Yanhuang Chunqiu, 2021
Author: Chen Hui
Editor: Zhou Yiqian