Leader of the Cuban Revolution Che. Che Guevara visited China twice during his short 39-year life and met Mao Zedong, the long-admired Leader of the Chinese state. When they first met Guevara, they were so nervous that they didn't even say a word, but Chairman Mao opened his mouth first, and he shook Guevara's hand and smiled and said, "Cut, you are so young!" ”
01: Guerrilla Master
Ernesto. Guevara, born on June 14, 1928 in Rosario, Argentina, was a legendary Latin American Marxist revolutionary. As a young man, Che Guevara spent a year traveling throughout South America, and during this trip, Guevara began to truly understand the poverty and suffering of Latin America, and his internationalist ideas gradually emerged during this trip.
Born into a reputable family and well-off from a well-to-do family, Che Guevara initially wanted to relieve the suffering of the people by virtue of his medical school graduates. But after two trips around South America and reading a large number of works by Marx and Lenin, the founders of communism, and in light of the complex situation in Latin America at that time, Guevara was determined to engage in a revolutionary movement and make it his mission to liberate all of Latin America.
In 1955, Guevara and the Castro brothers met and formed close friends in Mexico City, mexico, while the Castro brothers were preparing for an armed struggle to return to Cuba and overthrow the Batista dictatorship. Che Guevara decided to join the Cuban revolution led by the Castro brothers.
Che Guevara and Castro
After Guevara and Castro returned to Cuba, they went deep into the mountains and forests to engage in guerrilla warfare. By reading Mao's writings, the studious Che Guevara changed his mind from the very beginning, shifting the direction of the revolution from the cities to the mountains and the countryside, where he founded revolutionary base areas and continuously strengthened the revolutionary forces. Following China's example, he mobilized peasant and workers' forces, adopted a revolutionary policy of encircling the cities from the countryside, and overthrew the pro-American Batista dictatorship in just over a year.
The 8th Column under Che Guevara skillfully used guerrilla warfare, made full use of Cuba's mountain advantages, and constantly inflicted heavy losses on the government army, and finally won the victory of the Cuban Revolution, and was praised as the "strongest guerrilla commander and guerrilla master" in the Cuban Revolutionary Army. Although his reputation is equal, he has more than once modestly said to others: "Mao Zedong is a master of guerrilla warfare, I am only a schoolboy." ”
Guevara assisted Castro in overthrowing the pro-American Batista dictatorship and was granted "Cuban citizenship." From October 1959 onwards, Guevara was successively appointed president of the National Bank of Cuba and minister of industry, helping Castro to carry out socialist transformation of the economic system and the agrarian revolution in Cuba and establish a socialist system. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Guevara personally traveled to Moscow on behalf of the Cuban government to negotiate, which finally led to the Soviet Union's plan to deploy nuclear weapons in Cuba. Che Guevara always believed that in order to maintain Cuba's independence and protect it from U.S. aggression, Soviet missiles must be deployed.
02: Visit China and meet Chairman Mao
After the overthrow of the pro-American Batista dictatorship, Guevara became Cuba's second-largest figure after Castro. In May 1960, Che Guevara's Guerrilla Warfare was published in Havana and soon sold well in Latin American countries. He often used his free time to study Mao Zedong's writings, always hoping to have the opportunity to visit China and meet with Mao Zedong, the long-admired Chinese national leader.
On November 16, 1960, at the invitation of Comrade Li Xiannian, Vice Premier of the State Council and Minister of Finance of china, Guevara, director of the Department of Industry of the National Commission for Agrarian Reform of Cuba and president of the National Bank of Cuba, led a Cuban economic delegation to visit China.
Chairman Mao met with Che Guevara
On the 18th, the CPC Central Committee held a grand welcome banquet for the Cuban delegation at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, and he was very happy to say to Chinese Premier Zhou En: "Visiting China is my long-cherished wish for many years, and now that I have finally set foot on Chinese soil, my mood is very excited." At the same time, he also earnestly proposed to Premier Zhou that he could meet with Chairman Mao Zedong.
On the afternoon of November 19, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou met with Che Guevara at the Zhongnanhai Qinzheng Palace. When Che Guevara entered the Palace of Diligence and saw Chairman Mao Zedong, whom he had admired for a long time, he was so nervous that he could not even say a word, but Chairman Mao, who held Guevara's hand tightly, smiled and said: "Cut, you are so young!" Just this sentence suddenly made Che Guevara's nervous mood relax. In this relaxed and humorous atmosphere, Guevara opened his speech box with great reverence for Chairman Mao, took a sip of tea from the tea cup in front of him, and after praising China's tea leaves, said in a respectful tone: "Today I can see Chairman Mao in China, which is the most unforgettable thing in my life." We were not yet born when Chairman Mao led the revolution. In Chairman Mao's article, we see a very important point, that is, to give preferential treatment to prisoners, to heal their wounds, and to send them back. This has played a big role in our revolution in Cuba. ”
Chairman Mao smiled and nodded, took Che Guevara's hand, talked to him cordially and sincerely, and said that he had read Che Guevara's article "Notes on the Study of the Ideology of the Cuban Revolution" and that he was in favor of the ideas in the article. Che Guevara was stunned, he did not expect that Chairman Mao Zedong, who was thousands of miles apart, would actually notice his article. How could this make him unmoved, uninspired.
Later, Chairman Mao hosted a banquet for Che Guevara and asked Premier Zhou and others to accompany him, during which Che Guevara gave a detailed account of the situation of the Cuban Revolution, the current situation in Cuba, and the threat that Cuba faces from the United States. Guevara also said that although Cuba is currently in a difficult period, he himself will face the difficulties and get through it with the Cuban people. Listening to Che Guevara's introduction, Chairman Mao nodded and smiled and expressed his appreciation and affirmation.
Before meeting at the end of the banquet, Che Guevara personally gave Chairman Mao his book "Guerrilla Warfare," which he had written summarizing his experience in guerrilla warfare. Chairman Mao also gave him a signed pamphlet on guerrilla warfare.
Che Guevara met with Premier Zhou
During his visit to China, Che Guevara also held talks with Zhou Enlai, premier of the State Council, and Li Xiannian, vice premier and minister of finance. Among them, the negotiations between Guevara and Vice Premier Li Xiannian on economic cooperation between the two countries went very smoothly, and the two jointly signed the economic cooperation agreement between the two governments and the two agreements on trade and scientific and technological cooperation in 1961, agreed to lend Cuba $60 million from 1961 to 1965, assist in the construction of some industrial projects, and purchase 1 million tons of sugar and 5,000 tons of nickel and copper in Cuba in 1961.
During Cuba's most difficult times, The support provided by China touched Guevara. During the talks with Premier Zhou, Che Guevara said with gratitude: "China is one of the most generous countries in the assistance of socialist countries to Cuba!" Premier Zhou replied: "You have difficulties, we should help, otherwise it will not be a revolutionary country." ”
On November 29, Che Guevara and his party left Beijing satisfied. After returning to Cuba, Che Guevara made many reports, introducing the situation in China and talking about the concept of visiting China. Che Guevara said very generally that what impressed him most in China was: "Chinese people are brave and fearless, and have backbone; Chinese people are enthusiastic and hardworking." ”
03: Second visit to China to clarify the position
A few years later, Sino-Soviet relations deteriorated, which was unexpected for Che Guevara, who single-handedly participated in Cuba's negotiations for Soviet aid, especially the deployment of Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba, which effectively curbed the U.S. threat. Che Guevara, on the other hand, personally traveled to China, met with Chinese leaders, and received assistance from China, which was already difficult. The same socialist countries, the same selfless assistance to Cuba, as the leader of Cuba, Guevara was forced into an awkward position.
Che Guevara visited China for the second time
China sincerely and sincerely did its best to aid Cuba, but China's situation at that time was not good, and its overall strength was not as good as that of the Soviet Union, so it could not be as comprehensive in its assistance as the Soviet Union. Cuba relies on the Soviet Union for 15 million tons of oil per year for sugar rolling, power generation and automobiles; the Cuban army comes from the Soviet Union, and a large number of Soviet military personnel are stationed in Cuba. After the rupture of Sino-Soviet relations, Castro had no choice but to turn to the Soviet Union. In order not to create a rift in Cuban-Chinese relations, Castro decided to send Guevara to China once again to clarify his position.
In December 1964, Guevara represented Cuba at the 19th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and visited Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries. During the visit, Che Guevara received a domestic notice to temporarily suspend his visit to Africa and to come to China with two other members of the Communist Party of Cuba, Aranés and Cienfugus, to further clarify the position of the Cuban Communist Party and clarify some issues.
On February 2, 1965, Che Guevara and his party first entered From Guangzhou, and the next day after their visit to Guangzhou, they arrived in Beijing. On February 4, chinese comrades Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping, Peng Zhen and other comrades held a total of four talks with Che Guevara and his party, although the two sides did not fully reach agreement, but deepened their understanding. Comrade Liu Shaoqi pointed out: The Cuban revolution is of great international significance, and the two Havana declarations are good. Che Guevara also said: "The Chinese revolution has set an example for the people of other countries, and I want to toast the friendship between the two peoples." ”
On February 9, after a brief visit to China, Che Guevara and his party hurriedly left Beijing to resume his visit to eight African countries. No one expected that Che Guevara would not appear in public in Cuba after his visit until he appeared in the jungles of Bolivia.
04: The Hero Ends
Footage after Che Guevara was killed
On March 14, 1965, Che Guevara returned to Cuba after his trip to Africa and China, after which his differences with Castro on issues such as relations with the Soviet Union and assistance to the Third World Revolution grew. Soon after he resigned, he flew out of Cuba on 1 April for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and he never returned to Cuba after this trip.
After leaving Cuba, Guevara traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa and Bolivia in South America to try to ignite the seeds of revolution. After the military operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were frustrated, Che Guevara returned to South America in 1966 to begin revolutionary activities in Bolivia.
In Bolivia, Guevara helped Bolivian communists organize guerrilla groups to fight hard against government forces in densely forested areas. When pro-American Bolivian President René Barientos learned of his existence, he threatened to kill Che Guevara. With the intervention of the U.S. CIA and the search by Bolivian government forces, Che Guevara is in an increasingly dangerous situation.
In October 1967, due to the betrayal of a traitor in the Che Guevara guerrillas, Bolivian special forces arrested Che Guevara at the Laigra guerrilla camp and was secretly executed on the orders of President René Barientos. Che Guevara's remains were later transported back to Cuba, and the Cuban Council of State held a solemn state funeral for him, burying his remains in Saint-Claret, where he had fought during his lifetime. At the funeral, Cuba's supreme leader, Castro, delivered a speech praising Guevara's outstanding contributions to the Cuban revolution and praising him as a model for revolutionaries and communists. At the end of the funeral, Castro himself lit the lamp in front of Guevara's spirit.
During Che Guevara's short life, he visited China twice and was cordially received by the Chinese national leaders, who admired Chairman Mao for a long time and were full of affection for Chinese people. After Che Guevara's death, his deeds spread all over the world, and he was known as the "Red Robin Hood", "Communist Don Quixote", "Garibaldi of Latin America", "The Perfect Man", and "Romantic Adventurer". Famous photographer Alberto. Korda took a photograph of him, titled "The Valiant Guerrilla," which was hailed as "the most famous and daring photograph in the world."