Chapter 13 Americans and the Taiwan Question

... Liang: I'm afraid I'm talking nonsense.I'm afraid it's easier to get close to the Chinese, or Americans, easy to get close to, but not necessarily a deep friendship, it can be said that it is easy to have a good impression when you meet each other.When Nixon came to China, he was in Shanghai and issued a communiqué in Shanghai before leaving. He got along very well with Premier Zhou.He respects and understands Chinese people very much, and he has a good impression of them.Of course, our Premier Zhou is amazing. He is a very good man, very good, very smart, very smart, very quick, very quick, very quick-witted, very good man, very good at making friends with people.Although that time, Nixon was unable to reach an agreement on the issues between China and the United States, especially the Taiwan issue, but nothing happened; this issue was temporarily put aside, and they became friends in terms of friendship.This is because Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou set their sights on a long-term perspective. They are not in a hurry. If the problem is not resolved now, it does not matter. Mao and Zhou have a very good attitude.We have been up to now, especially Kissinger has played a big role in it. It can be said that the relationship between China and the United States is probably the best in terms of countries in the world.China does not treat others as well as the United States, I am afraid not, but what we called Big Brother at the beginning seemed to be the best, and we treated him as our teacher, and now the relationship is the worst.

Ai: Do you have any opinions on the Taiwan issue? Liang: On the issue of Taiwan, Chiang Ching-kuo has to speak very tightly and refuses to relax. In fact, I am afraid that he is not like that in his heart.He had to keep his words very tight and refused to communicate with the mainland, because as soon as he relaxed, he would be ruined, so he still refused to communicate with the mail—correspondence and business.In fact, this is a surface, he is afraid that if this is relaxed, he will collapse.In fact, the return of Taiwan to the motherland, the return to the motherland, is a certain thing in the future, but it is only a matter of time.

Ai: As for Taiwan's rapid economic development, everyone now recognizes that Taiwan's economy is successful. Do you have any comments on this issue?Or if we talk about the reunification of Taiwan, China, there are other problems. Taiwan has developed like this, and the country has not yet. Even if it is unified, there will be many conflicts; The Kuomintang has been there since liberation, the Japanese were there before, and the Sino-Japanese War has continued until now. Taiwan's development direction is different from that of domestic development. Do you have any opinions on these issues?

Liang: I think that the Chinese government and the Chinese authorities must respect Taiwan's status. Not only is it difficult to do anything to Chiang Ching-kuo, and they cannot use force, but they must also respect the general sentiments of the people in Taiwan. With the changes in the world situation, I am afraid that Taiwan will return to China, but China will never reach out to reform. I am afraid that it will try its best to respect the people of Taiwan. It is not that we respect Chiang Ching-kuo, but respect Taiwan. Ai: Another question. It has been 31 years since Liberation. The Kuomintang in Taiwan is not the Kuomintang in China back then. Thirty-six or seven-year-olds, although those people were born and raised in China, they were still in Taiwan. Therefore, there is this problem. Taiwanese people have not been in contact with each other for a long time. Their concept is: I am Chinese, and Chinese culture is Our Taiwanese culture, I am a Taiwanese, and my ancestors came from mainland China, but I have never been there, and I have no contact with them.From my own point of view, this is also a problem, a problem of concept.Do you have an opinion on this?

Liang: I can't say what I think, but I heard that it is very good to meet people from the mainland and Taiwan. Ai: They are all very good, yes.When I was in the United States, there was a delegation, and we also met students from Taiwan....Based on the prospect of China's future, what's your opinion? Liang: This is related to the whole world. It is not a problem of China itself. China's future depends on the whole world. For example, if there is a world war, then China is a situation.World War, I am afraid that sooner or later... Ai: If this is the case, then we human beings are doomed.Atom bombs, if the Soviet Union and the United States were to fight, even the soil would be affected, and there would be problems of survival for several generations in the future. (Laughs) You are very pessimistic when you say this.

Liang: Let me talk about my superficial views.This is how I see it. I am afraid that a war between the United States and the Soviet Union and a world war are inevitable, inevitable.But I have another guess, this world war will not appear. I think that once a war breaks out, problems will erupt within the Soviet Union and the United States. Ai: If nuclear weapons are used, then human social organization will be gone.I understand what you mean. What I mean is that if the cities have been bombed to the ground, there are no people left, and the people in the countryside are also contaminated by radiation. Of course, it can also be said that there are problems in society. I am afraid that there will be no The society has changed, but some scattered people still exist. I'm afraid we Americans have a different view from the Chinese on this point.Chairman Mao said that the atomic bomb is not very good, paper tiger or something, but the average American thinks that once there is such a thing, everything is over.

Liang: That's right.What I mean is that if a war breaks out, it won't be long before each other, that is, the Soviet Union and the United States, their internal problems will erupt.I can quote Mao Zedong's words. He also has a view on this issue. What he once said, he said this. He said, "Maybe war causes revolution, maybe revolution prevents war." He said this.If there is a revolution in Russia and a revolution in the United States, there will be no major wars, as he said, or the revolution will prevent wars, and there will be no two great powers fighting.Maybe it was the war that triggered the revolution. Once the war was fought, there were internal problems just after the war. I think that’s what he said. Maybe it’s like this.Just when China was changing in this world, China may not have suffered any big losses from the war, but after the problems of the two major powers in the world, China was still able to stabilize.It should be said that I know very little about the outside world. (Ai: You are being modest.) It is not modesty, indeed I know very little, so my estimates, conjectures, and opinions are probably of little value.That's true, I've never been to Europe or America.

Ai: Have you ever had the desire to travel abroad? Liang: It's all good to go outside for a walk, and everyone is willing to go out.Some friends also advised me to go out. Once a friend told a joke. He said that if you go to the United States, you don’t have to worry about travel expenses. You don’t have to worry about travel expenses. Say I'll be your translator. Ai: So have you ever had... Liang: I don’t mean that much, I don’t think I want to go out, but a friend said so. Ai: You yourself did not... Liang: I don't really want to go out. Of course, I would be interested if I went out.

Ai: Recently, if a university in the United States invites you to go to the United States, will you still go? Liang: Of course, if you invite me, I'd still like to go. Ai: We just talked about the United States, so are you interested in other parts of the world? Liang: Go to Europe. Ai: How about India or other countries in Asia...because you study Indian philosophy...I think you also want to visit India... Liang: But I don't have many thoughts about going to India.There is a Chinese in India. There is a Chinese who has been in India for a long time. His name is Tan Yunshan. He came to China and made an appointment with me, and he could communicate with me frequently, but then he stopped and there was no contact.Tan Yunshan is still in Tagore's college, international relations...

Ai: Oh, you also met Tagore when you visited China.Has China today improved a lot compared to China 50 years ago? Liang: China has gone through several decades of civil wars, warlord civil wars. In the warlord civil wars, there can be no construction and no progress. There is much destruction and little progress.At first we didn’t expect Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang to be kicked out of the mainland. We didn’t expect it before, because obviously the Kuomintang government is the Chinese government. The Communist Party only occupies a part of the country. The Kuomintang represents China to the outside world. Supporting the Kuomintang, we did not expect to be kicked out of the mainland due to the large number of troops, the help of American weapons, diplomatic assistance, and all kinds of favorable conditions and conveniences.It's just that Chiang Kai-shek is too bad, Chiang Kai-shek is too unpopular, he has no faith at all, his words are not worth it, he has no faith at all, just in...