Chapter 6 Chinese people never forget their old friends - Deng Xiaoping and Nixon (1)

As soon as the name of US President Nixon is mentioned, it is almost a household name in China.Some people compare Sino-US relations to a ship sailing on a big river. From Nixon's visit to China in February 1972 to Deng Xiaoping's visit to the United States in January 1979, Sino-US relations have truly changed from "thawing" to "set sail". Entered a new era.And Nixon, Mao Zedong, and Zhou Enlai are the "thawing" people and founders of Sino-US relations. Chinese people never forget old friends.What Nixon never expected was that Deng Xiaoping would take the initiative to invite him to meet him.He finally returned to the White House for the first time in five years after leaving the White House.

On January 29, 1979, US President Carter and his wife held a grand state banquet in Washington DC to welcome Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping of the People's Republic of China and his wife.A total of 140 guests attended the state banquet, including 24 Chinese officials, 6 members of the US cabinet, 14 senators and 11 well-known American entrepreneurs.Two of them were invited by Deng Xiaoping at a special request to President Carter, so they are particularly eye-catching.They are former US President Nixon and former Secretary of State Kissinger. Deng Xiaoping and Nixon met in Washington.This is the first time they meet.

As we all know, at this time, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, who "thawed" Sino-US relations, had passed away, but Nixon was forced to resign from the presidency because of the "Watergate Incident" and was "in the cold" in the United States. Chinese people never forget old friends.What Nixon never expected was that Deng Xiaoping would take the initiative to invite him to meet with him, and he finally had the opportunity to return to the White House again.You know, this is the first time he has returned to the White House in five years since he left the White House in 1974.It is said that Nixon walked into the banquet hall of the White House amidst American boos.

In his memoir "Keep Faith", President Carter described the first meeting between Deng Xiaoping and Nixon in this way: "As expected, Nixon's appearance in the White House shocked the press in Washington. Although President Nixon did not I know Deng Xiaoping, the current leader of China, but during the short reception, he talked with them about his previous trips to China. It is clear from their private remarks that he is always a Chinese Respected friends, they did not take Nixon's 'Watergate' allegations seriously." When the beautiful music of "America the Beautiful" was played in the banquet hall, Nixon, who had always been very calm, suddenly became very excited. He said happily to Deng Xiaoping at the banquet table: "You know what they played?" It's the same piece of music, the one I heard when I visited China." Apparently, he was happy to talk to Deng Xiaoping about his first visit that opened the door to Sino-American relations.

Deng Xiaoping told Nixon: "When you came, I was still far south of the Yangtze River, working in an agricultural machinery factory on the outskirts of a provincial capital called Nanchang. I was very happy to learn that Chairman Mao invited you to visit." Seven years ago, at 11:27 on February 21, 1972, Nixon, as the president of the United States, listened to the American national anthem with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai on the runway of Beijing Airport in China.It was the first time in 23 years since 1949 that "America the Beautiful" was played on Chinese soil.Now, as an ordinary American citizen, he heard this piece of music again in the presidential palace of the United States with another vice premier of China, with the same melody and different moods—the Chinese people have not forgotten him.

As we all know, Nixon started out as a staunchly anti-communist politician, and anti-communism and anti-socialism had been deeply rooted in him for decades.He made a name for himself by purging the innocent, more progressive official of the State Department, Alger Hiss.The well-known journalist Edgar Snow, an old friend of the Chinese people, and the American diplomat John Xieweisi, Mao Zedong's favorite, were all excluded and persecuted by him.On and off stage, Nixon remained a heavyweight gladiator for the American ruling establishment. In 1946, Nixon was elected to Congress for the first time and made his debut on the political stage.Later, while Eisenhower was president of the United States, Nixon became vice president.After several ups and downs, he finally ascended to the presidency in 1969 and became the 37th president of the United States (1969-1975), and won re-election in 1972. He is one of the most famous political activists in the international political arena.Just when he was extremely powerful and complacent, he was forced to resign the following year in order to avoid impeachment by Congress because of his involvement in the "Watergate Incident" scandal.

As the leader of the Republican Party, after Nixon entered the White House, he felt that the Soviet Union had become a "very powerful, powerful and aggressive competitor" of the United States. The favorable position on which to rely.” Nixon knew that without China, “it is impossible to establish a stable and lasting international order.”He wants to talk to China.So he asked Pakistani President Yahya Khan and Romanian President Ceausescu to bring a message to Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.At this time, Sino-Soviet relations had seriously deteriorated, and Sino-US relations were still hostile.China also needs the United States to contain the Soviet Union.Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai once met the famous journalist Snow and his wife on the Tiananmen Gate Tower on the National Day in 1970 to convey the message of improving Sino-US relations.At the beginning of this year, the Sino-US ambassadorial talks, which had been interrupted for more than two years, resumed negotiations in the Chinese embassy in Warsaw; in August, the United States announced the cancellation of the ban on American oil companies abroad refueling passing Chinese ships; In September, President Nixon made a statement to the American "Time" magazine and said: "If there is anything to do before I die, it is to go to China. If I can't go, I hope my children can go."

In April 1971, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai decided to invite the American table tennis team to visit China, which opened the prelude to "ping-pong diplomacy" and promoted "big ball" with "small ball"; In February 1972, Nixon came to China and signed the "Sino-US Joint Communiqué" in Shanghai on the 27th.At the farewell banquet, Nixon said: "What we will do in the future is to build a bridge spanning 16,000 miles and 22 years of hostility." Relationship normalization issues.Unfortunately, because of the "Watergate Incident", Nixon's "five secret promises" to Zhou Enlai also became empty checks, which greatly delayed the process of normalizing Sino-US relations.

And according to Kissinger's recollection: Mao Zedong "couldn't understand the uproar caused by the 'Watergate incident' at all; he contemptuously regarded the whole incident as 'fart'. It’s the size of a sesame seed, and now it’s making a big fuss. Anyway, we don’t like it.’ He can’t see any reason to attack a president with outstanding achievements.” And on New Year’s Day in 1976, Mao Zedong was receiving Nixon’s daughter and son-in-law When Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower still called Nixon "Mr. President", and said: "I would like to call him Mr. President, no one cares." Mao Zedong also believed that Western politics were very hypocritical!Isn't it weird that a president can be resigned just because of two tapes!It can be seen that Mao Zedong liked Nixon.

Deng Xiaoping's visit to the United States marked the final realization of the normalization of Sino-US relations.Although Nixon's wish was not realized in his own hands, the Chinese have not forgotten the founder.Deng Xiaoping specifically asked President Carter to invite Nixon to the White House for a state banquet, and said in his speech at the banquet: "Our two countries have been in a state of mutual isolation and confrontation for 30 years, and now this abnormal situation has finally passed. At this moment, we especially miss Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai who paved the way for the normalization of Sino-US relations during their lifetimes. We also naturally think of the efforts made by former President Nixon and Ford, Dr. Kissinger, many members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and friends from all walks of life."

According to Brzezinski, who was then the US National Security Affairs Assistant, recalled: "At the banquet, Nixon sat next to me, and the White House service staff greeted him warmly, which moved me very much. , the former president asked people at the same table to sign a menu with Chinese and English names printed on it one by one, saying that he would take it home and show it to his wife Pat." This shows how Nixon felt when he returned to the White House for a banquet this time. Since then, Nixon has visited China many times and was received by Deng Xiaoping almost every time. In the third volume of "Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping", we can see that on October 31, 1989, when Deng Xiaoping met Nixon at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, he spoke highly of Nixon's "ice-breaking trip" to China in 1972.Here's what he said: "You are visiting China at a very difficult time for Sino-US relations. "From the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to 1972, Sino-US relations were in a state of hostility for twenty-three years. When you were president, this situation changed. I very much appreciate your opinion, considering the relationship between countries It should mainly start from the country's own strategic interests. Focus on its own long-term strategic interests, and at the same time respect the interests of the other party, regardless of historical grievances, differences in social systems and ideologies, and countries regardless of size and strength The weak and the weak respect each other and treat each other as equals. In this way, any problem can be properly resolved. It is impossible to use this kind of thinking to handle state relations without strategic courage. Therefore, your trip to China in 1972 was not only wise, but also It is a very brave action. I know you are against communism, and I am a communist. We all talk about and deal with problems with our own national interests as the highest criterion. On such a big issue, we all Be realistic, respectful, and open-minded."