Chapter 65 Oppressed people always rise[1]

(August 9, 1963) Mao Zedong: Nice to meet you.Yesterday I met a group of African friends.We get along with you and feel equal.We do not impose opinions on you, and you do not impose opinions on us.We help each other, support each other, and learn from each other's experience in struggle. Shermark: Over the past few days, we have had contentious talks with Premier Zhou Enlai, and I am very satisfied with the results of the talks.I am sure that the relationship between our two countries has been strengthened. Mao: Talk about politics, economy, and other issues? She: We talked about the general international situation, especially the relationship between the two countries.The two sides reached an agreement on the joint communiqué and economic and technical cooperation agreement.

Chairman Mao: Our economy is not doing well, and we still cannot meet your requirements.We are working hard, and after a few years or decades, there will always be some progress. At that time, it will be possible to meet the needs of foreign friends more and better.The oppressed nations and peoples all over the world are working together in the struggle for political, economic and cultural independence and liberation, striving to be liberated from the oppression of imperialism and colonialism.This is our hope. You know that our country has not been completely liberated, because Taiwan has not yet been liberated.To Western countries, China seems not to exist, yet it seems to exist.Dulles[2] said that China seems to exist, but it also seems not to exist.Why does China exist? In the Korean War, the Chinese fought against the Americans, so the western countries felt the existence of China.Why doesn't China exist? They believe that China is a country in a bad situation, and it will collapse within a few days. It will collapse and collapse. There is not much hope.The same is true of the West's view of Africa.They believe that Africa is the place of non-Africans.If Africa belongs to Westerners, then Africa does not exist anymore? Now they seem to be beginning to see that there is an Africa.Dozens of countries in Africa have become independent, and the people of countries without independence are also struggling.The West is a headache for Asian and African countries, and it is also a headache for Latin America.These three continents used to be the backup of the Western imperialist countries, and now they feel that these three continents are making a fuss and making an earthquake.

She: It's true, they feel something is wrong with these places, against their will. Chairman Mao: You simply do not obey the will of Italy, Britain, and France. She: We have not been independent for a long time, and we cherish our independence very much. We must take responsibility and establish our own personality.We have been dominated for a long time in the past, and now we want to be the masters of history.In the past, Western colonists did not regard us as people, but only as things. Mao: They only see things because things are useful.People are useful because they can produce wealth for them, otherwise they are useless.Now we do not produce wealth for Western countries but for ourselves, so they scold us every day, especially the United States.The main target of your struggle is not the United States, is it? The main target of our struggle is the United States, and Britain, France, Italy, and West Germany must be placed behind.As you know, U.S. imperialism has built many military bases around our country to surround us.Do you have diplomatic relations with Japan?

She: There are diplomatic relations, but Japan does not have an embassy in Somalia. Chairman Mao: We have no diplomatic relations with Japan, because Japan does not recognize our country, and it follows the United States. She: It is the Japanese government, not the Japanese people. Chairman Mao: The Japanese people are very nice, and we have a very close relationship with the Japanese people.It is not the American people who oppose China in the United States. We have contacts with many Americans.The same is true of our relations with England, France and other European countries. Sherman: For us, the struggles were mainly Britain, France, Italy, and then the United States.Britain, France, Italy and other countries regard Africa as their sphere of influence. If the United States intervenes in Africa, it is tantamount to interfering in their internal affairs. Without their consent, it is difficult for the United States to do anything.They believe that since Africa was their colony in the past, they have the right to maintain a sphere of influence.Now that more than 80% of African countries are independent, Africans cherish their own personality very much and will never let Africa become their sphere of influence.

Chairman Mao: The old practice of treating African countries as spheres of influence is no longer acceptable.More than 30 countries in Africa are now independent.Some countries gained independence through wars. For example, Algeria fought for eight years. Tens of thousands of its troops fought against hundreds of thousands of French troops. Hundreds of thousands of troops lost, while tens of thousands of troops won.Why can tens of thousands of troops defeat hundreds of thousands of troops? There are millions of Algerian people behind the tens of thousands of troops, and the hundreds of thousands of French troops cannot get the support of the Algerian people.Algeria has a population of 10 million, of which there are a million French, most of whom are now gone.In addition, the United Arab Emirates[3] once fought wars with Britain and France[4] in order to safeguard the sovereignty of the Suez Canal.

In short, the imperialist position is shrinking, greatly shrinking.If their positions in Africa are greatly reduced, they can no longer control mainland China.I heard you don't like the British chargé d'affaires in Beijing. She: We have no grievances against individuals, what we oppose is the policy of the British government.Seven times England has traded our territory.We couldn't do anything before because we were not yet independent.However, when Britain gave our territory to others after our independence, we broke off diplomatic relations with it.So now Britain cannot maintain its influence in Somalia.

Mao: This is very good.When Britain and France fought for the Suez Canal, Egypt also broke off diplomatic relations with Britain and France and only recently restored it.After Guinea became independent, it also broke off diplomatic relations with France, and it was only restored last year. She: Yes.These are lessons learned from engaging with past rulers. Mao: The United States does not recognize us, Japan has no diplomatic relations with us, Britain and the Netherlands have only semi-established diplomatic relations with us, France, Italy, and West Germany have no diplomatic relations with us so far, and Turkey, Greece, Portugal, and Spain have followed them , Belgium also has no diplomatic relations with us.

Now the United States is still occupying our Taiwan, if: first, the United States returns Taiwan to us; second, the United Nations allows us to enter and drive out Chiang Kai-shek; third, cancel the economic blockade against our country and start doing business ; Fourth, the two countries recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations. Even so, we still oppose imperialism and American imperialism.Because this is not only a problem of our own country, we must unite the majority of people in the world, so as to defeat imperialism.This is what they hate most about us.We must not only overthrow imperialism at home, but also eradicate imperialism throughout the world.We do not have many weapons, no atomic bombs, and an underdeveloped economy, but we support the liberation of the people of the world from the rule of imperialism and colonialism.Only then will the people of the world be at peace, and we ourselves will finally find peace.Don't you believe it? Imperialism will be defeated one day.

She: We believe it.The people will work for their own liberation.If the people under the rule of imperialism and colonialism do not rise up on their own, but rely on foreign countries to participate, it will be tantamount to interference in internal affairs. Chairman Mao: The oppressed people themselves will always rise up. She: Freedom mainly depends on the local people to fight for it. Mao: Totally agree.We believe that support means solidarity, financial assistance and, if necessary, arms assistance.For example, to Algeria, we gave arms assistance. Scher: Because the Algerian people have shown that they want to be independent and they are calling for help.What if the people of Algeria do not express their desire for independence?

Mao: There is no way, there is no way, only to wait for the people to wake up and fight.China waited more than a hundred years before the mainland was liberated, and Taiwan may have to wait decades.It will take longer for the whole world to be completely liberated.As for Taiwan, we are not prepared to use force to liberate it. One of the reasons is that there are American troops in Taiwan, and if our troops attack, we will fight the United States.As for Hong Kong, the UK does not have much military power, so it is all right for us to occupy it.But in the past there was a treaty relationship, a small part was ceded, and most of them were leased. The lease period was 99 years, and there were 34 years to expire.This is a special case, and we are not going to touch it for now.You may not understand this.

She: If the people of Hong Kong want to liberate themselves and drive Britain away, can they refuse to help? Chairman Mao: Hong Kong people are us Chinese.Hong Kong is an important commercial route. If we control it now, it will not be good for world trade or our trade relations with the world.If we do not move it, it does not mean that we will never move it. Britain is at ease now, but it will not be at ease in the future. According to the "Mao Zedong Diplomatic Selected Works" published in 1994 by Central Literature Publishing House and World Knowledge Publishing House. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This is a conversation between Mao Zedong and Somali Prime Minister Abdi Rashid Ali Shemak. [2] Dulles, served as US Secretary of State from 1953 to 1959. [3] United Arab Republic, the abbreviation of the United Arab Republic.Formed in 1958 by the merger of Egypt and Syria.In September 1961, Syria seceded from the United Arab Republic to form the Syrian Arab Republic.In 1971 the name of the United Arab Republic was changed to the Arab Republic of Egypt. [4] See note [12] on page 25 of this volume.