Chapter 87 cherry blossoms and friendship

For me, cherry blossoms will always be a symbol of friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples! In September last year, Prime Minister Tanaka of Japan was invited to visit China. The heads of government of the two countries reached a major agreement on the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan through friendly and candid talks.This is the realization of the earnest wish of the people of China and Japan for more than 20 years, and it is also the result of the unremitting efforts of the two peoples.When the news came, the people of China and Japan, separated by a narrow strip of water, were very happy.

Followed by news about the exchange of gifts between China and Japan.How happy and excited I was when I heard that two thousand wild cherry seedlings were sent from Japan to take root and bloom in China! In the overflow of my emotions, a cherry blossom like a crimson cloud and white snow appeared in front of my eyes.Hidden among the flowers are the faces of many of my Japanese friends; these faces: old, young, male, female, are all so sincere and kind, and they are all my wishes for the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations. Comrades who do their best! When we get together and talk together, there is never a beautiful cherry blossom in the foreground. Some of these cherry blossoms are on the side of the road, some are outside the window, some are in bottles, and some are on paintings... the color of cherry blossoms It complements the sincere and warm face of my Japanese friend; the fragrance of cherry blossoms merges with the firm and confident language of my Japanese friend.Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms!How can you not be a symbol of the profound friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people in my heart and in the hearts of the Chinese people?

The friendship between the people of China and Japan is a long story, with a history of more than two thousand years, but I did not feel it when I was a child.At that time, the Japanese militarists erected a high wall in our hearts.So I didn't have the desire to make a Japanese playmate at that time.Until my youth, I went to study in the United States.There, I met several Japanese classmates.Because everyone is oriental, they pick up brushes to write Chinese characters, pick up chopsticks to eat rice.Talking about history, talking about culture, talking about art... I feel the kindness of "meeting an old friend in a foreign land".At the same time, I also deeply realize that Japanese youth, like Chinese youth, look to the future and will make the greatest efforts for peace in Asia and the world.This is an encouragement and hope for me.In the winter of 1946, I arrived in Japan after the war. I was shocked by the desolate scene, and I deeply felt that it was not only the Chinese people who suffered from the scourge of Japanese militarism, but the Japanese people were also the most painful victims. By!During those few years, I got to know some Japanese scholars, writers, and college students, and my understanding and sympathy for the Japanese people deepened.

After the founding of New China, I visited Japan three more times. At this time, the scope of my contact was wider.I met Japanese workers, farmers, fishermen, Japanese soldiers returning from China, and many people.As for the Japanese friends from all walks of life I have received in China during these years, there are countless!In these frequent contacts, I cannot but feel that the power of the people is unstoppable. The wishes of the people are irresistible!For more than 20 years, although the Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations have not been restored due to reasons known to everyone, and the state of war between the two countries has not ended, the people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have always continued and continued to develop and expand.In this regard, the price our Japanese friends paid was enormous.They have to break through many obstacles, they have to raise their own travel expenses, and they have to go through repeated struggles.As for the Japanese friends who sacrificed their lives to uphold the friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people and strive for the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, we will always express our heartfelt condolences and high respect to them.

During our visit to Japan, we were warmly welcomed by people from all walks of life in Japan. Friends from various Japan-China friendship groups worked hard day and night to make our visit smooth and safe as the most important task.The enthusiastic performance of the taxi drivers in Kanazawa, Japan, which makes me closely link the cherry blossoms with the friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people, is a typical example. It was the spring of 1961 when I went to Japan, and it was the season when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. I saw cherry blossoms everywhere, in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hakone, Kamakura...but on April 13th, I was in Kanazawa on Mount Rohin The cherry blossoms I saw were the brightest and most solemn cherry blossoms I have ever seen!

On April 12th, it was raining heavily, and we went to visit the fishing village of Uchitan, not far from Kanazawa City.On the way, I happened to hear that tomorrow is the day when the taxi workers in Kanazawa City will go on strike.There are twelve taxi companies in Kanazawa City, with 250 vehicles and hundreds of drivers and workers.In order to make a living, they demanded an increase in wages. They have gone on strike five times, but they have not achieved their goal. Tomorrow's strike will be the sixth. The next day I got up early and hurriedly packed up and set off. I completely forgot about today's strike by car drivers.

At 8:40 in the morning, we came out of the hotel, and eleven cars were neatly placed at the door.We got into the car respectively, and slowly zigzag down the mountain road.The weather was fine, the warm east wind was blowing, and the bright sunshine dazzled our eyes... Then I suddenly remembered, isn't today the day when the car drivers go on strike? Didn't their strike start at 8:00 in the morning?I quickly asked the Japanese friend who was sitting with the driver in front of me what happened.The Japanese friend turned around and said with a slight smile: "In order to send the delegation of Chinese writers to the station, they held an emergency meeting last night and decided to change the strike time to nine o'clock in the morning!" Quietly, looking at the driver in front, tilting his head slightly, he said humbly, "Promoting the friendship between the Japanese and Chinese people is also part of the struggle!"

My heart jumped suddenly, and like a lit firework, sparks of gratitude burst out from the depths of my heart... On the mountain road in the early morning, there were no other vehicles, only our eleven cars, rustling gallop.At this time, I suddenly saw that on both sides of the mountain road, there were hundreds of trees and thousands of cherry blossoms that bloomed after the rain!The cherry blossoms, in piles and layers, are like a sea of ​​clouds, crimson in the morning sun, overflowing with color.When the zigzag mountain road is covered by the boundless flower clouds, we are like sitting in eleven light boats connected end to end, riding above the turbulent east wind.Splashing waves of flowers splashed on both sides, swiftly moving towards the rising sun!

When I went down the mountain and arrived at the city center, I still didn’t see any other vehicles on the street. I only saw many car dealerships on the side of the street. The gates were wide open, and there were cars of all sizes lined up inside the gates. There were large red flags on the gates. .Auto workers stood neatly by the door, smiling and watching our line of vehicles pass by. When we arrived at the station, we got out of the car, held the hands of the drivers tightly with enthusiasm, thanked them for their help to us, and wished them victory in their struggle. The warm farewell scene has passed, the train has been driving for a long time, and what passes in front of the window is the continuous snow-capped mountains and rushing spring water.But my eyes still shine with this wonderful cherry blossom that I have never seen before!

This scene is still so clearly in my mind!On October 23 last year, when the China-Japan Friendship Association in Beijing held a banquet celebrating the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations in the banquet hall of the Great Hall of the People, more than 800 people from all walks of life in China and Japan raised their glasses to congratulate each other, and the band played When I heard the Japanese tune of "Sakura, Sakura", I thought about the past and the future, and my emotions surged. I thought, I am not alone! Dear Japanese friends, for more than 20 years, we have worked hand in hand in wind, rain, ice, and snow to pave the road to the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations.This road has not been smooth in the past, and there will still be twists and turns in the future, and we may encounter difficulties and obstacles of one kind or another at any time.But based on the experience of our past efforts, we have the courage and confidence that "the people, and only the people, are the driving force for creating world history." We are creating the history of peace in Asia and the world, and we Chinese people will be on this road. On both sides, the wild cherry seedlings sent by the Japanese people are neatly planted. We will carefully cultivate and water them with the cherished heart of a gardener, so that they will grow on the Chinese land and with our persistence in China and Japan. The successors of the people's friendship will grow together and prosper, so that the annual cherry blossoms, with their colors and fragrance, will inspire our successors from generation to generation, and we will always work together with our Japanese friends Continuing to make outstanding contributions to the great cause of peace in Asia and the world.

(This article was originally published in Ta Kung Pao on January 11, 1973.)