Chapter 148 In memory of Mr. Liao

On the evening of June 10th, a large photo of Liao Gong with a smile on his face suddenly appeared on the TV screen, and then the sad news of Liao Gong's death was broadcast.This news is really like a large black-red black-red meteorite flying from the sky, blasting a "emptiness" that can never be filled in the hearts of millions of people at home and abroad! I already knew Mr. Liao's name.His famous revolutionary family, his own revolutionary work in China, in Japan, and in Europe all his life.His friends are all over the world.Overseas I have been to after liberation: Asia, Africa, Europe, America, many Chinese expatriates and foreign friends, when they mentioned Mr. Liao to me, they were full of praise.Japanese friends respect him as "the biggest person who knows Japan", European and American friends call him "true internationalist", and overseas Chinese regard him as "the broadest channel" and "the most solid channel" to the motherland. bridge".I thought that a giant who was well-versed in both Chinese and Western cultures and well-known at home and abroad would make people feel "like looking at him" when they met him.And in the early 1970s after the restoration of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, when I met him in foreign affairs activities, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was a forthright, sincere and enthusiastic person.His speech and behavior are very free and easy and funny.In addition to formal speeches to foreign guests, he speaks whichever country he speaks fluently and naturally, always giving people a sincere and cordial feeling.This reminds me that in 1973, during the cherry blossom season in Japan, Mr. Liao led a delegation of the China-Japan Friendship Association to Japan, and I was one of the members.This is the first large-scale friendly visiting group to Japan after the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. We received warm hospitality and a grand welcome from the Japanese ruling and opposition parties everywhere.

On these occasions, Mr. Liao behaved naturally and lively as if he had returned to his hometown. When he met his classmates from Waseda University, he hugged him and sang the school song of the university.At the tea party where Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka received all members of the delegation, he sent three leaves of the Japanese mountain cherry that sprouted in Beijing to Prime Minister Tanaka, saying: "The mountain cherry tree that symbolizes the friendship between China and Japan has already grown on the land of China." The world is thriving!" At this time, there was a burst of jubilant applause in the hall of the prime minister's official residence.At that time, I felt that the importance of these three small cherry leaves in the hearts of Japanese friends was definitely not inferior to formal gifts such as large famous paintings or large tooth carvings!Maybe it was this visit. I remember that at a welcome meeting for overseas Chinese in Japan, Mr. Liao talked with his hosts in authentic Cantonese. Perhaps he found that there were some Fujianese among the overseas Chinese. He suddenly laughed very funny. Say to everyone:

"There is a Ms. Xie Bingxin in our group. She is from Fujian. Please use her local accent to say a few words of thanks for us." Under the applause of everyone, I had to stand up and use my unauthentic and unskilled speech. After speaking a few words in Hokkien, he quickly sat down again.Although I felt very embarrassed at that time, seeing the happy faces of my fellow overseas Chinese who looked at each other and smiled, I admired the activity art of Liao Gong, an "outstanding social activist" from the bottom of my heart! It was during this visit that I found out that Mr. Liao's health was not very good.We get along day and night in the hotel, although you can always see his charming smile and hear his hearty laughter, but during the meal, you often see Mrs. Liao Gong and Mrs. Jing Puchun giving him medicine after the meal, or in front of him. He took away his wine glass, and at this moment he only raised his head and smiled.In the two or three years since 1980, I have been hospitalized four times. Almost every time, I heard that Mr. Liao was also hospitalized. Either he had a heart attack or a bone fracture. But he was not a very obedient patient. I saw him change his clothes and go out for a meeting, or meet foreign guests and overseas Chinese.

He was broken and sat in a swivel chair, still going south and north!His range of activities is too wide, and his work is too heavy, unfortunately: no one can completely top off his work. He was so resolute and optimistic for the cause of the unification of the motherland and the cause of world peace, and he devoted himself endlessly. Finally, when the party and the people needed him most, he left us without saying goodbye... We chased him out and watched him walk away. What can we do to ease our grief a little bit?Thousands of people like me can't do the work of one person!But I think, if the people of our mainland, together with our compatriots in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, and overseas Chinese all over the world, join forces and gather from all aspects to promote and fulfill Liao Gong’s last wish, this overwhelming force should be " "There is no attack and no victory", and I would like to encourage the people of the country! June 21, 1983