Chapter 6 From 1972 to 1975, I enjoyed my busy life

1972 was an extraordinary year for the Chinese who had long regarded the West as an enemy; it was also an extraordinary year in my security work career.In the cold February of this year, the Chinese people welcomed the US President Nixon, who had been hostile to the new China for more than 20 years, with a "neither humble nor overbearing" demeanor.This is a major adjustment of the diplomatic strategies of Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou under the new situation. It is the first and most representative Western state guest welcomed by our country, and it is also the first flower of diplomacy that bloomed in the cold spring of 1972. .

Nixon's visit made us feel for the first time what it means to be busy with security work.Of course, our country attaches great importance to national sovereignty and dignity. On this point, we will stick to our principles and never compromise.For example, during the visit to China, the President of the United States must take a Chinese bulletproof red flag car, and the guards on the car are also served by the Chinese side. The security of the guards anywhere is arranged by the Chinese side; Nearly 400 news media personnel went there to report and communicate with the Chinese side.These restrictions, like Premier Zhou shaking hands with Richard Nixon at the airport, let Nixon extend his hand first, showing the dignity and ambition of the Chinese people in subtle ways.The Chinese government's commitment has always been fulfilled. To ensure the safety of the US president, the security force must be strengthened.Our company is located in Tiananmen Square, one of the frequent areas for Nixon's activities and driving.Deploying troops at any time to carry out the temporary mission of Nixon's visit to China is an overriding political task.The transferred cadres and soldiers accounted for more than half of the total number of the entire company.In order to ensure that there is no problem with the original guard target, the number of sentry personnel at each post has been adjusted, from the original four to five people in one post to two to three people, which disrupted the original step-by-step normal duties.In particular, the two sentries at one sentry position started a "wheel war" in which you sent down the sentry and I went to the sentry, and I went down to send you to the sentry.It is not easy to perform temporary tasks. It is common to stand for several hours in a row, and it is often a "one-man show" with no one to change the whistle.During Nixon’s visit to China, there was auspicious snowfall. In order to make Nixon visit the Forbidden City as planned, I was instructed by my superiors to clear snow in the Forbidden City and along the way except for one sentry at each post.At that time, the entire company, no matter whether it was called a normal post or a temporary post, whether it was called snow sweeping or ice shoveling, had no complaints or regrets, and was meticulous in every task and completed it satisfactorily.

Nixon's visit to China, like a single stone, stirred up a thousand waves, shocked the world, and even shocked the Western countries.At that time, the army sent documents from higher authorities, one of which is still fresh in my memory, to the effect that Western countries did not know about Nixon’s visit to China beforehand, and Japan only received the notification from the US three minutes before the US issued the “Announcement” on Nixon’s visit to China.The United States has quietly "washed" them, and the "anti-China leaders" Americans have all visited China, and other countries can't talk to China, and they will never communicate with each other.Therefore, they visited China through various channels.There has been a good diplomatic situation in which the door to Sino-US relations has been opened, and countries have flocked to each other.For example, in March, Egyptian President Sadat’s foreign affairs adviser Riad visited; in April, Malta’s Prime Minister Mintov and Mauritius’ Prime Minister Ramgoolam visited; in May, Chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Council of Somalia Siad; Mrs. Bandaranaike; French Foreign Minister Maurice Schuman, Arab Yemeni Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Aini, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the West German Bundestag Schroeder; August, head of the Canadian exhibition group Roger; September Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka; West German Foreign Minister Scheer and his wife in October; British Foreign Secretary Home and his wife in November, Nepalese Prime Minister Bista and his wife; Albanian Defense Minister Ba Luku and Guinea Prime Minister in December Beavoji.

During our temporary mission security work this year, we clearly felt that the foreign leaders who came to visit our country had three characteristics: First, the heavyweight heads of state visited.The visit to China by the heads of state or government of the United States and Japan not only opened the door to China's diplomacy, but also changed the entire strategic situation of the world at that time.In particular, Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and Foreign Minister Masahiro Ohira, who visited China despite domestic pressure, added charm to China's diplomacy.Second, the number of Western countries has increased significantly.Such as France, West Germany, Canada, UK, etc. mentioned above.Although these countries are all minister-level figures, they are also very important countries in Western countries, which is no small matter.The third is frequent visits, overwhelming.The dozen or so countries listed above are only a small part of them. In fact, almost one or two delegations visited China in 1972, and sometimes several delegations visited China on the same day.Regardless of whether the delegation came from a big country or a small country, Premier Zhou never put on airs as the premier of a big country. Almost without exception, they met and held talks, and most of them had to be greeted at the airport.His activities with foreign guests in the Great Hall are day and night.Because Premier Zhou participated in foreign affairs activities, sometimes even though the level of the delegation was low, we had to set up guards on the periphery of the Great Hall and along the way on time.Sometimes I just came back from a temporary post, and before I had time to drink, I was notified to go to another temporary post, so I rushed to the new post without stopping. I was really busy.

Considering that the comrades are busy and exhausted while standing guard, the company tried every means to improve the food as much as possible. In winter, they ate more pork stewed cakes with high energy content, and in summer they always prepared some porridge and soup to relieve the heat, so that everyone could go to work energetically. In this year's foreign affairs security work, what impressed me the most was not the leaders of the United States, Japan and other big countries, but Mrs. Bandaranaike, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.At the security mobilization meeting before her visit, the superior leader said: Sri Lanka was a country whose name was changed from Ceylon just over a month ago.This country is an island country, known as the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean", with an area of ​​more than 65,000 square kilometers. It faces the southern tip of India across the sea and is not too far from my country.This time, Mrs. Bandaranaike, the country's female prime minister, is visiting.She became prime minister and minister of defense and foreign affairs after the assassination of her husband Solomon Bandaranaike as prime minister.At that time (1960), she was the world's first female prime minister, and now in her fifties, she is serving as prime minister for the second time.After listening to the company leader's introduction, I first of all respected the female prime minister; secondly, I couldn't figure out why her husband was assassinated as prime minister and she was able to become prime minister, and it was the second time.This was particularly impressive to me.Another point that impressed me deeply is the demeanor of this female prime minister.On the day of her visit, my country held a very grand welcome ceremony in Tiananmen Square.I was at the commanding heights, and I saw this female prime minister with a beautiful bun on the back of her head, wearing a South Asian women's short-sleeved shirt with diagonal breasts, and an Indian-Pakistani feminine charm, riding in a red flag convertible with Premier Zhou. Smiling and waving to the welcoming crowd, the elegant and dignified demeanor with a touch of Buddhism left an unforgettable impression on people.

1972 was the first year that Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou opened the door to my country's diplomacy.This year, although the security work was very busy and tiring, there was joy in the busyness and sweetness in the bitterness, because my country's diplomatic cause has yielded fruitful results.my country has not only established ambassadorial diplomatic relations with more than ten countries including the Federal Republic of Germany, Malta, Malagasy, Chad, Greece, Togo, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Nigeria, Maldives, Guyana, Jamaica, Australia, and New Zealand. It has also restored diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level with Zaire and several other countries.

In 1973, my country's diplomatic career was still flourishing.Many delegations visited this year.Among the numerous delegations, the continued increase of ministerial-level delegations from Western countries is a bright spot.For example, visiting ministerial figures include: Italian Foreign Minister Medici; Japanese Minister of International Trade and Industry Yasuhiro Nakasone; Chilean Foreign Minister Alme; British Minister of Trade and Industry Volcker and his wife; Luxembourg Foreign Minister Gaston Toth; Danish Foreign Minister Arnold and Mrs. Wakeman, Swedish Foreign Minister.The above-mentioned delegations all visited China in the first half of 1973.Most of these delegations came to China for a "warm spring trip". Although they were only ministerial delegations, they had far-reaching implications. Therefore, not only Premier Zhou visited the Great Hall for talks with him many times, but some Chairman Mao also received them.This increases the number of our temporary posts, and presents a special security posture in which small delegations have many posts, and low-level delegations are on duty according to high-level delegations. The security work is busy. Ministerial delegations stand out.

Among the visiting state guests this year, King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya of Nepal left us with fond memories.At that time, both Birendra and the queen were young people under the age of 30. They had been married for less than 4 years, and the king had just ascended the throne for more than a year.Everyone saw the heroic king and the beautiful and elegant queen from different perspectives at the sentry post. After the sentry, they talked about the monarch and his wife together.The small cap, long top and tight white trousers worn by the king made everyone feel that this kind of clothing is a little playful in the alternative, and it looks lively, public and full of individual beauty when worn on the young king.This is the youngest pair of state guests we have seen in security work and the most matched in appearance and age.

Another reason for the busy security work in 1973 was to change the way of welcoming guests in accordance with Premier Zhou's instructions.The time began when Mexican President Echeverlia visited in April of this year.In the past, when state guests came to visit, in addition to Premier Zhou’s welcome at the Capital Airport or Beijing Railway Station, there was also a welcome team composed of the army, sea and air service honor guards composed of our division’s honor guard battalion and students at the airport.In addition, the most solemn welcome ceremony was that Premier Zhou and the state guests took a red flag convertible car to receive the welcome of more than 100,000 people on Chang'an Avenue, and the key area of ​​the welcome was Tiananmen Square.With the increasing number of visiting state guests, more than 100,000 people welcome each time, which not only affects the work and study of so many people, but also increases the country's welcome expenses.Therefore, the Chinese government has decided that the welcome ceremony at the airport will remain unchanged for future state guests, but the organized masses along the way from the airport to the hotel will be cancelled.There is no martial law in Tiananmen Square, and the venue is not cleared. When the welcome motorcade passes, anyone can watch from the crosswalk outside the cordon.A mixed crowd of unorganized people watched the welcome convoy at close range, and most of them knew when and when the convoy of state guests and our leaders would pass (because the national flags of the visiting state guest’s country and our country’s national flag and Welcome bunting), which undoubtedly brings difficulties and challenges to the security work of the guards.However, the Mexican president who was the first to visit after the change in the way of welcoming guests proposed to get off the car in front of Tiananmen Square to meet the unorganized masses. Not only did China agree to this request from the Mexican side, but Premier Zhou would also accompany the Mexican president to get off together. car, meet the masses.

In order to ensure that the first security guard work after the change of the welcoming method is perfect, the leaders from the garrison to the division and regiment went deep into the company on duty to conduct supervision and inspection. Concentrated in the history museum, I was also ordered to participate in this mission.In addition to conducting comprehensive and in-depth security mobilization, the higher level focuses on imitating the imaginary enemy training on how to deal with unorganized masses if someone sabotages them.What should I do if I suddenly find that someone in the crowd wants to throw a grenade or order explosives? What should I do if someone is holding a gun or a knife? What should I do if someone makes trouble? Repeat the training with the opposing party and exchange roles until each person is proficient in handling each emergency situation.In particular, after Premier Zhou got off the car, the crowd wanted to see the Premier at close range, and it was very likely that they would flock to him at once. The situation was repeatedly demonstrated, and a specific plan was formulated.Plainclothes personnel have been added, and the formation of a human wall without military uniforms in key parts is one of the important measures.

Hard work pays off.After hard simulation training, everyone has mastered the excellent skills to deal with various unexpected situations after changing the way of welcoming guests.Successfully completed the welcome guard tasks after many changes, including Echeverria. Due to the many tasks of temporary guarding state guests, and the heavy simulated training tasks after the change of the welcome method, the soldiers of the company are not only on duty, but also catch up on sleep.Many people's eyes were red, but they still rushed to the sentry.Everyone was delighted to have completed so many foreign guest security tasks this year. If the foreign guests visiting in 1972 and 1973 were mainly from Western countries, then in 1974, African countries were the main theme. We call this year "African Year".Among the 15 visiting state guests, except Prime Minister Bhutto of Pakistan, President Makarios of Cyprus, Chairman of the Presidential Council of Democratic Yemen Rubayi, Prime Minister Razak of Malaysia, Prime Minister Hartling of Denmark, Trinidad and Toba Colombian Prime Minister Williams has six state guests from other continents, Zambian President Kaunda, Algerian Revolutionary Council Chairman and Prime Minister Boumediene, Tanzanian President Nyerere, Senegalese President Senghor, Togo President Eyadema, Nine heads of state or government, including Nigerian military leader Ghosn, Zaire President Mobutu, Gabonese President Bongo, and Mauritanian President Daddah, are all from Africa.Nine state guests from Africa visited China within one year, which is very rare in the diplomatic history of New China, and deeply reflects the deep friendship of African friends who are also third world to the Chinese people.Among the African leaders who have visited this year, there are four presidents that I will never forget.One is Zambian President Kaunda, and the other is Tanzanian President Nyerere.The former of these two presidents visited China in February of that year, and the latter visited China in March of that year. The distance between the two presidents was only a month, so they had a profound influence; Deeply imprinted; and what impressed me the most is that the Chinese government has very high standards for the reception of the two presidents.This friendship and fraternal friendship are closely related to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway that our country was helping to build at that time.In addition, when Chairman Mao met with Zambian President Kaunda, he clearly put forward the "three worlds" division theory, which left an indelible memory in his future study.The Tanzania-Zambia Railway was China's largest aid project to a third world country in the 1970s.Since 1970, China has sent 7,000 people to build railways in Tanzania and Zambia for six years. On July 14, 1976, the Tanzania-Zambia railway built with China's aid was fully opened to traffic. The total length of the railway is more than 1,860 kilometers.After the railway was completed, it has been operating well. As of 2008, it has transported 40 million passengers and 30 million tons of goods. It has become the main land transportation line in Southeast Africa and the friendship line between China and the people of Tanzania and Zambia.The third is President Mobutu of Zaire.Because he visited China twice in 1973 and 1974, everyone is no stranger to this black president wearing a leopard fur hat and holding a civilized stick.The fourth is President Eyadema of Togo.In the route guard, I only saw this president from the car window at that time, and I was not impressed.But I found out that three decades later, he is still president and was re-elected in 2003 after 36 years as president, making him one of the longest-serving heads of state on the continent.Among the state guests I have seen, most of them have retired from the political arena and passed away. It is really rare that Eyadema has been the head of state for such a long time.It makes my follow-up impression grow day by day. In 1974, our welcome guard task was still on the rise, and the duty of the sentry was still the central task and key work of our company. This year, whether it was a daily sentry or a temporary sentry, we passed through the stress and busyness, which made The whole company is very pleased.But there is one thing that makes us guards and soldiers feel a little uneasy, that is, the welcoming coach and beloved Premier Zhou Enlai was hospitalized due to illness in the second half of this year.In the second half of the year, except for the Army Day and National Day when Premier Zhou came to the Great Hall of the People, he changed his meetings with foreign guests to the hospital.How much we look forward to his early recovery and discharge from the hospital, how we want to hear his specific instructions on security work again, how much we want to see his infinitely heroic figure in the welcome convertible, but Premier Zhou who is exhausted and dedicated He has never been able to return to the most glorious diplomatic front in his life, and can only insist on meeting foreign guests in the hospital with the rest of his life that has not been exhausted in his body.Since then, we have never seen our beloved Premier Zhou again, and his voice and smile have become the eternal happy memory of our guards and soldiers.His charming eyebrows have become our eternal frozen memory. In 1975, although Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, the two oriental giants, had entered their octogenarian years, the diplomatic career opened by them was still full of vitality, and the momentum of foreign guests visiting became more intense, setting a record of receiving 18 state guests a year.They are Malta Prime Minister Mintov; Congo Prime Minister Lopez; Mozambique Liberation Front Chairman Zamora; Tunisian Prime Minister Nuira; President Marcos; Thai Prime Minister Kelibamo; Gambian President Jawala; Gabonese President Bongo; Cambodian Head of State Sihanouk (returning to the motherland); Vietnamese Labor Party First Secretary Le Duan; Prince (visiting our country); Chancellor Schmidt of West Germany; President U Ne Win of Myanmar; President Da Costa of Sao Tome and Principe; President Ford of the United States. Among the visiting foreign guests in those years, it was a very proud and proud thing to meet Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou. Especially after 1975, Chairman Mao’s health was not as good as before, and he often received them when he was ill. Foreign guests.In addition to participating in major domestic political events such as the First Session of the Fourth National People's Congress and He Long's memorial service, Premier Zhou could only focus on meeting some foreign guests in the hospital.Therefore, among the state guests who visited this year, they were all honored and honored to meet Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou.As Premier Zhou was seriously ill and hospitalized, Deng Xiaoping, Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee and First Vice Premier of the State Council, who presided over the daily work of the Central Committee, took on the important task of welcoming and sending foreign guests this year. In the welcome and send-off of the state guests in 1975, I felt that there were two prominent features: one was the high-standard welcome to Kim Il-sung and the farewell to Sihanouk, and the other was that the diplomatic focus was on Southeast Asia. China and North Korea are not only separated by mountains and rivers but also separated by a river. Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Kim Il Sung, who were the first generation leaders of the country, forged an unbreakable revolutionary friendship during the Korean War. In the 1970s, Kim Il-sung visited China many times. For this visit in April 1975, the Chinese government changed the rule established two years ago that foreign heads of state would not be greeted in China, and made an exception and paid more than 100,000 yuan for him. People sang and danced to welcome, and Deng Xiaoping, on behalf of Chairman Mao, the Party Central Committee and the Chinese government, went to the station to welcome Kim Il Sung, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.A grand welcome ceremony was held in Tiananmen Square. Deng Xiaoping and Kim Il Sung drove around the square in an open car to meet the welcoming crowd.My company sent many cadres and soldiers to participate in this grand welcome security work. Since the coup d'etat in Cambodia in 1970, Prince Sihanouk and other members of the royal family have been living in China to fight against the US and save the country. China is Sihanouk's veritable second hometown.In the first five years or so of the 1970s, Premier Zhou, who was busy with everything, met the most heads of state with Prince Sihanouk; the last head of state he met was also Prince Sihanouk. position among the people. In 1975, with the victory of the Cambodian National United Front and the Kingdom of National Unity Government in the war against the US and national salvation, Prince Sihanouk was going to return to his homeland on September 9.On this day, Tiananmen Square was crowded with people, gongs and drums sounded, and colorful flags fluttered. The Chinese government specially held a grand farewell ceremony for Prince Sihanouk and Prince Binnu in Tiananmen Square.Chinese party and state leaders Deng Xiaoping, Zhang Chunqiao, and Li Xiannian accompanied Prince Sihanouk, Prince Binnu, and Deputy Prime Minister Khieu Samphan (who came to welcome the two princes back to China) in a red-flag convertible to wave goodbye to the crowd on the square.The friendship and parting sentiments between the host and guest reach a climax.I participated in the farewell ceremony security work with dozens of comrades-in-arms, and I was deeply moved by participating in the farewell security mission of Prince Sihanouk and seeing the king's humble farewell. Southeast Asia refers to all countries and regions in the Indochina Peninsula and the Nanyang Islands in southeastern Asia, with an area of ​​about 4.7 million square kilometers.Including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, etc. After China opened its diplomatic door in 1972, these Southeast Asian countries began to slowly communicate and contact with my country to enhance mutual ties and trust.It was Malaysian Prime Minister Razak who took the lead in breaking through the history of no diplomatic relations between Southeast Asia and my country. He visited China in 1974 and established diplomatic relations with my country during his visit. In 1974, another Southeast Asian diplomat without a diplomatic title visited China, that is, Imelda Marcos, the wife of Philippine President Marcos, known as the "Iron Butterfly".During her visit to China, not only Premier Zhou met her in the hospital, but she also took a special plane to Wuhan to be received by Chairman Mao. Our country seized the favorable opportunity of friendship from Southeast Asian countries, and focused its diplomacy in 1975 on its neighboring Southeast Asia.Under the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, Philippine President Marcos first set foot on the land of China naturally; followed by Thai Prime Minister Kerry Bhamo.Both leaders established formal diplomatic relations with China during their visits.Except for Singapore (China and Singapore established diplomatic relations in 1990), China and Southeast Asian countries have basically realized the normalization of diplomatic relations.In November of this year, Myanmar President U Ne Win visited my country, which further deepened the friendship between China and Myanmar, and became the third leader of a Southeast Asian country to visit China in 1975.That year, Premier Zhou also met Rajaratnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore in the hospital. Although due to various reasons, China and Singapore failed to establish diplomatic relations that year, it also contributed to the visit of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to China in the second year.It made my country's Southeast Asian diplomacy in 1975 a complete success. In 1975, in addition to the above two major diplomatic features, there was another unexpected event that reminded me of a state guest we guarded that year.That was when I was writing this article, I was shocked to learn that the President of the Gabonese Republic, Bongo, died of illness on June 9, 2009.President Hu Jintao sent a message of condolence to President Bongo's death and sent a special envoy to attend Bongo's funeral on June 16.It shows that today's Chinese leaders deeply miss President Bongo who has been in power for 41 years, advocated friendship with China throughout his life, visited China 11 times, and has a deep friendship with several generations of Chinese leaders.Bongo visited China twice in 1974 and 1975. Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou gave him a warm reception on both visits.A president's visit to China for two consecutive years has profoundly demonstrated the importance he attaches to China-Canada relations.Because of Bongo’s two visits to China, the interval was only more than 8 months, and we all participated in his visit to China, so we left a deep impression on this African head of state, and it is still unforgettable after more than 30 springs and autumns . From 1972 to 1975, in just four years, under the personal leadership of Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, and taking the opportunity of the thawing of Sino-US relations, New China ushered in a new diplomatic occasion and the third climax of the establishment of diplomatic relations.Not only nearly 60 state guests visited China, but also established or resumed diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level with more than 40 countries, breaking the blockade and realizing a wonderful situation of having friends all over the world. The unstoppable victory of China's diplomacy in the 1970s recorded the immortal feats of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.In those few years, although our foreign affairs security work was very busy and tiring, every time we saw the welcoming convoy composed of dozens of red flag cars passing by safely, a sense of pride would suddenly rise in our hearts ,Happiness.