Author Wang Shu has served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and ambassador of China to the Federal Republic of Germany and Austria . In 1946, Wang Shu was wearing a People's Liberation Army uniform and was a reporter from the Third Field Army Branch of Xinhua News Agency. What he did not expect was that in 1972, as a Chinese journalist in Bonn, he was appointed by the Chinese government as the plenipotentiary representative of China for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Federal Republic of Germany.
I went to Bonn, the capital of the Federal German Republic in December 1969 as a resident reporter for Xinhua News Agency . Three months before I got there, the German Social Democratic Party won the general election and formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democratic Party , making the Christian Democratic League and the Christian Social Union, which had been in power for 20 years since 1949, the first time it was an opposition party.
Wang Shu's reporter certificate
Social Democratic Party Prime Minister Brandt changed the rigid Eastern policies implemented by the Coalition Party in the past, implemented the New Oriental policy, recognized the reality after the war, and improved relations with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. There is no conflict of interests between China and the Federal Republic of Germany, and both the ruling and opposition parties are willing to develop relations with China and there is no difference. But at that time, the SPD government was very worried that developing relations with China would affect its implementation of the New Oriental policy and its improvement of relations with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. Therefore, since taking office, except for simply mentioning China in its foreign policy statements, it did not mention its relations with China in all statements and speeches. The opposition party has raised difficulties for the government on this issue, believing that China should be included in the Eastern policy.
Between 1971 and 1972, a series of major events at home and abroad, including the "Table Tennis Diplomacy" between China and the United States, the restoration of my country's legal seat in United Nations , my country established diplomatic relations with more countries, and Nixon's visit to China , which caused a great shock in the Federal Republic of Germany. Opposition leaders and newspapers and magazines openly advocate the development of relations with China. Schroeder, vice chairman of the Christian Democratic League and chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, made two speeches to reporters in mid-1971 and early 1972, expressing his willingness to come to China to exchange views with our leaders on bilateral relations. Straus, chairman of the Christian Social Alliance, also spoke to reporters, believing that "the enemy of the enemy is a friend" to develop relations with China, and proposed that the government's Eastern policy should not end in Moscow, but extend to Beijing. Later, a reporter from "Quick Pictorial" came to visit me and invited me to have a meal, introducing Strauss's views to me, and said that if Strauss visited China, it would not only be beneficial for both sides to understand each other's views, but would also cause a great response in the world. On the one hand, the SPD government expressed its willingness to develop relations with all countries, including China, and on the other hand, it explained that the government is busy negotiating with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries to improve relations. A government spokesman also said that the government will not consider its relations with China until 1974. Later, the opposition and the ruling party also had a fierce debate in the federal parliament, and the leaders of the Social Democratic Party said in their speech that "the key to unifying Germany cannot be found on the Great Wall." It seems that despite the great pressure from the opposition, the SPD government still does not want to change its original plan to put relations with China behind relations with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries.
In April 1972, I met Schroeder at the reception of the Ambassador of Romania to the Federal Republic of Germany and asked about his willingness to go to Beijing to discuss relations with the Chinese leaders on bilateral relations. He said there were too many people at the reception and it was inconvenient to talk more, so he was willing to ask me to go to his office in the parliament to have a detailed discussion. About ten days later, in early May, his secretary called me to go. Schroeder has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense in the past in the Coalition government, and has rich diplomatic experience. He talked with me for about two hours, starting from the international situation, the situation in Western Europe, and not until the end, he talked about his willingness to visit China during the summer period of the parliament. I said I would report to the country as soon as possible and immediately sue him if there is a reply. The next day, I went to my Embassy in Democratic Germany to report the matter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
I feel that the SPD government only considers the negotiations with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries and is not active in developing relations with China. Now, inviting opposition politicians to visit China may have a driving effect on the government; and Schroeder has a high reputation in China and has the status of chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, which is more convenient for me and will not offend the ruling party too much. Therefore, it is recommended that Schroeder be invited to visit China as soon as possible in China. Two weeks later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied that the Diplomatic Society invited Schroeder to visit China for two weeks in July. Before and after this, Bazer, chairman of the opposition Christian Democratic League, expressed his willingness to visit China through a reporter. Herschel, vice chairman of the Christian Social Alliance and former Minister of the Interior, also asked his secretary to find me and hope to visit China as soon as possible. At the same time, Blona, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, the small party participating in the government and director of the office of the Foreign Minister Schell, met with me after arrangement by the officials of the News Bureau, and suggested that diplomatic officials from the two countries stationed in Geneva to discuss the relationship between the two countries. Jinkele, vice chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party and director of the office of the Minister of the Interior, met me and invited two sports journalists to visit the Federal Germany (the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Sports). Only the Social Democratic Party has no representation. I have reported all of them back to China, but since I have decided to invite Schroeder to visit China, I have not made any statement in China.
Schroeder was very happy after being invited and announced to the newspaper that day, which immediately attracted great reaction and attention at home and abroad. Many newspapers and people welcomed this, believing that this visit "will be a major event" and that "the relationship between the two countries is opening a new chapter." Many reporters wrote or called Schroeder and I requested to visit China with me. Some SPD newspapers and people repeatedly stressed that the SPD government had expressed its willingness to develop relations with all countries, including China, in its statement at the beginning of its arrival. Some newspapers and people also said coldly that Schroeder "can't represent the government" and even criticized him for trying to "gain political capital" for the election to be held at the end of the year. Some of them revealed the old secrets of the opposition party, saying that they had discussed relations with China in Bucharest during their rule, but later gave up due to pressure from the United States, saying that many opposition leaders had visited Taiwan, etc. Opposition parties and newspapers also attacked the ruling party succumb to the pressure from the Soviet Union. At that time, the ruling party was in a very difficult situation in the parliament. As members of six ruling parties turned against each other, the ruling party lost a majority of 12 votes, forming a tie with the opposition. On April 27, 1972, the opposition party filed a case of distrust against Prime Minister Brandt. It was only because two opposition MPs changed their minds that they escaped the dangerous situation with a majority of two votes. The ruling party has decided to dissolve the parliament and hold a general election ahead of schedule at the end of the year. Schroeder has taken a cautious and tolerant attitude towards criticism at home and abroad, and has repeatedly stated to reporters that he visited China as the chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee and will exchange views with Chinese leaders in a super-party spirit. Before leaving, he visited Prime Minister Brandt and Foreign Minister Scher and exchanged views on the relationship between the two countries.
Schroeder and his wife arrived in Beijing on July 15, 1972. He held four talks with Comrade Qiao Guanhua, then president of the Foreign Society and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and finally reached a written document. Both sides believed that it was desirable for the two countries to establish diplomatic relations as soon as possible, and there was no difficulty in this regard. The night before he left Beijing on July 20 to visit other places, Premier Zhou Enlai met him at the Great Hall of the People . He said to Premier Zhou, who welcomed him at the door of the reception room, "I bring you the best wishes from the Federal Republic of Germany." Premier Zhou smiled and said, "I thank you for bringing good rain." Beijing had a long drought and no rain in those days, and it happened to rain heavily before the reception. Premier Zhou asked him where he had visited these days, and he said the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Premier Zhou asked him again what height he had climbed on the Great Wall, and he said he had climbed to the highest top. Premier Zhou said with praise: "Then you are twice as high as Nixon , and much higher than French Foreign Minister Schumann who visited last week." Premier Zhou said that he had been to Germany in the early 20s and asked about the changes in Bonn and Cologne , answered questions raised by 15 journalists who came with Schroeder.Finally, when talking about beer in Germany and China, Premier Zhou asked the service staff to give each reporter two bottles of Qingdao beer , and told the reporter that you can't drink it yourself first, and you must take it back to your country to drink with your wife. Afterwards, Premier Zhou and Schroeder entered the reception room for three and a half hours until the early morning. Premier Zhou was satisfied with the conversation with Schroeder, especially expressing his appreciation for what he said, "Be true and not falsely safe."
In July 1972, Schroeder, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Bundestag and former Foreign Minister, visited China as a guest of the Diplomatic Society to discuss the issue of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. On July 19, Premier Zhou Enlai pointed out when meeting Schroeder: "China and West Germany and Hitml1 are not 'normalization of relations', but the issue of establishing diplomatic relations. Now the time for establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries is ripe." After Schroeder returned to Bonn on July 29, he took a special plane of the Federal Luftwaffe to Austria within less than 24 hours, reporting the situation of his trip to Foreign Minister Scher, who was on vacation there, and then flew back to Bonn a few hours later. The next day, he held a press conference, and the attending reporters and editors gathered together, and the grand occasion was unprecedented. He said he was very impressed by the importance of China as a country and its development. "Given the importance of China in today's world politics, I think this trip is very necessary. This importance reminds us to normalize relations with this country with a large population. I also want to point out that China pays great attention to the development of the increasingly powerful European Community ." He believes that "the time is ripe, and the Federal Republic of Germany should establish diplomatic relations with China as soon as possible, and there should be no difficulties." Schroeder's attitude was praised and supported by many people and newspapers at home and abroad in the Federal Republic of Germany.
