This article is included in the second volume of " New China Diplomacy " (published in 1991). The author Li Yueran , returned to China from studying in the Soviet Union in 1946. In 1948, he worked in the Sino-Soviet Friendship Association. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he went to Beijing and worked as an interpreter for Mao Zedong and other central leaders' foreign affairs activities and various important talks and international conferences until 1965. He also participated in the Chinese and Russian translation and review of important documents of the Party Central Committee and the State Council for a long time.
From November 2 to 21, 1957, Chairman Mao Zedong led a Chinese delegation to visit the Soviet Union, accompanied by many important leaders such as Soong Ching Ling and Guo Moruo .
一 Before departure
The Soviet Ambassador to China, Eugene, was very concerned about this visit and asked about the delegation's itinerary and other relevant information almost every day. At this moment, Yang Shangkun, Director of the General Office of the Central Committee, asked me to meet with Eugene immediately and convey to him Chairman Mao’s personal request: the Soviet side should remove all welcome ceremonies at the airport, not have too many people coming to pick him up, and not have an honor guard. It is best to leave the airport as soon as he gets off the plane. Ask him to report to the leadership of the CPSU, and hope he will understand. I don't think this is possible. Yang Shangkun said, go talk and see what the results are, and I will report to Chairman Mao. Then, Yang Shangkun also talked about some of Chairman Mao's living habits and asked me to tell Eugene by the way and ask him to say hello to the Soviet side again.
I arrived at the Soviet Embassy in China. When Eugene saw me, he asked: "What! Has the itinerary changed?" I quickly said, no, no. He was relieved. But when I told Chairman Mao's request, he was embarrassed. Over and over again, the only meaning is: "Oh! This is not easy to handle, I can't make the decision, I will report immediately", "As for the living arrangements, Moscow has been prepared, no problem." In order to better complete the translation task, the central leadership comrades asked us to be familiar with Chairman Mao's speech characteristics and daily habits as much as possible in advance. Chairman Mao's speeches are never stereotyped. The words are vivid and vivid, and the wording and sentence construction are unique. They explain the profound things in a simple way. They often contain many levels of meaning in just a few sentences. Under the arrangement of Director Yang, Comrade Ye Zilong, who works beside Chairman Mao all year round, provided us with many conveniences, allowing translators to have direct contact with Chairman Mao in the Zhongnanhai hospital.
One day, we followed Chairman Mao for a walk in the outer courtyard. He saw me and asked, "Hey, where is Li Yinqiao?" Comrade Yinqiao is the chief of the guard and will accompany him on the trip. Yinqiao came over and said I am here. Chairman Mao looked at us, smiled and said: "You two Lis, one is in charge of talking and the other is in charge of safety. When we go out together this time, I think we can be regarded as the second generals of Hengha." Everyone laughed. After a while, he said to me: "When Mr. Voroshilov (referring to Voroshilov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union) came, I saw that most of the interpreters were you. You helped me a lot." I couldn't think of how to answer for a while, and I was embarrassed. He went on to say: "Lao Fu persuaded me to quit smoking. What should I do? I had to light one, watch the smoke, and stop smoking." "He asked me to get up early and go to bed early, which is a good idea, but I haven't done that for many years. However, it would be a good thing if I could really follow the rhythm of the sun." Another time, he asked me: "How many times have you seen Khrushchev ?" I briefly talked about how many times I had contact with him when I accompanied Premier Zhou and Comrade Peng Zhen on their visits. He asked again: "Are you familiar with this person?" I replied: "Not familiar."
Chairman Mao also invited Comrade Lin Ke to be his English teacher when he was young and troubled. He studied very seriously and wanted to reach the point where he could read Western newspapers and periodicals. He asked me how to say paper tiger in Russian? As soon as I finished speaking, the old man also said "Papa Pai, too rooty" in English with great interest. His pronunciation had a strong accent, but I didn't dare laugh out loud.
Chairman Mao's daily diet and clothing were very simple. He didn't have much to eat. He wore a gray Chinese tunic suit and a pair of rubber-soled leather shoes from a few years ago that he wore all the way to Moscow.
二 During the journey
the plane was the "Tu-104" passenger plane sent by the Soviet Union. It took off from Beijing after 8 a.m. and arrived in Moscow at around 3 p.m. time.Before boarding the plane, a reporter from Tass news agency wanted to ask Chairman Mao to say a few words, but failed. Journalists have a professional habit of not leaving easily if they don't get something. Finally I got a sentence: "What I want to say, let's wait until we get to the hotel to talk about it!" Except for his talks with Snow and Strong, Chairman Mao has rarely answered reporters' questions since the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Chairman Mao usually had a lot to do and rarely had leisure time, but it was quite relaxing to get on an airplane. The cabin is nicely appointed and everything is convenient. The crew is naturally top-notch, and the captain and assistant are all experienced pilots. The flight attendants are all warm, dignified and clearly selected and trained. But none of them learned to speak a few words of Mandarin. Several flight attendants saw Chairman Mao for the first time, and they were vying to shake hands and didn't want to let go, so Eugene had to come to the rescue.
The Silver Eagle soared into the air and soon reached an altitude of several thousand meters. The fuselage was so stable that even a pencil could stand on it. Chairman Mao invited Ambassador Eugene to sit across from him and said to him in a joking tone: "You are a philosopher and an old friend." "Yes, I study philosophy, so we can be considered an old acquaintance." Eugene nodded. "Well, how about I give you a question?" Eugene was confused and said, "Okay, try to pass." The chairman said, "We were at the airport just now, and now we are in the sky, and we will land again in a while. How should we explain this philosophically?" Eugene: "Oh, I don't have that. I've studied it." "Well, you passed the test! Let me give it a try and ask you to identify it. If the plane stops at the airport, it is a yes. If it flies into the sky, it is a no." As soon as Chairman Mao finished speaking, the comrades next to him started laughing. "Wonderful, wonderful! It can be explained in this way." The philosopher was convinced.
A work by Comrade Hou Bo, the famous Chinese photographer, was taken at this time: Chairman Mao was sitting at the writing table in the cabin, reading documents, holding a pen in his right hand. The document he reviewed was the transcript of my speech at the Moscow airport that I sent. At that time, he looked at it, invited Comrade Shang Kun over, and said in a consultative tone: "Do I still have to speak at the airport? Can I say a few words without reading the manuscript?" Director Yang said, "This is just a preparation." Chairman Mao thought for a moment, slowly put the manuscript into his jacket pocket, and asked me to bring a spare copy.
The Soviet Union sent important officials such as Pobelov, an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and Deputy Foreign Minister Federin to Irkutsk, Siberia, to greet him.
Federline is a famous sinologist, proficient in Chinese and speaks fluent Mandarin. After he got on, the atmosphere on the plane became more lively. He does not need an interpreter and can talk to any comrade in my delegation at any time. Many comrades are old acquaintances with him, so naturally there will be plenty of topics to talk about. Chairman Mao wanted to drink tea, and a waiter was very prompt. In less than a minute, the tea in a bowl was brought to him. Federline took a look and thought, Oh no! Special grade Longjing floats on top. He hurried over and said gently to the waiter: "Girl, you have reversed the operating procedure. You must put the tea leaves first, then pour the water. The boiling water must be scalding hot."
Posbelov is a well-known theorist who has assisted Suslov (member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union) in charge of ideological work for many years. Along the way, he respectfully chatted with Chairman Mao and Comrade Xiaoping, and introduced the preparations for the Moscow Conference to Comrade Shang Kun.
There were several beds on the plane. Whenever Chairman Mao was advised to take a rest, he would go over and see other leading comrades. He was very concerned about Vice Chairman Soong Ching Ling, asked her if she was tired, and asked her to rest. Vice Chairman Song was always modest and asked Chairman Mao to rest first.
The visibility was very high that afternoon. At an altitude of 2,000 meters, the big city of Moscow came into view with a miniature panorama. Our plane is about to land at Vnukovo Airport.
三 In Kremlin
Moscow, after 3 pm, Chairman Mao walked out of the cabin. Khrushchev and other Soviet party and government leaders came, as well as Chairman Ho Chi Minh . There were about 500 people greeting the ceremony, and there was a neat guard of honor.
After the protocol ceremony, Khrushchev and Chairman Mao headed to the Kremlin in the same car where they were staying. Chairman Mao said: "Didn't I ask you not to hold any ceremony and have fewer people come to pick you up? Why is it so grand?" Khrushchev explained: "Yes, we received a report from Eugene saying that you have such a request. We discussed it and everyone thought it was not possible. Other countries Leaders come as usual. For guests like you, the courtesy cannot be simplified. "Chairman Mao said: "Thank you for your kindness. I think communism has been realized, and this routine is useless." After arriving at the apartment, the two parties drank champagne together in the front hall.
As soon as the delegation arrived, Major General Chakhalov from the Soviet side and Sherbakov, Director of the China Section of the Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party, accompanied Shang Kun, Zilong and other comrades to look at the residences of the leaders. Sure enough, Chairman Mao's dormitory was equipped with a wooden bed, and the facilities in the bathroom were modified as necessary according to Chairman Mao's habits.
All arrangements are in place. Chairman Mao walked slowly through the corridor and came downstairs to look at where we lived. I live with Dr. Li. The room is not big, but everything is very convenient. Chairman Mao looked up and down, left and right, and went back without saying anything. After an hour, I finally understood why he observed our residence so carefully. Chairman Mao found me in the dormitory. When I went in, I saw that the old man was alone, sitting quietly by the bed, with his hands on his knees. I stood about three meters away and listened. How could I have imagined that at this moment, our leader, like a young friend you spend time with day and night, called me to his side with gestures, and whispered to me quietly: "Please help me with something. Once it is done, it will be better. If it is no longer good, go and tell the Soviet comrades that this room is too big and ask them to adjust it." , you guys move up here, I'll go live with you, okay." I was stunned for a moment and thought to myself, "This won't work." "Look, you didn't even tell me, and you didn't know what people were thinking, so you just said no," he said, urging me to go quickly. I didn't know what to do, so I immediately ran to report to Director Yang. Several leading comrades came together to explain, but Chairman Mao finally stopped insisting.
Each leader of the delegation has a separate restaurant, but Chairman Mao still likes to invite comrades, including staff, to dine with him. Sometimes there are as many as ten people, chatting and laughing with each other from all over the world.
If you accompany Chairman Mao to drink tea or have a meal, you must be prepared. He may ask you a question at any time and ask you to answer it. Once, he and Comrade Guo Moruo talked about ancient history with great interest and talked about many battle cases. They said that although Zhuge Liang was very resourceful in his military use, Cao Cao was not a simple person. He was always dressed up as a white-faced person on the stage. As he was talking, he suddenly asked me: "Tell me, who is more powerful among these two people?" I couldn't answer it. He then went on to say: In ancient times, there were no rockets or atomic bombs. When fighting with swords, guns, swords and halberds, many people died. Nowadays, some people are very afraid of war. This is not surprising. War is really harmful to people. Why go to war? It should be prevented, it would be better if it cannot be fought. But it’s not okay to just be afraid. The more afraid you are, the more it will fall on you. We must emphatically oppose it, but do not be afraid of it. Listening to these discussions, I have been thinking about how to translate Chairman Mao's thoughts if he talks about them to foreign friends. My preparation was right. Chairman Mao expressed these views in conversations with leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union or leaders of other parties, but the content was more expanded and the language was more vivid, making interpretation more difficult.
One day, while tasting and praising the roasted crane quail made by the Soviet chef Ivan Ivanovich, Chairman Mao asked Comrade Pu Shouchang: "You have been in the United States for many years, could you please introduce to me the main economic situation of the United States, its current situation and prospects." Judging from Chairman Mao's expression, Pu Shouchang's answer sheet is passing, with necessary figures and explanations. When talking to Chairman Mao, no matter how big or small the issue is, no matter how much you talk about, as long as you can express your own opinions, his expression and eyes will tell you that he likes Such a conversation. Then he asked us what ancient books we had read, and neither of us answered satisfactorily. So, he said: "You should read good books like Three Kingdoms and Water Margin at least three times. Don't pay attention to the romantic descriptions, but study the dialectics in the stories. "
According to Chairman Mao's dictation, Comrade Qiaomu compiled a large section of manuscripts on dialectical materialism and suggested that it be included in the meeting documents. When Suslov came to talk, he said: "This is a truth that everyone is familiar with. It seems that it is okay not to add it to it. Chairman Mao said: "It is not necessarily true that everyone is familiar with it." If some people know it, then there must be some people who don't know it. "Suslov agreed with this view. Later, this discussion was written into the "Moscow Declaration" of the Party Congress of 12 socialist countries. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union also arranged a meeting for Chairman Mao with representatives from all walks of life in the Soviet Union. He was particularly interested in talking with several celebrities in philosophy who attended the meeting. He asked Eugene and Midin, "How can you turn philosophy into a weapon in the hands of ordinary people, instead of just spinning in the heads of scholars? What the interlocutor means is this: "Workers and villagers summarize their practical activities, and scholars can help explore the laws of things." Chairman Mao said: "This is still yours!" What about others? Then he said: "I don't really want to be a chairman. I would rather teach in a university and be a professor." I would love to talk more with young people, their minds are very lively. "At this time, those who were toasting and shaking hands came over one by one, and the topic was interrupted.
One day, at 2 o'clock in the middle of the night, Chairman Mao called me to the dormitory. He was lying on the bed, pointed at the round stool, and asked me to sit close to him. He took one from the bedside table. He handed me a medium-sized rectangular Soviet envelope, and handed me a red and blue pencil, and then asked you to write "Comrade Khrushchev: I have gone to bed. Regarding the document (referring to our outline on the issue of peaceful transition), please talk to Comrade Deng Xiaoping tomorrow. I will not participate, okay?" "After I finished writing, he looked at it and said, "I'm not writing in Chinese, I'm asking you to write in Russian directly. After I finished writing, he asked me to translate it for him and said, "Okay, that's it." "He signed the envelope with the words Mao Zedong and asked me to ask the Soviet comrades to forward it to Khrushchev immediately. When Suslov came to meet with Comrade Xiaoping the next day, he said that they had received this letter written by Chairman Mao.
Delegations from various parties arrived in Moscow one after another. There were many exchanges of visits, talks, banquets and other activities between the two countries. People came and went at the Chinese delegation every day. One time Federin came to see Chairman Mao and said that the Soviet Union wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate Mr. Guo’s birthday. Chairman Mao said: “Comrade Guo Moruo himself disagrees, and I don’t agree either. "Politely declined the proposal.
As the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution approaches, the festive atmosphere in Moscow is getting stronger and stronger. Whenever Chairman Mao takes a car from the Kremlin and passes through the streets, he pays close attention to the faces and emotions of the citizens. His impression is: "Judging from the people's mental outlook, they are living a happy life. People are well dressed, and it can be seen that things here have made great progress and achievements in recent years. "
four Mao Zedong and Khrushchev
Chairman Mao's second visit to the Soviet Union was at a different historical period and was determined by specific historical conditions. Since the first visit to the Soviet Union, the internal and external situation of the Soviet Union had undergone major changes. Stalin passed away, which had a far-reaching impact. It went beyond the scope of the Soviet Union's one party and one state. Khrushchev then came to power in the Soviet Union. He understood that under the historical circumstances of that year, the support of Chairman Mao and the Communist Party of China to the Soviet Union was very important in the overall situation of international affairs. Supporting the Soviet Union and consolidating and developing the traditional friendship between the people of China and the Soviet Union was also an important foreign policy of our party and country.
In May 1954, Khrushchev led the first highest-level delegation of the Soviet Union to China. At that time, he invited Chairman Mao to visit the Soviet Union. In his conversation with Khrushchev, Chairman Mao expressed to him: "Thanks to the Soviet party, government and people for their selfless assistance to China." Khrushchev replied: "No, it cannot be said to be selfless, but it should be said to be selfish. Assisting China is actually helping ourselves. When China becomes stronger, it is the greatest support for us." Chairman Mao He said: "We should support each other, but we are still very poor and want to do more things, but we are still unable to do more. In general, you help us more." Khrushchev also did several important things during his visit this time: handing over the Zhongchang Railway, Ludag Port and several joint ventures in Xinjiang; he also asked China to send workers to work in the Soviet Union. Our reception of the Soviet delegation was also of a high standard. Khrushchev and others returned to China via the Northeast, and were accompanied by Comrade Zhu De and Comrade Shizhe to visit Luda University, Anshan and other places, and were given the highest courtesy.
In the second half of 1956, when the Bo-Hungary incident occurred in Eastern Europe, Chairman Mao and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sent leaders of our party to Moscow at different stages to have important talks with Khrushchev and other leaders to discuss the correct handling of relations between socialist countries.
In May 1957, Voroshilov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, once again invited Chairman Mao to visit the Soviet Union when he visited China.
Chairman Mao said in 1957 that Khrushchev had the courage to touch Stalin. Although the method they adopted was not good, it did take some courage to lift the lid. At the same time, I believe that Khrushchev is also capable of stirring up troubles. He is prone to many disasters and his life may not be easy. During Chairman Mao's current visit to Moscow, he had many conversations with Khrushchev on various occasions, large and small. He started from the needs of history and stood at the height of the interests of the people of all countries. He had both appropriate support and pertinent criticism of Khrushchev.
Chairman Mao gave impromptu speeches at party representative meetings in more than 60 countries. He said: Khrushchev’s flower is more beautiful than my Mao Zedong. However, there is an old Chinese saying that although the lotus is good, it needs green leaves to support it. I think Khrushchev’s flower needs green leaves to support it. One monk has two gangs, and one fence has three stakes. Through this vivid and vivid language, he clarified profound thoughts, which was highly valued by the representatives attending the conference. He praised the Soviet Union's scientific and technological achievements and said: "The Soviet Union launched another satellite into the sky. The United States boasted so much that it didn't even throw a yam egg." Chairman Mao was invited by the leader of the Polish United Workers Party, Gomulka, to his villa, and the two sides had a friendly and candid conversation. Gomulka did not agree with the idea of "taking the Soviet Union as the leader." Chairman Mao said: "Whether or not someone should be the leader is not a unilateral matter for us. Imperialism has a head, and we must also have a head. Once something happens, someone must call it. Take this meeting for example. What will we do if the Soviet Union does not come out? How much power the Soviet Union has, how much power you and I have." I have no way of knowing what Gomulka was thinking in his heart, but at the time he also said: "This principle makes sense."
Gomulka was not only willing to speak, but also dared to speak. He said bluntly that he disagreed with the concept of paper tigers and believed that "it means an underestimation of the power of imperialism." Chairman Mao was also very frank. He said: "Thank you for your criticism of me, but your criticism is not enough. Regarding imperialism, I am not underestimating it, but I must step it under my feet." Then he said: "We talk about the mental state of the people. Imperialism is showing its teeth every day. If you are afraid of it, is it honest? So we say, Strategically, we must despise it, it is nothing great; but on each specific issue, we must take it seriously and not take it lightly, which means we must attach great importance to it tactically. In other words, it is just a piece of paper that can be broken into pieces. Is this still called Marxism?” Judging from Gomulka’s reaction, his understanding of things is different from the original.
Yugoslavia does not advocate talking about the camp. They do not attend the representative meetings of the 12 socialist national parties. Khrushchev said to Chairman Mao: "We have sent an invitation to Tito , but he may not come." Chairman Mao said: "You have to understand them. Stalin has punished them, and the Intelligence Bureau has driven them away. How can you feel angry?" and asked: "If Tito doesn't come, will others come?" Khrushchev said The husband said: "Yes, it is Kadel. He is a writer. Most of the important documents of the Yugoslav Communist Party are written by him." Chairman Mao said: "That's good, I would like to meet him and hear his opinions." When more than 60 national party representatives met, Kadel attended. Chairman Mao's seat was diagonally across from him. During his speech, Chairman Mao faced Kader and said: "If you have different opinions, you can keep them. If anything happens, you can still rely on friends. I believe you will come back sooner or later." The words were simple, but Kader was moved.
When Khrushchev talked to Chairman Mao about the situation during the Soviet Patriotic War , he said: Stalin made mistakes in commanding the southern front, which led to the tragic failure of a certain battle; he also said that Marshal So-and-so was as timid as a mouse, and when he saw Stalin, his legs were like numb poles. The battle was defeated because this man could only report and obey orders. And how brave he was, he proposed a proper combat plan to Stalin, but was rejected, etc. Whenever he talked about these things with great interest, Chairman Mao would either eat snacks and say nothing, or divert the topic away. Khrushchev, who was only a lieutenant general at that time, boasted that he was more intelligent than Stalin, but it was really inappropriate to show off his personal military talents in front of China's leader, Chairman Mao.
Once, Chairman Mao criticized Khrushchev and said: "You have a big temper and your words hurt others. This is very bad. You can't do this." At the same time, he also said that he himself sometimes had this situation. Then he added: "Each party has its own actual situation. If you have any different opinions, it is not a bad thing to express them. We must discuss them slowly and do not rush." Khrushchev did not fully listen to these words, but admitted that "I have this problem, but you must know that there are some things that make me very angry."
Chairman Mao told Khrushchev that he was ready to resign as president of the country. Khrushchev asked: "Is there anyone to take over?" Chairman Mao said: "Yes, there are several comrades in our party, they are no worse than me, and they are fully qualified." Khrushchev said: "We will have Kosygin take over as chairman of the Council of Ministers." But he couldn't help but add: "But everyone still hopes that I will be in charge of the overall situation."
Khrushchev gave us the impression that he was very sharp in thinking, very shrewd, cheerful and straightforward. But sometimes he is too sharp-minded. As a politician, he lacks the corresponding depth in thinking about some major principle issues.
Chairman Mao and the Chinese delegation stayed in the Kremlin for 19 days and nights, and were warmly received by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Soviet government. In addition to participating in the celebration of the 440th anniversary of the Soviet Union's socialist revolution, Chairman Mao and other leaders of our party also attended the conferences of representatives of the communist parties and workers' parties of 12 socialist countries, and attended the conferences of representatives of the communist parties and workers' parties of 68 countries. During the two meetings, we discussed major issues of common concern with party leaders from various countries and did a lot of consultation and unity work. Through joint efforts with party delegations from all countries, both meetings achieved complete success. Chairman Mao signed the Moscow Declaration and the Peace Declaration on behalf of the Communist Party of China and the leaders of various parties.
Finally, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union held a banquet in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin to entertain delegations from various parties. Chairman Mao made a toast and said: "Thank you to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Soviet government for the invitation. Thank you for entertaining me with so many delicious things today." "We have had two good meetings. We must unite. This is the need of history and the need of the people of all countries." Then, he said that there is an ancient poem in China, to the effect of:
Two clay Bodhisattvas, smash them together.
Mix one with water and make two more.
You are in me, and I am in you.
The audience burst into warm applause.Chairman Mao personally led the Chinese delegation to visit this time. It is an international event of great significance in the diplomatic history of our party and country.
(picture from the Internet)
