In recent years, the conflict between China and the United States has become increasingly fierce, although we must give up our fantasies and fight resolutely. But while fighting, you might as well learn more about the history of Sino-US relations.
In fact, the initial contact between the CCP and the United States was relatively harmonious, but in the end the Americans chose Chiang Kai-shek comprador regime, and we had to break completely with it.
This article talks about the initial contact between the Chinese Communist Party and the United States.
From modern history, the formal contact between the US government and the CCP regime began in 1944 through the "Dixie Operation", and the formal diplomatic beginning of the CCP regime was also marked by the arrival of the US military observation team in Yan'an in 1944.
U.S. Military Observation Team in Yan'an
Communist Party wanted to establish friendly and cooperative relations with the United States. However, the United States supported his opponent Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang government, which was destined that the United States would "lose China" in 1949.
Although most of the time has been full of confrontation and hostility in the decades of relations between the CCP and the United States, if you trace the source of history and look back, you can find that history could have developed in the opposite direction.
At the end of 1941, after the outbreak of the "Pearl Harbor Incident", the US government officially declared war on Japan.
On January 1, 1942, General Marshall , General , met with General Stilwell . Marshall said the government is looking for someone to lead the newly established China-Myanmar-India theater . Two weeks later, General Stilwell took office because he spent four years in China in the 1930s and was the old Chinese expert among American soldiers.
Stilwell had two capable players at that time: John Shayweis and John Davis.
In the early summer of 1942, Davis visited Zhou Enlai in Chongqing three times. Zhou Enlai told him that the Chinese Communist Party is ready to fight the Japanese to the end, and the Chinese Communists welcomed official US representatives to visit their headquarters in Yan'an. In November, Zhou Enlai and Lin Biao met with Xie Weisi again.
After the meeting, Xie Weisi wrote a report. He said in the report: "The biggest problem facing China is the possibility of an civil war. ." He proposed that it might be beneficial if the United States could convince Chiang Kai-shek to let American observers go to Chairman Mao's headquarters in Yan'an and prevent them from being isolated from the world.
Before this, only a few American journalists had visited Yan'an. Xie Weisi believes that the journalists who have been to Yan'an "most people seem to be inclined to Communist ", and he said, "I think the most suitable American representatives to go to the Communist region are diplomats who understand Chinese, and can send one or two people. They must live in or near Yan'an for a long time, and also make quite extensive travel in the guerrilla area. It is important that they cannot be asked to write a report based on a brief visit under the influence of an official tour guide...
In the United States at that time, there was a general wrong idea that Chiang Kai-shek was China. Davis wrote a report saying that Chairman Chiang was the only Chinese who held this idea. He said, "We can predict that Chiang Kai-shek would make all efforts and use all strategies to drag us into the central government that actively supports him." ”
Chiang Kai-shek
At this time, the trust of US President Roosevelt in Chiang Kai-shek weakened. At the Cairo Conference in November 1943, he said to Stilwell who was accompanying him: “If Chiang Kai-shek fails, we must find others or groups and stick to it. "He informed Chiang Kai-shek that the United States would send a delegation to North China soon.
Chiang Kai-shek did not express opposition on the surface, but he secretly adopted the delay tactic.
In June 1944, President Roosevelt further put pressure on Chiang Kai-shek and specially sent Vice President Wallace.
During the talks, Wallace once again emphasized that the US military had no interest in the Communist Party. However, he had very urgent reasons to be interested in China's war against Japan. Chiang Kai-shek reluctantly agreed. At this time, Roosevelt sent another telegram, again emphasizing that the need to send observers to Yan'an. So the matter was finally settled.
On July 22, the US military observation team was finally formed, with Colonel Bao Ruide as the regiment commander, 6 officers and 1 soldier, plus Xie Weisi, the representative of the group's external office, the group was named " Dixie Mission ". They soon arrived in Yan'an and began formal contact between the U.S. government and the Chinese Communist Party leaders.
Dixie's delegation was warmly welcomed by the CCP. The CCP provided them with food, accommodation, dances, Japanese prisoners and Japanese newspapers, and also presented all guests with Zhongshan suit made of sharp-horned military caps and local cloth.
Xie Weisi met Chen Yi . Chen Yi is a student of his father because Chen Yi studied at the YMCA in Chengdu when he was a teenager. The two happily took a photo together.
At the end of August 1944, Chairman Mao met with Xie Weisi and they talked for 8 hours. This is one of the most noteworthy meetings Mao Zedong had with American officials in his life. He frankly stated the CCP’s views and positions on the Kuomintang and the United States:
It is obvious that the Kuomintang must rectify and its government must be reorganized. As it is now, it cannot command an effective war. Even if the United States wins this war for it, there will definitely be unrest after victory...
The Communist Party accepts the conditions for forming a united front proposed by the Kuomintang in 1936-1937 because external dangers from Japan threaten the country. We are first and foremost Chinese.
Whether the Soviet Union participated in Far East War or China's post-war construction depends entirely on the situation of the Soviet Union. Russia suffered heavy losses in the war and was bound to devote all its efforts to the reconstruction of its country. We do not expect Russian aid.
However, Russia will not object to the United States having interests in China, and if these interests are constructive and democratic, there will be no place where conflicts may occur. Russia only hopes that China will become a friendly and democratic country. The cooperation between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party is beneficial and worthy of joy to all relevant parties.
China must realize industrialization. In China, this can only be achieved through the establishment of free enterprises and the acquisition of foreign aid. The interests of China and the United States are related and similar, they are economically and politically reconciled, and we can and should work together.
We will not be afraid of the democratic impact of the United States - we will welcome this impact...
The United States does not need to worry that we do not cooperate. We should cooperate, and we must also receive assistance from the United States. This is the reason why we Communists need to understand what you, the United States is thinking and what you plan to do.
Chairman Mao’s words show the future relationship between China, the United States and the Soviet Union and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. He clearly pointed out that the Communist Party of China hopes to cooperate with the US government.
Xie Weisi recorded Chairman Mao's words and sorted them out and handed them over to Stilwell. Unfortunately, it was not until 1969 that Chairman Mao’s words were published in the United States. After 25 years, it began to change everything that had happened to confrontation and hostility.
At that time, Xie Weisi wrote a report every few days to deliver it to Chongqing, and then forwarded it to Washington .
In a report, Xie Weisi wrote:
... The Communist Party’s policy to the Kuomintang is based on the fact that it is truly willing to implement democracy in China. Under this democratic system, the economy can be developed in an orderly manner. After a private enterprise stage, socialism will eventually be realized. If this view is correct, then the policies of the Communist Party of China will not conflict with the interests of the United States in the foreseeable future, and this party is worthy of our likeness with sympathy and friendly attitudes as much as possible. The passage of
attracted attention and was sent to Roosevelt.
President Roosevelt
Roosevelt has discovered that Chiang Kai-shek was disappointingly lacking in progressive ideas. In September 1944, when he met with British Prime Minister in Canada, he publicly expressed his willingness to reconcile with the Communist Party. He wrote a letter to Chiang Kai-shek, criticizing Chairman Chiang sharply.Roosevelt scolded him and said:
Only when you take immediate action can you maintain the results of your years of struggle and the efforts we support you, otherwise it will lead to military disasters. By then, both political and military considerations will be wasted.
The letter also required Chiang Kai-shek to hand over the power to command all Chinese troops to Stilwell without any restrictions.
The CCP and the United States seem to be getting closer and closer at this time, showing a brighter prospect of cooperation. However, the climax is still behind.
On November 6, 1944, the weekly regular flight from Chongqing to Yan'an landed at Chongqing Jiulongpo Airport. Colonel Bao Ruide went to the airport to pick up the plane as usual. On this day, Zhou Enlai happened to come.
A US general walked down from the plane, wearing many glittering medals, which surprised Bao Ruid.
"Who is that?" Zhou Enlai asked him.
"That was Major General Patrick Joseph Hurley, who was the private envoy sent by President Roosevelt to China."
Hurley was to match the Republic of China and promote the establishment of a coalition government.
He asked the Communists: "What are your hopes for the conditions of unification?"
In the second talks, Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai proposed their conditions.
BaoRed recalled:
Hurley studied it and said, "Gentlemen, I think this is legitimate, and I haven't gone far enough." He made additional suggestions, in fact, to put the moon on the plate and hand it over to the Communists. This surprised me again, because until then, I always regarded him as a very smart negotiator. Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai seemed to be stunned by his suggestion. They were very happy because Hurley made an unreasonable suggestion.
Herley put forward five suggestions, the core is that the Kuomintang and the Communist Party enjoy a completely equal position in the future coalition government. On November 10, the plan was placed on a stone table on Yan'an Airport . At that time, Hurley's plane was preparing for takeoff, and Chairman Mao, Zhou Enlai and Hurley all solemnly signed the plan.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China highly praised Hurley's work and the results of the talks. Chairman Mao wrote a letter to Roosevelt, thanking President Roosevelt for his great efforts to make a unified democratic China possible, and said: "We Chinese and American people have always had a deep friendship with a historical tradition. I am deeply willing to make your efforts and success, the two major nations of China and the United States... go hand in hand."
The cooperative relationship between the Communist Party of China and the United States has reached a historic peak at this moment, and the United States has also obtained the best opportunity and room to choose and decide the post-war China policy.
Unfortunately, the United States did not cherish this opportunity and room, and did not continue its friendly cooperation with the CCP.
On November 10, 1944, Hurley's plane left Yan'an Airport, carrying his 5-point plan, and also carrying Chairman Mao's great hope to fly back to Chongqing.
Huerli
Huerli thought Chiang Kai-shek would soon sign the plan, but Zhou Enlai, who accompanied him back to Chongqing, was not so sure. He said to Hurley: "General, you must first show this plan to Chiang Kai-shek himself. Never let Song Ziwen see first, he will create obstacles."
Hurley agreed immediately, but he failed to do it. Under Song Ziwen's planning, Chiang Kai-shek immediately proposed a three-point plan to replace Hurley's five-point plan. The principle of the new plan is to make the Communist Party obey the Kuomintang, not to be on an equal footing with it.
What's worse is that the envoy Hurley actually agreed to the Kuomintang's proposal and gave up the 5-point agreement signed and guaranteed by him. At the same time, he also became the new US ambassador to China.
Chairman Mao was furious about this. He said to Bao Ruid: "General Hurley said that if we give up our propositions, we can get recognition from the whole world, but if we are tied up by Chairman Chiang, what else can the recognition of the world be useful..."
However, the CCP did not want to break with the US side at that time. In order to further clarify the CCP's policies and express its desire to cooperate with the US government, the CCP expressed its hope to send an informal delegation to the United States. Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai requested a meeting with Roosevelt himself, but they have not received an invitation.
On April 1, 1945, Xie Weisi resigned to Chairman Mao. Chairman Mao said that if a civil war broke out in China and the United States adopted a policy of not interfering with both sides, the Communist Party would be satisfied.
The answer received by the CCP was that the next day Hurley publicly declared: "The US government fully supports the Chiang Kai-shek government."
" Xinhua Daily " reprinted Hurley's speech and refuted it. The conflict between the CCP and the United States has since become public.
Thanks for reading, please stay tuned!
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