After shaking hands, Dr Radhakrishnan patted Mao Tse Tung on the cheek.
I was posted to China-Peking in July 1956 and left Peking on 2 May 1958. I attended Peking University for six months learning Chinese, the most difficult language in the world, without an alphabet.
Throughout my stay I kept a diary. Today I am quoting portions from it. The China of the 1950s was more than 150 years behind the China of today. One thing, however, leaves 2020 China behind: it is the quality of leadership. No Mao Tse Tung, no Chou-En Lai, Li Hsiao Chi, Chen Yi, Chu De, Deng Xiaoping, Peng Dehuai, Kuo Mo-Jo. Mao was no saint, but he was a man of world stature. After Stalin’s death in 1953, he was the number one communist leader in the World till his death.
18 SEPTEMBER 1957
“The meeting with Mao was held in the Chairman’s study. I too smuggled myself in. Not quite. The Chinese knew I was attached to the delegation and staying at Chung Nan Hai(1). But I did commit an outrage. I took my camera in and took pictures. Here, I think, I crossed the line. The talks with Mao included references to Taiwan, Indo-China, Korea and Vietnam. Dr. Radhakrishnan said if China and India worked together, the world would take note. Mao replied that this was true but that some countries did not like that. He said he was not worried about Korea or Vietnam, but Japan was another matter and saw Japanese militarism rising with the help of the USA. The Vice-President asked Chairman Mao his views on coexistence to which Mao replied that he believed in it. The Vice-President then came up with a complicated analysis of coexistence. Mao appeared perplexed. The Vice-President said that the Taiwan problem would be solved peacefully. Time was on the side of China. Chairman Mao said he was willing to wait one hundred years.
“Dr. Radhakrishnan was received in the courtyard of Mao’s house. After shaking hands, the vice-president patted Mao Tse Tung on the cheek. The Chairman was taken aback. No one in China patted him anywhere. The vice-president was quick to put the chairman at ease by saying, “Mr. Chairman, don’t be alarmed. I did the same thing to Stalin and the Pope.”
“The visit was important. It could not have gone better. The philosopher carried himself well. His meeting with the top leaders were marked by respect for him. Kuo Mo Jo(2) was quite effusive. For me it was an interesting week. To be present at such meetings at the topmost level is no ordinary occasion. I like being at the centre of things, even though I just sat and took notes!”
26 JANUARY 1958
“A very special day for me. I am acting as interpreter at the reception at the Peking Hotel. It is Republic Day. We held a reception at the Peking Hotel. Premier Chou En-lai was the chief guest. I spent the better part of last night mugging up the chargé d’affaires speech. He would speak in English. I translated sentence by sentence in Chinese. I was both excited and tenses, slightly nervous. Not stage shy. Mercifully I did not let the side down. Many came to congratulate me, including the Chinese leaders. Pai was such a good Chinese interpreter and such a scholar. Following him was not an easy act. I could not equal him, not in a dozen years. Nevertheless, I passed the debut test. I was relieved; so are my generous colleagues who helped me.”
21 APRIL 1960
Prime Minister Chou En-lai’s meeting with Vice-President Dr. Radhakrishnan, New Delhi.
“The vice-president said China had occupied Tibet in 1950. It reached Sinkiang in 1892. Thus there could have been no Chinese presence there, administrative or military. Ladakh was undoubtedly a part of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Even the British recognised that fact. He went on to suggest that the problem should be solved in the lifetime of Nehru. After him it would become more difficult. There was great resentment in the country, only Nehru could restrain it. ‘We do not wish you to return empty-handed. Please try to come to some settlement in keeping with the self-respect of both countries’.
“Premier Chou En-lai stated that China had exercised jurisdiction over Tibet for thirteen hundred years. Tibet became a part of China seven or eight hundred years ago. Sinkiang too has been a part of China. Dr. Radhakrishnan said he was not a historian and did not wish to delve into details. Among friends it should not matter if it was necessary to give up some territory here and there. What are a few thousand square miles compared to the friendship of four hundred million Indians? The important thing was for the two people to be close to each other.
“Marshal Chen Yi intervened. He held the vice-president in great esteem and therefore listened to him with keen interest. His response was, ‘What are a few thousand square miles of territory compared to friendship of six hundred million Chinese?’ He was forthright.”
(1) Chung Nan Hai: The compound within the Forbidden City, where the top leaders of China lived.
(2) Kuo Mo jo, a most eminent scholar.