a google translation with emendation
Yang Gongsu- "Memories of the past 90 years -- A diplomatic envoy"
In 1963, I was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and served as deputy director of Division1 of Asian Affairs. Division1 was in charge of Foreign affairs with non-socialist countries in Asia, while Division2 handled the rest like Mongolia, North Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. besides with socialist countries, China in the period,had most of her diplomatic relations in Aisa,and many of them are with neighbors, which made Asian Division1 the busiest one.
The year of 1964 saw two things. First, Khrushchev's resignation. it was when we succeed in the first detonation of atomic bomb. China-Soviet relations had been downsliding due to Khrushchev's anti-China policy, which posed the nuclear tests in stark contrast. The second was the "Four-Clear" Movement (FCM)-clearing up four obscure perceptions over rural infrastructure since the early 1960s. the CPC Central Committee and Chairman Maozedong suggested that educational campaigns should be carried out in rural areas, by which there was a view that officials without experience of FCM would not have future footing at secretariat or the central committee. In the summer of 1963, ZhangTong participated in BCM shortly after his promotion to department chief,leaving me the entire Division.
◆The President of Pakistan asked for Chinese troops in aid.
Among all events at Asian Division1,the most important I had encountered was the Indo-PAK war.
May 1965, Pakistan and India went into border disputes and then armed conflict. Pakistani military launched a large-scale offensive in Kashmir, a direct attack near the capital of Kashmir was going on Pakistan's advantage. But soon a flank attack from India switched the situation, Indian troops made a potent strike towards Lahore and cut off the escape route of the Pakistani. Retreating from Kashmir, Pakistani army had to concentrate on defence of Lahore for a very intense war.
China had been going well with Pakistan since the settltment of border issues and Pakistani President A• Khan's visit in 1964. During the Indo-Pak conflict, the Chinese government issued a statement in early May accusing India as the expansionist, and expressing diplomatic support to the Pakistani on their resistance war. When situation in Lahore turned extremely difficult for Pakistani military, especially in lack of munitions supply, they seeked help from China. Rocha,the Pakistani ambassador to China went to the Chinese Foreign Ministry and asked to see Premier Zhouenlai, He then informed the war situation, and forwarded president's letter and oral request that China provide various forms of assistance.
I was there on every meet,in order to supervise the concerned departments under Premier's instructions. There were a few things I have not forgotten.
In the battle of Lahore, the Pakistani assault was led by armoured troops in front of their artillery and infantry, and got serious loss. Commander of Pakistani TACOM came to China for tank supply, accompanied by Ambassador Rocha he met with Premier Zhouenlai. per Zhou's instruction in the afternoon, I accompanied them in whole trip by Zhou's private plane to visit a tank manufacturing base. The commander checked our new tanks and personally tried a circle drive,he then jumped out the vehicle cabin and gave a thumbs-up : "That's it, we will have them. " The next day to return to Beijing, I gave a briefing to Premier Zhouenlai,he asked the relevant department, found that such tanks were in small inventory. The minister finally ordered flitting operational tanks from Chinese landforce to support Pakistan.
Bangladesh then it is now Pakistan, known as EastPak,which was separated away from its state by India. When Indian offensive arrived, the Pakistani assistance couldn't go across the Indian continent but only bypass Ceylonese (Sri Lanka) seaway, wasting time and effort. Later on, Pakistan turned to airway transporting arms, supplies and personnel which was obviously efficient yet resultingly got their Airforce exhausted. Sukarno,at meanwhile, was in power in Indonesia. Avering that countries collectively stand against aggression,he is very interested in support for the Pakistani resistance forces, and sent his airforce commander clandestinely to China for talks over Indonesian support for Pakistan.
I companied the commander directly from the airport to Xihua Hall when he arrived. He met the Prime Minister and discussed on the war situation. Prime Zhou told him that a third country should not intervene for the moment, while the Indonesian air force had neither reason nor entry for the war,therefore the help could only be material aid. After the talks, Zhou called in ambassador Rocha, along with his military attach to Xihua Hall where they met the Indonesian Airforce commander, and dine with them. I had been present at this meeting, and come to appreciate Zhou's deal with a cautious attitude in international relations.
While the second Pak-Indo war went into a crucial stage, the Pakistani president had been repeatedly asking China for troops in order to implement converging attacks against India.
It had turned out a major problem whether send troops or not. Premier Zhouenlai called relevant departments, especially the ministries of the General Staff and discussed a number of times, all agreed that we can do it,but HOW was apparently a key issue.
◆ Mao prepared to send troops-- Premier Zhou's revision of the "ultimatum"
The year in September fell on the National Games held in Beijing where all provincial and military leaders gathered at a banquet hosted by Marshal Helong,who was also first minister of Sports. Chairman Maozedong said at the banquet that the border belt near Pakistan would be the best entry if we send troops. This showed Mao had agreed to attend the Pak-Indo war. a mature agreement formed later on at the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after full discussion: Considering that in the past two years the Indian troops had been provokin around western Tibet and the Sino-Sikkim border, and regardless of delimitation between China and Sikkim, they constructed 56 fortifications on the border along Nathula Pass within serval years, which was thought to be a wanton destruction of China's territory and sovereignty. Hence we decided to strike Indian troops in the region south to Sino-Sikkim border where both close to India and eastPak. Erenow an "ultimatum" note would be sent to the Indian goverment.
September 15, evening, the ultimatum was drawn up at Xihua Hall. I immediately called in Mehta,the Indian Charge d'Affaires and handed over the note declaring 3 affairs that India must carry out:
1. remove all fortifications both on the Sino-Sikkim border and on the Sikkim side of the border.
2. stop immediately all incursions on the Sino-Sikkim border and the Sino-Indo border.
3. ensure there will be no future cross-border harassment, or else as a result, all the serious consequences must be borne by the Indian government with full responsibility.
Mehta read the note and would defend. I stopped him and told him: please do not waste time or the note will be sent over to New Delhi as soon as possible. therefore, he had to rush to board his car away.
In addition to an ultimatum-note, there were certainly military arrangements. India was afraid of two sides war, and it quickly removed all the fortifications on the border and returned Tibetans and their livestocks ever abducted by Indians.
This is the most satisfactory handle in my representations to the Indian border issues.
A section in the note reads as follows :
"The government of India, under support of the U.S. imperialists and their collaborators, always implement chauvinism and expansionist policies upon its surrounding neighbors, and now is launching a large-scale armed attacks against Paksitan……
The Chinese government has always insisted that Kashmir issue should be solved in respect for the rights of peoples to self-determination in Kashmir, as both India and Pakistan have assured the people of Kashmir.
To mean this, China will not intervene in disputes between India and Pakistan. but it does not mean that China will not be concerned with right or wrong, nor does it mean China can agree to the deprivation of the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people,most of all, no Kashmir issue can be excused in aggression against Pakistan. China's stance remains as usual. so long as oppression by India continues, China will never cease its support for the struggle of the Kashmiri people to self-determination. So long as India keeps aggression into Pakistan,China will never stop supporting Pakistan in its just struggle against invaders…… "
This is what we wrote under the instructions of Premier Zhouenlai, and he personally made modifications inside,it seems a bit away from the subject matter (Sino-Indo border issude)though. This note got reported on 16th. by the "People's Daily" in the news headlines, and the message it would give the world was very clear.
◆Situation changed during the 3rd Indo-Pak war
This time we only provided the Pakistani with a number of aircraft and conventional weapons.
The 1971 Indian invasion took place on the East Pakistan issue,when the Chinese "Cultural Revolution" was at its high tide. After a series of forcible Criticism and Trial by rebels,I was just "liberated" and appointed as Ambassador to Nepal, but I didn't want to go abroad for a ambassador's role. embassies then were running with an ambassador leadership under party committee system. a number of guys from rebellious group had been assigned into party committee of every embassy abroad, most of them served as translator,attendants, even drivers,but frequently interfered in the foreign affairs (let alone the internal affairs). The leader wrote back to their organization reporting ambassador's deportment,by which ambassadors could hardly get into normal work. Therefore, I strongly resigned from the post of ambassador in Nepal, said no more foreign ambassador. This was to return to the Department of Asian Affairs (a merger of the former two Asian affairs), the leading group in services of South Asian countries.
Thus,handling on Pakistan's war was naturally my job again.
The situation of the third Indo-Pak war in 1971 was more complex. residents of East Pakistan (formerly known as the State of Bengal) are mostly Hindus. In the year 1947 when British admitted independence of India and Pakistan, they divided Bengal into two,East Bengal under Pakistan whereas West Bengal went Indian. Pakistan is an Islamic country,the latent political inequality caused East Pakistanis discontent. In 1970, East Pakistani Mujibur Rahman adhered to an independent East Pakistan autonomy,which was certainly refused by the Pakistani goverment. Hence India sent troops from West Bengal, and attacked the East Bengal with the support of the Soviet Union. Pakistan, in the face of powerful Indian forces, was unable to protect its distant enclave, and therefore seeked help from China.
The Pakistani Chief of Staff,the commander of Navy and Air Force and a special envoy for Pakistani President Yahya arrived in Beijing in succession. I accompanied everyone of them to meet Premier Zhouenlai. At this time, the whole China was deep in the "Cultural Revolution" chaos with unstable political situation in Tibet, commander of the Tibet Military Area was clutched and under Criticism. however, we could not ignore the Indian invasion of Paksitan. Owing to China's situation, the assistance to Pakistan could only process in the political and diplomatic support. Besides denouncing the Indian aggression against Pakistan, We provided a number of aircrafts and conventional weapons as usual. yet unlike on the last occasion, the idea of preparing troops was out of question. We felt deeply sorry for the worrying Paksitani goverment but that's all we could offer them.
Dhaka after Indian occupation, became capital of the Republic of Bangladesh controlled by Rahman, we thought at the time that Bangladesh was India's puppet, and therefore had been ignoring it until 1975,when China formally recognized the country.
About the author-Yanggongsu
During 1953-1963, Yang had been Director of the Tibet Foreign Affairs Office, and had gone through the whole process of Sino-Indian border negotiations until the end of border conflict,when he was called back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. he wrote a memoir of Sino-Indian border which is rated as high authenticity and a valuable reference in helping understand the origin of the Sino-Indian border dispute.
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