Letter to Situ Meitang
(April 27, 1951)

Source: Shuxin, p. 412.

Su :
lie, Meitang (also often translated as Szeto Mee-tong) (1868-1955) spent much of his

the "Presenting China's interests in the U.S. In 1882, as a ship's boy, Sine arrived in
Diss oe States. Several years later, he joined the Zhigongtang (The Association for
erm and Righteousness) in Boston, and began a career of opposing the Qing gov-

, ‘Mt of Ching. In 1904 he was recruited by Sun Yat-sen to work for the Chinese



revolutionary movement and in 1905 he formed the On-Leong Association (Chin
Benevolent Association), a service society set up to assist Chinese-Americans in ge
ing u settled life and a certain measure of citizen's rights in the United States, In pg
he organized the campaign among Chinese-Americans to raise funds to support Op
na’ s struggle against Japan. In 1941, he returned to China. En route, he was captip
by the Japanese in Hong Kong. Refusing to collaborate, he disguised himself,
escaped to eastern Guangdong. In the summer of 1942, he went to Chongqing
returned to the United States in 1943. In 1945 he reorganized the Zhigongtang inta)
Hongmen zhigongdang, a Chinese political party, and became its chairman. In 1
he again returned t China, seeking to assist in the establishment of a new detioer
on the basis of a war-torn China. When this failed in 1948, he left China agai

Hong Kong, and, back in the United States, proclaimed his support for the Ce
nists in China, In September 1949 he returned, for the last time, to China, and toak.
the leadership of the Zhivongdang as one of the democratic parties in the new rep
(see text Sept. 21, 1949, note 1), He became a vice-chairman of the CPPCC and
member of the Central People's Government. For more on the life of Situ Meitang, §
appendices ta his own work, Zuguo yu huagiao (The Motherland and Overseas €
nese), published by Wenhui bao, Hong Kong, 1956.

Mr. Meitang:'

I have received your letter of April 14, and am greatly gratified. la
received the gift of the peasant comrades of Haoshan.’ Please convey
gratitude to them. It is good for you to stay for a short period in the south
I hope that you will return to the capital in the early part of June so that I ¢
see you and learn from you in person.

My respectful wishes for your health,
Mao Zedong
April 27
Notes

1. See text Nov, 17, 1949, note 2, for an explanation of this usage.
2. This is in Guangdong Province, where it is known in the local dialect as Hok shan) and
now Known as Gaohao sian. According to the source, Sity Meitang was then visiting this areas
inspecting the work of land reform in the region,