Comments on Countering the Insult to Our National Leader by Norwegian Newspapers

(May 4, 1959)

Comrades Qiaomu, Lengxi, and Pu Shouchang [1]:

This is the second item [2]. Please locate the first item [3] and review it. Both represent attacks against us. The first item states that a Norwegian newspaper published for the second time a cartoon depicting a large white cross marked on the face of the Chinese Chairman, and described Mao [4] as a dictator worse than Hitler. It said that while people may curse gods, they cannot curse Mao—is Mao even more formidable than gods? If China does not yield and continues its reckless behavior, then a thousand Western newspapers will fiercely denounce Mao’s dictatorship, and so on. Please find and review all related items, both earlier and later, and discuss countermeasures. My view is that we should take this opportunity to challenge not just a thousand Western newspapers, but ten thousand, even a hundred thousand of them. Let them all draw white crosses on my face and hurl insults worse than those against Hitler. I believe this would be extremely beneficial. We should blow this matter up and prolong it, drawing the attention of the world’s people and prompting them to reflect and gain clarity on the Tibet issue and the demarcation between revolution and counterrevolution. This is a good topic and should not be let slip. Both Norwegian cartoons and their vicious arguments should be published in Renmin Ribao, accompanied by refutations, so as to provoke ten, twenty, or thirty retaliations from Norwegian newspapers, followed by our counter-retaliations. Whether this idea is reasonable, please consider. Afterward, we shall discuss it further. Once the three of you have reviewed this document, forward it to Comrades Liu, Deng, Lin Biao, Zhou, Chen, and Chen Yun [5] for their perusal, and then return it to me.

Mao Zedong
May 4, 1959, 5:00 a.m.

[1] Qiaomu refers to Hu Qiaomu, then alternate secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Mao Zedong’s secretary. Lengxi refers to Wu Lengxi, then director of the Xinhua News Agency and editor-in-chief of Renmin Ribao. Pu Shouchang was then a secretary in Zhou Enlai’s office.
[2] Refers to a telegram dated April 28, 1959, from the Chinese Embassy in Norway to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reporting on the Norwegian press’s reaction to China’s formal protest note delivered to the Norwegian government on April 27 against the Norwegian Labor Party and newspapers’ malicious attacks and slanders on China’s leader.
[3] Refers to a telegram dated April 25, 1959, from the Chinese Embassy in Norway to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reporting on the Norwegian press’s reaction to the news published in Renmin Ribao concerning the Norwegian Labor Party and newspapers’ malicious attacks and slanders on China’s leader.
[4] Mao refers to Mao Zedong.
[5] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, then general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council. Lin Biao was then vice chairman of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Chen refers to Chen Yi, then member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice premier of the State Council, and minister of foreign affairs. Chen Yun was then vice chairman of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council.