Comrade Mao Zedong’s Comments on Three News Items Concerning the Talks Between Adenauer[1] and de Gaulle[2]
(August 2, 1960)
Please pay attention, all comrades,[1] to the following news items. The world situation is about to undergo changes. Please read them, think about them, and discuss them.
Pages 17 to 22
Mao Zedong
August 2

[1] Refers to the comrades then attending the Central Committee Work Conference of the Communist Party of China in Beidaihe.

--- Notes

[1] Adenauer was then Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.
[2] De Gaulle was then President of France.
[3] Refers to three news items published on pages 17 to 22 of Issue No. 3748 of *Reference Materials*, compiled and printed by the Xinhua News Agency on July 30, 1960. The first item is titled “Adenauer and de Gaulle Held Successive Secret Talks Yesterday Morning and Afternoon.” Among them, Agence France-Presse reported that the secret talks between Adenauer and de Gaulle on July 29 at the Château de Rambouillet were “filled with trust and frankness”; Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported that the talks focused on the Congo issue, and during the talks, de Gaulle expressed support for West Germany’s position on the Berlin issue, namely the so-called “preservation of freedom in West Berlin”; United Press International reported that relevant West German figures believed the talks were mainly aimed at “jointly formulating a far-sighted policy for Western Europe, designed to make it a more powerful factor in world politics”; the Associated Press reported that de Gaulle would propose a “plan for a European federation.” The second item is titled “French Press Comments on Franco-West German Talks.” Among them, *Libération* considered the talks between the two countries as an “ill omen,” arguing that Adenauer sought to exploit the collapse of colonialism in Africa to push German interests into Africa and strengthen the “Paris-Bonn axis” he uses to undermine peace; *L’Aurore* advocated using the opportunity to establish a European federation; *Combat* held that developments in the international situation might compel Western Europe to strengthen unity and solidarity, and that the time had come to establish a common European front; *Le Parisien* stated that Euro-African relations would feature prominently in the meeting, and that de Gaulle would “persuade Adenauer to support his new nationalism policy in Africa.” The third item is titled “Reuters Comments on Adenauer-de Gaulle Talks,” stating that the fundamental reason for the talks was dissatisfaction with the United States’ “weakness in the leadership of the West,” and that the two statesmen would study ways to ensure systematic and organized unity in foreign policy among the countries of “Little Europe.” However, West German government officials adopted a reserved attitude toward the possible outcomes of the talks.