(Mao Zedong shakes hands with Tanaka)
Mao Zedong (hereinafter referred to as Mao): (in Japanese) Good evening!
Tanaka (hereinafter referred to as Tanaka): Good evening, Chairman Mao Zedong.
(After taking their seats)
Mao: Have you finished arguing? Arguing is good for you.
Tanaka: We argued a bit, but the problem has been basically resolved. No, no, we had a
friendly conversation.
Zhou Enlai (hereinafter referred to as Zhou): The two foreign ministers worked very hard.
Tanaka: Yes, the two foreign ministers worked very hard.
Mao: No fight, no deal!
Tanaka: Yes, yes.
Mao: (To Ohira Masayoshi) Did you defeat him (referring to Ji Pengfei[2])?
Ohira Masayoshi (Japanese Foreign Minister): No, we are equals.
Tanaka: We had a very successful meeting.
Mao: That's good. How did you resolve the "trouble/confusion" [3] issue?
Tanaka: We plan to modify it according to Chinese customs.
Mao: Some female comrades are dissatisfied, especially with the "American" issue [4]. She
was speaking on behalf of Nixon. The young people insisted that the phrase "caused
trouble" was not strong enough. Because in China, this word is only used to apologize when
someone accidentally splashes water on a woman's skirt.
Tanaka: Although the word "迷惑" (confused) came to Japan from China, the Japanese word
"迷惑" (confused) can also be used when making an apology with mixed feelings.
Mao: I see. You used the word "迷惑/trouble" well. China and Japan have had exchanges for
over 2,000 years, and the first recorded mention of this in Chinese history is during the Later
Han Dynasty.
Tanaka: So, we've always heard that the history of Sino-Japanese exchanges goes back 2,000
years.



Mao: Your arrival in Beijing has caused the whole world to tremble with fear. Primarily, the
Soviet Union and the United States, those two great powers. They're worried, knowing what
you're up to.
Tanaka: The United States has declared its support for our visit to China.
Mao: Kissinger has also informed us, and there are no obstacles.
Tanaka: Yes, I went to Hawaii with Foreign Minister Ohira to meet with US President Nixon.
The US also recognizes that Japan's visit to China is in line with the global trend and an
inevitable development. Therefore, the US supports improving relations between Japan and
China.
Mao: The US is a bit better, but there's also a bit of discomfort. They came in February of this
year, but didn't establish diplomatic relations [5]. You've gotten ahead of them, so there's
always a sense of discomfort. An agreement can go on for decades or even centuries, or it
can be resolved in a matter of days.
Tanaka: Ah, I'm sorry. We launched the war of aggression, causing great harm to China.
Mao: Don't be sorry. You deserve "merit." Why "merit"? Because if you hadn't launched the
war of aggression against China, how could our Communist Party become so powerful? How
could we have seized power? How could we have defeated Chiang Kai-shek?
Tanaka: Thank you.
………………………
Mao: (Pointing to Liao Chengzhi, who is present [6].) He was born in Japan. Mr. Tanaka,
please take him back this time!
Tanaka: Mr. Liao is very famous in Japan. If he runs for the Japanese Senate, he will definitely
be elected.
Mao: When you were running for election in Japan, the competition was very fierce, wasn't
it?
Tanaka: We held eleven elections in twenty-five years, and every time we did it, we had to
give street speeches. It's hard to win without shaking hands with the voters.
Mao: Giving campaign speeches on the streets is not easy! Giving speeches on the streets is
a tough job. I did that a lot in Changsha half a century ago. Be careful! How is your
parliamentary system?
Tanaka: It's very arduous. If anything goes wrong, the party will have to be disbanded and
new elections will be held.
Mao: It's not easy for Japan.



Tanaka: Can I have a cigarette?
Mao: (Pointing to his cigar) Would you like to smoke mine?
Tanaka: That's fine. I had quit smoking, but because of the long negotiations with Premier
Zhou Enlai, I started again. (He lights Chairman Mao's cigarette with a match)
Mao: Thank you. When will the statement be issued [7]?
Zhou: Probably tomorrow. We'll have to jointly study and finalize the draft tonight. We need
to produce both Chinese and Japanese versions, as well as an English version.
Mao: You're very fast.
Tanaka: Yes, as soon as the time is right, a solution can be achieved. As long as both sides
refrain from diplomatic manoeuvres and negotiate sincerely, a satisfactory outcome will
surely be achieved.
Mao: We both need this now. This is what President Nixon told me. He asked if we both
needed each other, and I said yes. I said, "I'm colluding with the right wing, and I have a bad
reputation." Your country has two political parties: the Democratic Party is said to be more
liberal, and the Republican Party is more right-wing. I said the Democratic Party is not very
good, I don't appreciate it, and I have no interest in it. I told Nixon, "I voted for you during
your election, but you didn't even know it. We voted for you this time too. As you said, if
you, the main force of the Liberal Democratic Party, don't come, how can we resolve the
issue of resuming diplomatic relations between China and Japan?" [8]
Tanaka: According to the Japanese Constitution, the Cabinet has the authority to handle
foreign affairs, and all Cabinet members are jointly responsible to the Japanese people.
Therefore, the three of us came to China this time to negotiate and finalize the joint
statement, which we will report to the Cabinet and obtain its approval.
Mao: That's why some people accuse us of colluding with the right. I say, you Japanese
opposition parties can't solve the problem. The restoration of diplomatic relations between
China and Japan still depends on the Liberal Democratic Party government.
………………………..
Tanaka: Chairman Mao seems to be in good health. It's an honor to meet him today.
Mao: I can't. I'm about to meet God.
Zhou: (Pointing to the bookshelf against the wall) He reads a lot of documents every day.
Look at all the books!
Mao: I'm addicted to books. I can't live without them. Look (pointing to the books on the
surrounding shelves and the table). This is "Jiaxuan," and that is "Chuci Annotated." I don't
have any gifts, so I'm giving this (the "Chuci Annotated") to you.



(Prime Minister Tanaka, Japanese Foreign Minister Masayoshi Ohira, and Chief Cabinet
Secretary Susumu Nikaido all stood up and looked at various books of Mao Zedong.)
Tanaka: Thank you very much! Chairman Mao is so knowledgeable and so diligent. I can no
longer complain about being busy. I must study even more. I wish you good health and a
long life.


[1] This is part of a conversation between Mao Zedong and Japanese Prime Minister and
Liberal Democratic Party President Kakuei Tanaka. During Tanaka's visit to China, the two
sides held talks on the normalization of diplomatic relations. On September 25, the two
governments issued a joint statement declaring that "the Government of the People's
Republic of China and the Government of Japan have decided to establish diplomatic
relations from September 29, 1972."
[2] Ji Pengfei, then Minister of Foreign Affairs.
[3] The “confusion/trouble” incident. On September 25, 1972, Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka
visited Beijing. That evening, at a welcoming banquet hosted by Premier Zhou Enlai, Tanaka
made a toast with the following line: “Our country has caused great confusion to the
Chinese people. I once again express my deep regret for this.” The Chinese manuscript
provided by the Japanese side translated “confusion” as “trouble”. Tanaka’s words were
translated into the following Chinese: “Our country has caused great trouble to the Chinese
people. I once again express my deep regret for this.” Finally, the Sino-Japanese Joint
Statement said: “The Japanese side is deeply aware of its responsibility for the great damage
caused to the Chinese people by the war in the past and expresses deep regret.”
[4] Tang Wensheng, born in Brooklyn, New York, was an important translator for Mao
Zedong in his later years.
[5] In February 1972, US President Nixon visited China for the first time. Mao Zedong met
with him. He held talks with Premier Zhou Enlai on the normalization of relations between
the two countries and other issues of mutual concern. On the 27th, China and the United
States issued a joint communiqué in Shanghai, marking the beginning of the normalization
of Sino-US relations. However, the two sides did not establish diplomatic relations until
January 1, 1979.
[6] Liao Chengzhi was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1908. His father, Liao Zhongkai, was a
revolutionary hero of the Kuomintang (KMT). Along with his mother, He Xiangning, he was a
prominent leftist figure within the KMT. He went to study in Japan in 1927, enrolling at
Waseda University. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, he spent much of
his time working in KMT-controlled areas and was arrested seven times. In 1952, he became
Director of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee. In 1958, he



became Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the State Council and Director of the
Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission. He also visited Japan twice in the 1950s, leveraging
his unique relationship with Japan to establish channels for non-governmental exchanges
between China and Japan. During the Cultural Revolution, he was investigated for his
overseas connections and arrests. After his return to power in 1972, he served as a
diplomatic advisor to Zhou Enlai, assisting him in handling foreign affairs.
[7] This refers to the Joint Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China
and the Government of Japan, issued on September 29, 1972.
[8] On July 6, 1972, Kakuei Tanaka, having just formed his government, declared in his office
on the second floor of the Prime Minister's residence in Nagatacho, Tokyo, "I want to
achieve normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. The negotiating
partner must be someone I can rely on. Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai were entrepreneurs
who had escaped death dozens of times. In this sense, they are trustworthy and negotiable.
Therefore, we must achieve this goal in one fell swoop while Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai are
still alive." During Kakuei Tanaka's visit to China, China and Japan held talks on the
normalization of diplomatic relations. On September 29, the two governments issued a joint
statement, declaring that "the Government of the People's Republic of China and the
Government of Japan have decided to establish diplomatic relations starting September 29,
1972."

















Opinions on How to Carry Out the Criticism of Lin Biao and the Rectification of the Work
Style Movement at the Enlarged Meeting of the Navy Party Committee [1]
(1972)

The Navy's meeting was entangled in historical issues. During the Criticize Lin Biao and
Rectify Work Style Movement, dwelling on old historical accounts could easily lead one
astray.
The first step was to criticize Lin, and then to carry out the rectification movement.

[1] The first and second parts of this article are Mao Zedong’s opinions on how to carry out
the criticism of Lin Biao and rectification movement at the enlarged meeting of the Fifth
Plenary Session of the Fourth Session of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Party
Committee held from July 1972 to February 1973. On September 14, 1972, Zhou Enlai, in
accordance with Mao Zedong’s instructions, presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau
of the CPC Central Committee and spoke with the leaders of the Navy to convey Mao
Zedong’s opinions. These words were quoted in bold in the “Report on the Enlarged Meeting
of the Fifth Plenary Session of the Fourth Session of the Navy Party Committee” forwarded
by the CPC Central Committee on February 24, 1973. The comments of the Central
Committee on this report were sent to Mao Zedong for review, and Mao Zedong wrote:
“Agree.”