On November 15, 1971, the head of the Chinese delegation Qiao Guanhua, the deputy head Huang Hua, the secretary-general Fu Hao, the representatives Xiong Xianghui and Chen Chu, and the translator Tang Wensheng walked into the United Nations General Assembly Hall. Faced with a reporter’s question, “What do you think of sitting in the Chinese seat for the first time”, Qiao Guanhua replied “It should have been so! Very happy!”, accompanied by his iconic upward laugh.
On December 22, the 26th session of the UN General Assembly concluded after the new Secretary-General Waldheim was elected. After 42 days of working in New York, Qiao Guanhua led some members of the Chinese delegation back home. More than 40 people left behind began the establishment and daily work of the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
At that time, the delegation rented at the Roosevelt Hotel. However, in early 1972, worker Wang Xichang was found dead on the hotel bed. After investigation by the police, Wang Xichang drank drinking water containing concentrated nicotine and died of nerve center paralysis. After the accident, the delegation accelerated the pace of house purchases and finally selected Lincoln Square Motel, which covers an area of more than 2,000 square meters and has more than 270 rooms. After reporting to the country, in April, Zhou Enlai quickly approved 4.85 million US dollars in cash. The delegation paid in one lump sum and bought the hotel’s building and land. After some decoration and preparations, the delegation moved into their home happily. The domestic refined bronze medal was also delivered by a courier, and the “Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations” was officially listed.
”The Forum”, “Crap Company”, and “Document Manufacturing Factory”
In early 1972, Premier Zhou Enlai instructed: Don’t stay simple and ignorant. Since then, the delegation changed the practice of returning to the station after the meeting.
Huang Hua often went to the representative lounge where the giant Great Wall tapestries donated by China were hung to talk with representatives of other countries, which made them very happy. A representative from Latin America said with admiration: “This is the personal diplomacy of the Chinese people. Huang Hua drinks tea here with a very easy-going attitude.”
Wu Jianmin of the delegation’s translation team recalled that China’s earliest understanding of the United Nations can be summarized in three sentences: one is a “forum” that can spread China’s voice to the outside; “Document manufacturing factory”, documents are piled up, but they can’t play a much restrictive role. At this stage, the delegation focused its work on anti-hegemony and support for developing countries, and did not participate much in other affairs.
The rest rooms and cafes of the United Nations are like a free market, where various news circulates, and various proposals are planned here. Wu Jianmin often sits consciously and listens to the discussion around him with his ears up. Sometimes he can get a lot of information when he just licks the water in a circle.
Secret channels to
the first two years, the Chinese Mission to the United Nations has taken on a special job: secret channels of communication between the two countries.
After Kissinger’s visit to China in July 1971, the two sides opened up a “Paris channel”, where the Chinese Ambassador to France Huang Zhen and the US Ambassador to France Walters directly contacted. But Paris is too far away after all. After the Chinese delegation came, Kissinger proposed to open a secret communication channel between him and Huang Hua in New York (in Huang Hua’s absence, he would be replaced by Chen Chu, the second in charge of the delegation), and the Chinese government agreed.
At that time, Kissinger and the Soviet ambassador to the United States Anadoli Dobrynin also had such a direct communication channel. Kissinger believes that this is a way to avoid a major deadlock. During his first visit to China, he told Zhou Enlai that the United States will continue to deal with Moscow, but will inform Beijing in detail of any agreements that may be reached that involve China’s interests.
Tang Wensheng acted as an interpreter for the first few secret meetings. After she returned to China with Qiao Guanhua, Shi Yanhua replaced her as an interpreter and served as a liaison officer, maintaining direct contact with Winston Lord. Winston Lord is Kissinger’s special assistant, as well as his close friend and close friend.
To prevent the delegation’s phone from being tapped, Shi Yanhua always uses public phones on the street or the United Nations. The U.S. gave her a code name Kay, because if she reported her name, it would be difficult for the secretary to understand it, and secondly, it would be difficult for the secretary to hear and understand, and secondly, there would always be Chinese people who came to Lord to attract unnecessary attention.
The cars of the Chinese delegation are all black Lincoln cars with diplomatic license plates starting with CY, which are easy to identify. Therefore, the CIA sends an ordinary family car to pick up each appointment. After dinner, Shi Yanhua would ask the driver’s monitor in advance to open the door of the underground garage. The American car drove straight into the garage, closed the garage door, and Huang Hua went downstairs to board the car.
The car drove into the secluded East Side of Manhattan on 43rd Street and stopped in front of an uninhabited two-story building. The time is arranged very accurately every time, and the time difference between the two parties’ arrival is generally only one or two minutes. Shi Yanhua is the only translator in each meeting. As a liaison officer, Shi Yanhua is also responsible for delivering oral messages. Sometimes Kissinger does not come by himself and sends Winston Lord to deliver a message. Sometimes, when the Chinese side has information to feed back, they ask Lord to take a trip. Lord was always late when he came, sometimes even late at night. Before he came, Shi Yanhua would greet the staff on duty and let them pay attention to the doorbell.
In May 1973, China and the United States established liaison offices in each other’s capital. So far, the Chinese delegation to the United Nations has also ended its mission of secret communication channels. But the mission of the Chinese delegation in the United Nations, China’s integration into the international community, and the international community’s road to understanding China have just begun.
