Chapter 33 Beijing wants to become the center of the world revolution 1960

Journalist: “How do you reflect that Beijing is the center of the world revolution?”

Mao: “In April 1960, I took advantage of the May Day Labor Day to invite more than 700 sympathetic people from three continents to Beijing, where I met them in several groups, sang the Eastern Red, and established my image as a world revolutionary leader.

On June 5, 1960, I held the World Federation of Trade Unions Council (WFTU) in Beijing and invited trade union leaders and delegates from more than 60 countries in five continents to the congress. This was the first time I left the Soviet Union behind and started a separate international conference on my own. I had the whole Politburo come out and pointed out that peaceful coexistence was a fraud and that anti-imperialist gunpowder was very strong. I criticized the French Communist Party, the Italian Communist Party’s peaceful transition thesis, and implicitly condemned the Soviet Union.”

Journalist: “How did the Soviet Union react when you held the World Revolutionary Congress alone in Beijing and slammed the Soviet Union’s big brother?”

Mao: “Khrushchev heard my criticism and said I spat in his face. The WFTU was the beginning of my international independence and the beginning of the Sino-Soviet split.

I have to sell the revolution in the international, to produce things to people, not empty words. 1960 is the Great Famine spread throughout the country, I do not care how to starve people, at that time Liu Zhou deal with economic difficulties, I want foreign aid money, not reduced but increased. 1960 January, I instructed the establishment of the Foreign Economic Liaison Bureau, specifically responsible for foreign grants and materials. 1960 Cuba Guevara visit to China, I gave him 60 million U.S. dollars In 1960, when Guevara visited China, I gave him $60 million, saying explicitly that it was a loan and implicitly that it could be repaid or not.”

Journalist: “When there was a famine in the country and a lot of people died of starvation, you did not care about the internal, but to be a world leader, you increased foreign aid?”

Mao: “Yes, to Albania, in 1958 I gave him 50 million Rubles. January 1961, I gave him 500 million Rubles, expecting him to help scold Khrushchev, bought wheat from Canada, which was supposed to relief the famine, before it reached China, halfway, I ordered to transfer to him. I was very generous whenever they asked. The most important thing is to give the most money to Vietnam and Cambodia, which amounted to more than 20 billion U.S. dollars. 1960-1970 I gave 10 billion yuan to Huocha, equivalent to 1,200 tons of gold. 1949 Chiang Kai-shek shipped only 40 tons of gold to Taiwan from the mainland.”

Journalist: “A big increase in starvation at home, you disregarded everything, a big increase in aid to the bright lights of socialism in Europe, Vietnam, Cambodia?”

Mao: “Yes, in the three continents of Asia, Africa and Latin America, I spent a lot of money on those small parties and organizations that split from the Soviet Communist camp, and as long as they pull up mountains, sing the East is red, and play my banner, they can eat my food and receive my money. As for how much revolution they do, it’s hard to say, maybe they take it and enjoy it first. Kang Sheng found that several Venezuelan leftists had taken $300,000 and disappeared. Some of them even disguised themselves as ‘Maoists’ to cheat the money.”

Journalist: “Kang Sheng found that the leftists had taken the money and disappeared? Are you that good at cheating?”

Mao: “Yes, foreigners found that as long as they set up a ‘Maoist Party’ and call me long live, it was easy to get an invitation to come to China and get monetary aid. Just call me long live under my banner.”