by Wang Li
Wang Li served as counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC and from 1990 to 1994, consul general in Chicago. In an article that appeared in Volume One of the series The Diplomats, published in Beijing 2002 by the World Knowledge Press, Wang recalled the trip former US President George Bush made to China in 1977, during which the author escorted the Bush couple to Tibet and the majestic Three Gorges. Attracted to Wang's vivid recollection, Lin Wusun offered to translate the article for China.org.cn. Lin, a senior journalist, once acted as editor-in-chief of the Beijing Review and was president of China International Publishing Group. --Ed.
Between October 1974 and December 1975, former US President George Bush could be seen cycling in the streets and alleys of Beijing. He was then head of the US Liaison Office in China. Being most amiable and sociable, Ambassador Bush made many friends in Beijing and was known among the Chinese leaders as "our old friend." His term of office in Beijing came to a premature end when then President Ford announced his appointment as head of the US Central Intelligence Agency. George Bush wondered how his Chinese hosts would look at him, knowing the CIA did not have a good name in China. Will the Chinese treat him differently and even bear grudges against him? What he had not expected was that the Chinese leaders treated him with the same respect and courtesy. When then Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping gave a farewell lunch in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Bush, he told his guests in all sincerity and frankness, "You are our old friends. You are welcome to come back any time in the future, we will welcome you even in the capacity of the head of the CIA." These words cleared away whatever concern Bush Senior might have had. He remembered Deng's invitation. He looked for an opportunity to come again. When he stepped down from his CIA post, he contacted China for another visit.
During his first mission to China, he had been to the northeast as well as Shanghai and Hangzhou. So on this occasion he planned to see Tibet, the Three Gorges and scenic Guilin, covering the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze and southwest China. Members of his entourage included Mr. and Mrs. James Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Dean Birch, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Liedtke and others. They were all Bush's confidants or close friends. Baker became manager of Bush's presidential election campaign and later his Secretary of State; Birch was his legal counsel. Liedtke had been Bush's partner when he started his oil business in Texas. On the surface, Bush was not then in politics. In fact, he had his eyes set on the White House and his traveling companions were members of his future election campaign team. While touring the sights, Bush was preparing for the coming 1980 presidential election.
When Bush and his companions arrived in Beijing in September 1977, his host organization was the Foreign Affairs Institute and I was fortunate to be his guide for the entire trip, covering almost half of China.
Chance meeting when visiting the Tibet exhibition
Our first stop was Lhasa. We flew there via Chengdu. At that time, Lhasa had only one hotel. Our group took up nearly all its available rooms as there were few in number, although the courtyard there was quite large.
The next day, when we went to see the Tibetan Revolutionary Exhibition, we encountered an unexpected incident that exposed an earlier US underhand involvement in Tibet.
Among those who accompanied George Bush was a journalist by the name of Lowell Thomas. By then he was already 82 and had a pacemaker in his body, so doctors in Beijing strongly advised against his making the trip. But he insisted on going. When we entered the exhibition hall, we were surprised to see an enlarged photo of Thomas ahead of us. It had been taken in Lhasa in 1950, showing Thomas and high officials of the local Tibetan government posing together. The local guide pointed to the photo and said, "He was a CIA agent. He entered Tibet in 1950 and engaged in secret activities, trying to agitate for Tibetan independence." Thomas, who had been in the front part of the group, quietly withdrew to the back and lowered his head. Bush was taken by surprise, too. He explained to the guide that Thomas was an alpinist and asked if there was any evidence to back up his charge. The guide then brought forward a book entitled Out of This World. "This book," he said, "was written by Thomas after he and his son completed their trip to Tibet. You will know what kind of a person he is after reading it." Bush took the book and continued his tour.
That night Bush read the book. Later, he told the hosts that the charge against Thomas had some basis but he had not known about it himself. The Chinese hosts indicated that the event had taken place long ago; that history had to be faced squarely and one had to call a spade a spade, but the visit should go on as planned. That night I also read this "masterpiece" by Thomas, senior and junior. What happened was that after their visit, the father and son openly talked about how before starting out on the trip to Tibet, they had contacted the US intelligence service and accepted assignments from them and how they had tried to persuade the local Tibetan government to take up arms against the central government. Everything was "straight from the horse's mouth."
While in Lhasa, George Bush and his entourage also visited the Potala Palace, Norbu Linka, Barkhor, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery and some nearby villages. The Tibetans in the latter did not have much to show, but there had been clearly a great improvement in their living standard. Those Bush talked to were unanimous in telling him that their life as slaves had been hell and they had only begun to live as humans after liberation.
Unforgettable trip through the Three Gorges
After the flight back to Sichuan Province from Tibet, George Bush and his fellow travelers got on a Yangtze River cruiser to see the Three Gorges. The green precipitous mountains and rapids along the banks so aroused Bush's curiosity that he had a field day with his camcorder and he showed great interest in the folktales about the passing sights. Although it was also my first time there, I had heard and read a good deal about local history and geography. When we arrived at Baidicheng (City of the White Emperor), I told him about the story of Liu Bei's behest to his chief minister Zhuge Liang at his deathbed and the latter's strategy of "forming an alliance with Sun Wu in the east to resist Cao Cao in the north." (Liu Bei was head of one of the Three Kingdoms, 220-280.) I also recited for him the famous lines of the great Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai -- "Leaving Baidicheng at Dawn." When we got to Qutang Gorge, I told him that this was the narrowest of the Three Gorges and the most precarious place for navigation. When we passed through the cloud-shrouded Wu Gorge, I showed him the twelve peaks of the Wu Mountain and related the folktale about the daughter of Chidi (the Rouge Emperor) who was unable to return to heaven after she had stealthily descended to earth to enjoy life here and eventually turned into the Goddess Peak. And I also told about the story of the "Gate of Hell" as we passed through the Xiling Gorge. Bush listened with rapt attention and great interest.
Once leaving the Three Gorges behind, the Yangtze opened up into a broad channel, giving the traveler a feeling of expansiveness. The cruiser stopped when darkness fell and a grand, festive party was held on board. Everybody offered something. The crew performed some dances. Together, Bush and his wife sang an American folk song. Everybody was having a good time when the party ended. Later on, Bush taught us how to play dominoes and his wife taught us that same folk song.
While feasting on the beauty of the majestic mountains and river, we were able to converse freely with each other. Afterwards, Mr. Bush told me that the famous mountains and rivers of China were unforgettable, but even more precious to him were the genuine human feelings that he experienced on this trip. "I had only one regret in the year of my China mission," he said, "and that is I didn't have a chance to visit a Chinese home where we could talk heart to heart with each other. This time we have managed to make up for that. When you people have a chance to visit my country, I would like to repay your hospitality in the same way."
We were repaid the same
After the Three Gorges, the Bush entourage then visited Wuhan, Changsha, Guilin and Guangzhou. They returned home via Hong Kong. Very soon, we members of the host party each received a letter of thanks from the Bush couple in which they enclosed photos taken on board the Yangtze cruiser. Later, at the beginning of 1985, my wife and I were assigned to the Chinese Embassy in Washington. When Mr. Bush learned about this, he made a special point to invite us and Mr. and Mrs. Yang Jiechi to his vice-presidential official residence. (Yang was also a member of the reception team during Bush's China trip. He is now Chinese ambassador to the US.) What really impressed us was that he was able to invite to the party all the American guests who were on the 1977 trip to China. Even though they were scattered all over the country, they all came to Washington DC to participate in this reunion. Barbara poured the tea for us while her husband busied himself with playing the videotapes of his China trip. The majestic Potala Palace, the exquisite Guilin landscapes, the cloud-shrouded Goddess Peak and the City of the White Emperor which was a symbol of the rise and fall of historical figures ... all reappeared before our eyes and called to mind many pleasant memories and genuine emotions. After that, we were asked to take a group picture. Mr. Bush had Barbara sit with us in the middle. Most of the American guests stood in the back row while Bush himself and then Secretary of the Treasury James Baker sat on the floor at the front. Marvin, the family's youngest son, then brought out delicious dishes and the guests selected their own seats after helping themselves to the food. The conversation continued, mostly about Tibet and the Three Gorges. After lunch, Barbara showed us around the house. When we came to her room, she pointed to a carpet and said, "See this carpet? I wove it while we were in China. I have retained my love for hand weaving." When we took our leave, Mr. Bush again said he welcomed our assignment to the United States and wished that all would go well in our work.
We left the vice-president's residence with a true feeling of friendship.
(China.org.cn, translated by Lin Wusun, November 26, 2003)
