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INDIA
IS NOT CHINA'S ENEMY, BUT CHINA'S FRIEND
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(May 13, 1959)
Generally
speaking, India is a friendly country toward China
and has been so for over 1,000 years. We believe it
will still be like this for the next 1,000 or 10,000years.
The enemy of the Chinese people is in the east, where
the U.S. imperialists have lots of military bases
in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and the Philippines,
all directed against China. China's attention and
policy of struggle are focused on the East, on the
western Pacific areas, and on the ferocious and aggressive
U.S. imperialists, not on India, not on the countries
of Southeast Asia. Although the Philippines, Thailand,
and Pakistan joined the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization,
aimed against China, we do not regard these three
countries as our principal enemies. Our principal
enemy is U.S. imperialism. India did not join the
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. India is not our
enemy, but our friend. China will not be so stupid
as to make an enemy of the U.S. in the east and an
enemy of India on the west. The suppression of the
rebellion in Tibet and the democratic reform there
will not pose the slightest threat to India. There
is a Chinese saying, "As distance tests a horse's
strength, so time reveals a person's heart." You will
be able to judge whether the relationship between
China's Tibet and India is friendly or hostile for
the next three, five, ten, and even 100 years. We
cannot have two focal points. We cannot take a friend
as our enemy. This is our basic policy. The quarrels
between our two countries in recent years, especially
for the last three months, are merely an episode in
the course of the thousands of years of friendship
and should not be of concern to the peoples and government
authorities of our two countries. The remarks we made
in previous paragraphs of this speech-the principled
stands and boundary lines between right and wrong-should
be discussed. Otherwise, the present differences between
our two countries cannot be solved. But the scope
our remarks refer to is only temporary and specific;
namely, it is a momentary difference between our two
countries, concerning Tibet alone. What do you think,
Indian friends? Do you agree with our opinion? Regarding
the view that China can focus its attention only to
the east and cannot, nor is it necessary to, focus
its attention to the southwest, China's leader, Chairman
Mao Zedong, on several occasions spoke with India's
former ambassador to China, Mr. Nehru, and Ambassador
Nehru could well understand and appreciate China's
view on this matter. I have no idea if the former
Indian ambassador has conveyed these words to the
Indian authorities. Friends, China does not assume
that you can have two battlefronts either; isn't that
so? If so, that is our meeting point. Please think
about it. Please allow me to take this opportunity
to extend my regards to the Indian leader, Mr. Nehru.
(From
the original manuscript)
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