According to Xinhua News Agency, Comrade Qian Qichen, former state councilor and Vice Premier of the State Council, died in Beijing at 22:06 on May 9, 2017 at the age of 90.
Qian Qichen is an outstanding leader of China’s diplomatic front. According to the official resume released by Xinhua News Agency, Vice Premier Qian began to work in the diplomatic front from the second secretary of the Soviet embassy in 1955, and then served as Minister of Foreign Affairs respectively, state leaders and other positions in charge of diplomacy have been dealing with diplomatic work for half their lives. Zhao Jinjun, former Chinese ambassador to France, once worked with Vice Premier Qian Qichen. In an interview with Red Star News reporters, he said, “Vice Premier Qian should be said to be a fighting figure in the diplomacy of New China.”
It took less than two years to reverse China’s diplomatic situation at that time.
“I feel very sad when Vice Premier Qian passed away.” This is the first sentence that Ma Zhengang, former Chinese ambassador to Britain, said in an interview with Red Star News. Ma Zhengang entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1967 and devoted half his life to the diplomatic front of our country. When Ma Zhengang was the director of the Department of beautiful and large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992, Qian Qichen was then State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Ma Zhengang recalled that the outside world had some prejudice against China at that time. When he went to the United States, the people of the US-China Friendship Association were not willing to ignore him.
Under such circumstances, Vice Premier Qian Qichen personally grasped diplomacy, which reversed the diplomatic situation of China at that time in less than two years, broke many sanctions and made the outside world begin to communicate with China. Ma Zhengang thought it was the central leadership at that time, but Vice Premier Qian also did a lot of work and made a lot of achievements. “In the more than ten years when Vice Premier Qian Qichen led China’s diplomacy, it was a period when China’s diplomacy was relatively active.”
Ma Zhengang mentioned one thing that impressed him most. In 1992, Baker, the then Secretary of State of the United States, visited China. In a meeting, the United States took out a so-called detention list from the very beginning. At that time, Vice Premier Qian asked whether there was a man named Wu Jianmin on this list? The other party answered yes. Vice Premier Qian pointed out that the list was fabricated because Wu Jianmin was the director of the information department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time and was also at the scene of the talks. “Wu Jianmin stood up at that time. The other party felt very embarrassed and did not know how to continue talking.”
When it comes to mtcr (missile and its technology control system), it was stipulated that China must agree to the parameters specified by mtcr, and China agreed. However, the US also asked China to give guidelines, and China was not prepared at that time. However, the US side insisted on China’s commitment. Vice Premier Qian Qichen expressed disagreement at the beginning, and the other side was anxious.
“Baker put the folder away and stood up and said no more. This is equivalent to the collapse of the talk. At that time, Vice Premier Qian sat there and looked at each other like this. We didn’t move when we saw the leader didn’t move. At that time, Americans didn’t expect this situation. Some of them stood up, while others seemed to stand off. At last they had to sit down again.” Now I recall that Ma Zhengang still remembers the details at that time.
At last, Vice Premier Qian said, don’t you just want a policy? I agree! The other party is very happy.
“You can see that Vice Premier Qian is very calm, and he is not angry. If ordinary Americans stand up on the table, I should also get angry. Vice Premier Qian was sitting there, and I really admired him. I am don’t know what to do, it can be seen that Vice Premier Qian’s diplomatic means are very powerful “.
Although later Ambassador Ma Zhengang had many opportunities to work with Vice Premier Qian, he said that he had a deep influence on this matter.
Resolutely stop the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from conducting commercial activities to avoid problems
There is another thing that makes Ma Zhengang unforgettable. In the early stage of reform and opening up, many units are reforming and conducting commercial activities, thus improving the treatment of employees. At that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was still very difficult and had no benefits. Some employees even transferred to other units.
But Vice Premier Qian made important instructions at that time, saying that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not allowed to engage in commercial activities. “It turned out to be a very far-sighted decision. Later, many central departments had a big problem, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not have any problems.” Now when referring to this instruction of Vice Premier Qian Qichen at that time, Ma Zhengang still felt that “it was a very important measure.”
In addition, Ma Zhengang also recalled that in 1993, when the US secretary of state visited China again, he still talked about China’s human rights. However, Vice Premier Qian Qichen was still not in a hurry at that time and firmly expressed China’s position. In Ma Zhengang’s view, this reflected Vice Premier Qian Qichen’s grasp of foreign policy and ease.
“Vice Premier Qian has made great contributions to China’s diplomacy. Including later negotiations with Britain and the Soviet Union at that time, he made his contribution and got the respect of the people all over the country.” What made Ma Zhengang sigh more was that during his work in the International Research Institute, Vice Premier Qian Qichen was relatively old, but he was still concerned about diplomatic work.
“He is a battle in Chinese diplomacy”
In the eyes of Zhao Jinjun, former Chinese ambassador to France, “Vice Premier Qian should be said to be a fighting figure in the diplomacy of New China.”
He told Red Star News reporter that Vice Premier Qian was a comrade who joined the revolution before liberation and joined the party very early.
In Zhao Jinjun’s impression, Vice Premier Qian Qichen’s speech was very concise and thorough, giving people a very capable impression. “When some of our old comrades from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs chatted privately, they all felt that the opening of China’s diplomacy in the late 1980 s was indispensable to Vice Premier Qian Qichen.” Zhao Jinjun, who also worked on the diplomatic front for half a life, said.
He also recalled that when he was the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he had drafted letters to foreign countries for then Foreign Minister Qian Qichen. Seeing the revised letter from the foreign minister, Zhao Jinjun was deeply touched at that time, “I have studied it carefully. The revised letter from the leader at that time was not flashy, very pragmatic, straightforward and appropriate, the score is very good.”
Later, Zhao Jinjun became the dean of the Diplomatic Academy. At that time, Vice Premier Qian Qichen was the honorary chairman of the board of directors of the Diplomatic Academy. “He also gave a lot of support and encouragement to the work of the Diplomatic Academy, so that we must train more qualified talents for Chinese diplomacy and gave a lot of instructions to the major policies of our diplomatic academy.” This made Zhao Jinjun feel deeply.
Therefore, after learning the news of the death of Vice Premier Qian Qichen, Zhao Jinjun continued to sigh with emotion to the Red Star journalist: “I am very sad, sad and sad in my heart! We must inherit the good style set by Vice Premier Qian in diplomacy, and we must do a good job in China’s diplomacy.
Zhao Jinjun finally said that he had retired, but he felt that the spiritual style of Vice Premier Qian would always guide the comrades in the diplomatic field of our country.
Red Star News intern journalist Jiang Yijin editor Bao Chengli
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Qian Qichen according to Xinhua News Agency, Comrade Qian Qichen, former state councilor and Vice Premier of the State Council, died in Beijing at 22:06 on May 9, 2017 at the age of 90. Qian Qichen is an outstanding leader of China’s diplomatic front, according to Xinhua News Agency