Today the importance and possibilities of building US-China Friendship on a people to people basis are great. The present world situation is marked by great turmoil, intensifying contention between imperialist powers and increasing struggles of colonized and semi-colonized peoples of the world. As Mao Tse-tung said in his 1970 statement, the danger of world war is very great in the period ahead. All this reemphasizes the tremendous importance of building US-China Friendship. War is not in the interests of the masses of people of the world.
At the present time the U.S. has taken a more “positive” posture towards China as part of their current international strategy. But, of course this posture could change very quickly because it depends not on any real desire for peace and friendship, but on the interest of the U.S. government. This emphasizes the importance of building US-China Friendship on a people to people basis.
This is the context in which we see building US-China Friendship events this year. We feel that the work around this year’s events should be carried out on two levels.
The first level being the Friendship Fair, taking advantage of the current “positive” posture of the U.S. towards China and going all out to build broad based understanding and Friendship between the American and Chinese peoples, based on the principles of unity of: 1) Friendship through mutual understanding; and 2) Normalization of state relations between the U.S. and China.
The Friendship Fair provides an excellent opportunity to unite people from various backgrounds who wish to promote people to people friendship. This can range from workers, students, professionals, and businessmen, and people from political organizations.
The Fair will encompass three main aspects: 1) booths, exhibits, and displays on various aspects of Chinese society today, Chinese arts and crafts, dry goods, etc; 2) lectures and slide presentations on Chinese life, i.e. workers, industry, health, acupuncture, comparisons between “old and new China” or “what American and Chinese people have in common”; 3) cultural programs, such as music, folk dances, contemporary Chinese songs, and maybe scenes from modern Chinese dramas.
Hopefully, this Fair will be a weekend affair and should be held in a centralized in-door location, most likely in a large auditorium with access to small rooms. An In-door situation will eliminate weather considerations and booths not need be dismantled at the conclusion of the opening day – a necessity if held outdoors,
The second level program being the October 1st Celebration, based on the objective nature of the event, being the 25th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it would be on a higher basis of unity.
As the American economic crisis deepens, the American people will be looking for positive alternatives, which China is an example of. This year’s October 1st celebration would provide the medium to explore pertinent questions such as:
1. China’s role in the Third World/U.N. special sessions;
2. History of U.S.-China relations and why it is necessary to build U.S.-China Friendship according to the world situation;
3. The question of war and peace and China’s view on the question;
4. Socialist construction, China’s non-exploitative policy of self-reliance and how China, through this social system, is aiding other undeveloped countries develop on their own efforts independent of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.
The October 1st program should be an evening event like all past celebrations have been. Instead of a movie like “Song of the Dragon River,” which many folks found too long and hard to sit through last year, the program should feature a few guest speakers and creative attempts in making political points through skits, etc. (However, if a good though provoking documentary is available, it should be used)
During last year’s Friendship Week activities, many “decentralized” events were conducted by many groups in the community and in schools. This year we feel decentralized local events should be encouraged and be left to those planning them. They need not be required to be part of the overall coordinating committee, but the event should be coordinated through publicity as far as times and places are concerned. Help from the overall body should be extended to anyone interested.
We feel that the relationship between the two events should be clearly defined, both organizationally and politically, so as to avoid problems that existed last year. Last year there were a number of problems, one being some people viewing the “Friendship events and the October 1st Celebration as being in competition with each other, another being the feeling of the Swim Coach that he had been gotten to participate in the October 1st event on a pretext, because he did not have prior knowledge of the nature and context of the event.[1] We feel that these weaknesses can and must be overcome. First we feel that there should be two separate committees for the two events, because of the objective difference in the nature of the two events some groups many only want to participate in one and not both events. There should be overall coordination between the two events as far as joint publicity, and selling the two events as complementary and not in competition. Secondly, we feel the literature put our should accurately reflect the content of the programs.
ALL OUT TO BUILD US-CHINA PEOPLE’S FRIENDSHIP
(signed)
Wei Min She
Wei Min Community News
Revolutionary Union
Bay Area Worker
[1] In their “Proposal for 1974 U.S. China Friendship Events” Wei Min, R.U., Wei Min Pao, Bay Area Worker stated the Stanford Swim Coach as having the “feeling” that “he had been gotten to participate in the October 1st event on a pretext, because he did not have prior knowledge of the nature and context of the event.” When their proposal was first presented at the Bay Area Joint Committee general meeting they were asked where they had gotten that information as to the “feelings” of the Stanford Swim Coach. Wei Min Replied that they had just “heard” it. They had not talked to the swim coach directly, nor did they recall where they had heard it originally, etc. A member organization of the Joint Committee then stated that shortly after the Masonic auditorium event last year, they had spoken with the Swim Coach and he at no time raised any “feelings” about being gotten to work with the Joint Committee on false pretenses or anything of the sort.
We feel that we should learn from examples like this that we shouldn’t make allegations or repeat rumors without investigation, especially in such a definitive manner.]