Ｂｅｌａｔｅｄ“Ｔｈａｎｋｓ”

ＷＡＮＧ　ＪＩＮＧＱＩＵ

On February 21, 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon started a week-long official visit to China, the first by an American leader to the Peoples Republic. Nixon later called it “the week that changed the world.” At the end of his trip the two countries released the Joint Communiqué of the United States of America and the Peoples Republic of China (also known as Shanghai Communiqué), in which both expressed a desire to normalize relations and stressed common ground on several key issues. The frosty ties between two of the worlds biggest countries began to thaw. On December 16, 1978, China and the U.S. signed the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, officially recognizing each other and establishing diplomatic relations on January 1, 1979. On March 1 the same year they exchanged ambassadors and embassies, and Sino-U.S. relationships entered a new epoch.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of this historic event. The Beijing Youth Daily and the U.S. Embassy in China recently co-sponsored a writing contest on the changes in Chinese peoples lives since China and the U.S. opened their doors to each other. More than 200 essays were submitted, and 10 received awards. With approval of the Beijing Youth Daily and the authors, China Today has selected six of the winning essays, and will publish them from July to December.

SOMETIMES memory is painful since it often reminds me that Im getting old. However, I always fondly recall one incident that happened when I was a young school student.

It was a cold afternoon in February 1972. President Nixon, the first U.S. president to come to the Peoples Republic of China, was paying a visit to the kindergarten of Beijing No. 3 Cotton Textile Mill. I was playing outside the kindergarten with my friends when several black cars stopped in front of the gate. For political reasons, the adults dared not surround the car and stare, as they knew the U.S. president was inside. But we children were extremely curious and ventured over to see the Americans. A person who looked like a government cadre in a blue Mao suit asked us to line up, telling the children whose clothes were full of patches to stand at the back.

Soon the American visitors came out of the kindergarten, but they didnt get in the cars immediately. Instead, one of them, a man with blue eyes and a long sharp nose, walked toward us with a friendly smile. He said “Hello” in not-so-fluent Chinese, and handed out sweets. Seeing that none of children dared accept his candies, the man held my hands, which were numb with cold, and gave me a candy. He then did the same with the other children. Before he got in the car, he smiled at us again and waved. I was at a loss as to what to do, and only felt warmth in my hands and cologne in the air. When it was too late I realized I should have said “thank you” to the man.

Left holding the candy, I was suddeny surrounded by other children and felt I had done something wrong. “How could I accept the sweets of American imperialists?” Though I blamed myself, I couldnt help unwrapping the candy since it was scarce in China in those years. It smelt good, with a milky flavor. But it tasted strange when I licked it. Other children told me not to eat it, warning me, “It must be poisonous. It is said that the American army used poisonous candy to kill people in the Korean War.” I trembled at hearing this and spat on the ground. A few minutes passed. I didnt feel any discomfort and the other children relaxed their vigilance. They began to taste the candy in their hands and suddenly all of us ate it up. Later I learned the strange taste was peppermint and the man was U.S. President Nixon.

After that I gradually changed my opinion of the U.S., and began to learn English. A few years later, when President Ford visited China, I no longer regarded America as the enemy, but joined the crowds swarming to see him and sincerely applauded when I heard him speak.

As I grew up, I become particularly fond of American films. Kramer vs Kramer told me about American families and society. The beautiful scenes of On Golden Pond have always attracted me. Star Wars told me why peace is important to human beings.

Nowadays, China and America are closely connected, each country a stakeholder in the other. With the advent of the global financial crisis, the two nations are facing more international responsibilities together.

The great man who stands high and sees far is esteemed by the people. In China there is a saying: “When you drink the water, think of those who dug the well.” We should never forget President Nixon inaugurated the age of new relations betweenthe U.S. and China.

Many things have changed in the past 30 years. Im now 40, President Nixon has left us, and my old kindergarten is now surrounded by skyscrapers. I treasured the candy paper from all those years ago and kept it in a book for a long time, but finally lost it. All I can do now is look up to heaven and say a hearty “thanks” to President Nixon.