Thread by @CarlZha

Malcom X on the Chinese Ambassador he met in Ghana: "He acted more human than many of the Americans that I've met. And he was well informed on the problem here. He didn't sound racist, he didn't sound fanatic..."

The Chinese Ambassador is Huang Hua, I will tell his story in a🧵

Tho many in the West don't know his name, Huang Hua was PRC's 1st ambassador to UN and famously photographed (right) when UN voted in PRC over US objection on Oct 25th, 1971 in Resolution 2758 as the sole legitimate China in UN to replace Chiang Kai-shek regime seat in UN.

Huang Hua, a student leader in Yenching University who befriended American journo Edgar Snow who taught journalism. Huang secretly joined Communist Party in 1936 as invading Japanese closed in on Beijing. Snow asked him to be his translator to see Mao in Communist base.

Huang Hua recalled when Edgar Snow wanted to take a parting photo of Mao, Mao's hair was all over the place. Snow then placed his own Red Army cap on Mao. And this became the iconic photo of Mao.

Huang decided to give up his studies and stay in the Yan'an Communist base.

Huang Hua was assigned the task of coordinating foreign journos visiting Communist base and train progressive youth who came to join the Communists.

He met his wife He Li Liang in 1941 while serving as secretary to Communist commander Zhu De in the War of Resistance agst Japan

Frm 1944-1945, when US Army's Dixie Mission visited Communist base in Yan'an, Huang acted as Mao's translator to US ambassador Patrick J. Hurley and Colonel David D. Barrett

After founding of PRC in 1949, Huang Hua became a Chinese diplomat working under Zhou Enlai. In 1960, Huang became Chinese ambassador to Ghana. (pic below prbly taken in 1980s, Chinese diplomats wore Mao suits in 1960s). In 1964, Malcom X would meet Huang on his African trip

In 1970, Huang came back to China frm his post as ambassador to Egypt to accompany his old friend Edgar Snow to retrace their 1936 trip frm Beijing to old Communist base in Yan'an. They posed in front of Mao's old cave home.

In 1971, Huang became PRC's 1st UN ambassador. pic below in 1974, Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping led Chinese delegation in UN where Deng delivered his famous UN speech abt China will nvr be another imperialist superpower in Sichuanese. Huang on the leftmost.

Huang Hua was key figure in negotiating Nixon's visit to China. pic Huang (middle) meeting Kissinger in Beijing airport on July 9th, 1971 on Kissinger's secret China visit.

In 1976, Huang Hua became Foreign Minister of China. He accompanied Deng Xiaoping on his trip to US in 1979 during normalization of ties btw US and the People's Republic of China