Carl Zha Profile picture
Feb 21 6 tweets 4 min read
50 years ago today, Nixon arrived in China, beginning a new chapter in US-China relations

Today US ruling elite have decided to close that chapter for good and turn back the clock. They might not like results ImageImageImageImage
At the time of Nixon’s visit, China was still in the grips of tumultuous Cultural Revolution.

China was 1 of poorest country in East Asia, w GPD per capita behind India and Indonesia. ImageImageImageImage
Since Sino-Soviet split in 1960s, China squared off agst both superpowers USSR and US. Mao and Zhou understood China must break out of diplomatic isolation. US sought to play China card agst USSR. Common interests brought 2 sides together in Nixon’s historic visit ImageImage
Biggest difference btw two sides is over status of Taiwan. In Shanghai Communique, US acknowledged “One China Principle” that there’s only 1 sovereign state under name of China and Taiwan is part of China (also position of KMT gov on Taiwan). This became known as One China Policy Image
Shanghai Communique signed, the 1st diplomatic document btw US and the People’s Republic of China. It’s the cornerstone of US-China relations

It’s intended to pave way for full normalization of ties. However, Watergate scandal later that year put the US-China ties on backburner Image
1 consequence of Nixon visit was cession of CIA support to Tibetan rebels based in Mustang, Nepal.

My Mom was sent to Tibetan region in 1968 fresh out of nursing school. There were still skirmishes w PLA til 1972. She witnessed Tibetan rebels coming down the hills to surrender Image

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More from @CarlZha

Feb 24
Chinese libs often cite as act of US generosity toward China by funding Tsinghua University. I will set the record straight.

It’s Chinese money. A thread 🧵
8 foreign powers invaded China during Boxers Rebellion and sacked Beijing in 1900.

China was required to pay invaders for the privilege of being invade: 450,000,000 tael of silver, 1 tael of silver for every Chinese person alive Image
Spoils of war was divided among 8 foreign powers, with US getting 7.32% of the pie Image
Read 8 tweets
Feb 21
This was during height of KMT offensive in Chinese Civil War. Mao led a small force to play hide and seek w KMT’s 300,000 army in Shaanxi.

Mao was always 1 step ahead because KMT commander’s personal secretary is a Communist mole who fed KMT plans to Mao
Communist mole Xiong Xianghui 熊向晖, aide-de-camp to KMT commander Hu Zongnan who led 300,000 troops to attack Communist HQ in Yan’an in 1947.

Xiong fed KMT battle plans to Mao. Mao then led KMT troops on a wild goose chase in the Shaanxi countryside Image
Xiong Xianghui became People’s Republic of China’s 1st Ambassador to Mexico in 1973.

His Communist mole past only revealed in 1991. In Jung Chang’s farcical Mao biography, Chang thought Chiang Kai-shek’s trusted General Hu Zongnan was the Communist spy that let Mao escape ImageImage
Read 4 tweets
Feb 19
Gorbachev was incredibly naive to believe in the promise of no further NATO expansion.

Deng Xiaoping said abt Gorbachev aft their historical meeting in 1989: “This man may look smart, but in fact is stupid.”
Someone please PS Deng Xiaoping comment on Gorbachev on this image. Should’ve been a Meme
Or put Deng Xiaoping quote on this one since there’s more space
Read 4 tweets
Feb 17
You can see history taking place:

1992, Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour
2001, China joins WTO

The rest is history
Tho Guangdong has 5x population of Taiwan, 2.5x Taiwan GDP.

When Guangdong reaches GDP per capita parity w Taiwan, 5x Taiwan GDP. Reunification will happen naturally
That would also means mainland China would be 2x its current GDP. Totally dwarf the US economy. US will not be able to intervene in cross-Strait relations even if it wants to because its relative strength would be too weak
Read 4 tweets
Jan 26
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🧵 ImageImage
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. Image
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. ImageImage
Read 11 tweets
Jan 8
Genshin Impact introduced Chinese Opera and culture elements in new char Yun Jin. But did you know her story of Shenhe was based on real Chinese legend?

I will do a thread on ancient legend of 李寄斩蛇 little girl who kills giant snake 🧵
Story of little girl Li Ji 李寄 killing giant snake was 1st recorded in East Jin Dynasty book Soushen Ji (In Search of the Supernatural 搜神记) written around 350 AD
It’s said there lived a giant snake in the mountains of Min (Fujian). It kills and maims people. Villagers offered cows and sheeps as sacrifice to appease it but to no avail
Read 10 tweets

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