论文部分内容阅读
Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 and the Pacific War broke out. The U. S., as an anti-fascist ally, began to fight directly against Japan in Asia. By that time, China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression had been going on for more than four years. The Chinese Communist Party, together with the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army as well as the guerrilla forces across the country under its leadership, had all along persisted in fighting against Japanese invaders under very hard conditions. In 1942, Zhou Enlai who was then in Chongqing contacted John Carter Vincent, John Service and John David, diplomats of the US Embassy in China, who were pragmatic and suggested that the U. S. send people to Yanan to have a look. General Joseph Warren Stilwell who was taking unified command of the China-Burma-India theatre, knew the corruption of the Chiang Kai-shek government, which basketed all the US aids to China and even used the weapons to fight civil war. He advocated that the U. S. should strive for a concerted action with the Chinese Communist Party and fight Japan together. His just and straight-forward words enraged Chiang Kai-shek who asked President Roosevelt to recall Stilwell back to the U. S. despite the fact that he was facing a formidable enemy. In 1944, victories were won in succession in the European battlefields. Italy surrendered to the European Allies and the defeat of Germany was inevitable. The US military forces also inflicted heavy losses on Japan in the Pacific. To accelerate the defeat of Japan, the U. S. was considering landing its military forces along the coast of China, and together with the Chinese army to beat back the Japanese aggressors. President Roosevelt thereupon ignored Chiang Kai-shek’s persistent obstruction and decided to send to Yanan a US military observer group composed of US servicemen and diplomats to explore the possibility of cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party.
The US Military Observer Group (Dixie Mission) consisting of 18 members led by Colonel David D. Barrett, flew to Yanan in two contingents on July 22 and August 7, 1944 respectively. Upon their arrival in Yanan, the members received warm welcome from the leaders of the Party, government and army as well as the masses of all walks of life. Mao Zedong, Zhu De and Zhou Enlai received members of the Group on many occasions. Ye Jianying, chief of the general staff, gave a briefing about the struggles launched by our troops in the fifteen anti-Japanese base areas of North, Central and South China. Peng Dehuai, deputy commander-in-chief, made three reports to the Group on the specific conditions of the North China battlefields. In the winter of 1946, the Kuomintang reactionary government tore up the armistice agreement and launched a full-scale civil war. The Group ended its nearly two-and-a-half-year mission and withdrew from Yanan. During this period, several relevant Americans also made brief visits to Yanan.
Dispatching the US Military Observer Group to Yanan was a historic breakthrough. It started the direct dialogue and cooperation between the US government and the Chinese Communist Party. Therefore, it is of great significance in the history of China-US relations.
The China Society for People’s Friendship Studies (CSPFS) and the China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS) jointly held a commemorative meeting in Beijing on August 23 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Group’s arrival in Yanan. Huang Hua and Israel Epstein, honorary presidents of the CSPFS, and Gen. Xiong Guangkai, president of the CIISS, among more than 100 people from the academic, diplomatic and press circles in the capital, attended the meeting. Ambassador Robert Service, son of John Service, a member of the Group and his wife; James Hitch, son of Robert Hitch, and his sister and nephew, Sylvia Casberg, daughter of Major Melvin A. Casberg, MD US Army Medical Corps and Lynne Joiner came specially from the U. S. to attend the commemoration activities and visited Yanan.
Huang Hua and CSPFS President Ling Qing had been involved in the reception of the Group in Yanan then. They recalled in their speeches their contact with the members of the Group. Huang Hua pointed out: “The past 60 years have borne witness to the correctness of the visions held by many members of the Mission.” Ling Qing said: “I was back then a translator participating in the reception and work for the mission, I could still vividly recall the scenes of their life and work in Yanan. Members of the Observer Group’s attitude of seeking truth from facts was invaluable, and they built memorable friendship with us Chinese staff and local cadres and people.” Gen. Xiong Guangkai said: “Looking back upon what happened in the past, one will not fail to notice that the history of Sino-US contact has demonstrated that the Chinese leaders have all along valued the international status and influence of the U. S. and attached great importance to promoting cooperative relationship between China and the U. S.” “I wish both China and the U. S. will keep on managing the future Sino-US relations from the strategic and long-term point of view. We have every reason to believe that China and the U. S. ——the two great countries——will beyond any doubt continue to cooperate friendly and, with our joint efforts, to shape up a magnificent 21st century,” added he. Li Yaoyu, who had participated in the reception of the Group in Yanan, came specially from Tianjin to attend the meeting. Major Nicholas Reisdorff, assistant army attaché of the US Embassy in Beijing, said: “Reminiscences of history is a good thing. I hope we can learn something to deal with the relations between U. S. and China and to achieve a better development in the future.”
Louis Jones, George Nakamura and Sho Nomura, members of the Group sent messages of congratulations to the meeting, for they could not come to Beijing to attend the commemoration activities due to their old age and poor health. In their messages they mentioned the cordial conversations they had with Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and other Party leaders, their friendship with the military and civilians in Yanan and their gratitude to the Chinese people. All this left them deep impressions. Louis Jones says: “I consider my assignment to the ‘Dixie Mission’ to Communist China the most significant of my military career. We have different beliefs; however, we seem to be in agreement that the spirit of the individual communist was far greater than that of the Nationalist individual.” George Nakamura says: “Although the Dixie Mission does not play a large role in World War II chronicles, it was a true mission of Sino-American cooperation and collaboration. I am thrilled that scholars and historians are remembering the Mission as you are today, and the spirit of the Mission will always remain alive between China and America.” Sho Nomura says; “Served with the Mission from September 1944 – September 1945, I was afforded rare experiences and opportunities to meet and become friends with your leaders, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Ye Jianying, Dr. Ma Haide, Huang Hua and a host of others. It was enough to spin a young soldier’s head.”
Past Events—Lost Chance in China, a TV documentary shot by the Shanghai Television Station was shown at the meeting. The documentary carries interviews of those who were involved in one way or another with the Group both at home and abroad. They talked about what they knew of the Group and the historical and practical significance of the Group’s mission in Yanan. The rich historical data collected in the documentary are very precious.
In coordination with the commemorative activities, the World Affairs Press has translated and published Dixie Mission, a book written by American researcher Carolle J. Carter, and the CSPFS has collected more than 100 precious old photos and compiled them into a picture album—In Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the U. S. Military Observer Group in Yanan—a copy of which was given to each participant of the meeting as a memento.
The author is the secretary general of the CSPFS.
The US Military Observer Group (Dixie Mission) consisting of 18 members led by Colonel David D. Barrett, flew to Yanan in two contingents on July 22 and August 7, 1944 respectively. Upon their arrival in Yanan, the members received warm welcome from the leaders of the Party, government and army as well as the masses of all walks of life. Mao Zedong, Zhu De and Zhou Enlai received members of the Group on many occasions. Ye Jianying, chief of the general staff, gave a briefing about the struggles launched by our troops in the fifteen anti-Japanese base areas of North, Central and South China. Peng Dehuai, deputy commander-in-chief, made three reports to the Group on the specific conditions of the North China battlefields. In the winter of 1946, the Kuomintang reactionary government tore up the armistice agreement and launched a full-scale civil war. The Group ended its nearly two-and-a-half-year mission and withdrew from Yanan. During this period, several relevant Americans also made brief visits to Yanan.
Dispatching the US Military Observer Group to Yanan was a historic breakthrough. It started the direct dialogue and cooperation between the US government and the Chinese Communist Party. Therefore, it is of great significance in the history of China-US relations.
The China Society for People’s Friendship Studies (CSPFS) and the China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS) jointly held a commemorative meeting in Beijing on August 23 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Group’s arrival in Yanan. Huang Hua and Israel Epstein, honorary presidents of the CSPFS, and Gen. Xiong Guangkai, president of the CIISS, among more than 100 people from the academic, diplomatic and press circles in the capital, attended the meeting. Ambassador Robert Service, son of John Service, a member of the Group and his wife; James Hitch, son of Robert Hitch, and his sister and nephew, Sylvia Casberg, daughter of Major Melvin A. Casberg, MD US Army Medical Corps and Lynne Joiner came specially from the U. S. to attend the commemoration activities and visited Yanan.
Huang Hua and CSPFS President Ling Qing had been involved in the reception of the Group in Yanan then. They recalled in their speeches their contact with the members of the Group. Huang Hua pointed out: “The past 60 years have borne witness to the correctness of the visions held by many members of the Mission.” Ling Qing said: “I was back then a translator participating in the reception and work for the mission, I could still vividly recall the scenes of their life and work in Yanan. Members of the Observer Group’s attitude of seeking truth from facts was invaluable, and they built memorable friendship with us Chinese staff and local cadres and people.” Gen. Xiong Guangkai said: “Looking back upon what happened in the past, one will not fail to notice that the history of Sino-US contact has demonstrated that the Chinese leaders have all along valued the international status and influence of the U. S. and attached great importance to promoting cooperative relationship between China and the U. S.” “I wish both China and the U. S. will keep on managing the future Sino-US relations from the strategic and long-term point of view. We have every reason to believe that China and the U. S. ——the two great countries——will beyond any doubt continue to cooperate friendly and, with our joint efforts, to shape up a magnificent 21st century,” added he. Li Yaoyu, who had participated in the reception of the Group in Yanan, came specially from Tianjin to attend the meeting. Major Nicholas Reisdorff, assistant army attaché of the US Embassy in Beijing, said: “Reminiscences of history is a good thing. I hope we can learn something to deal with the relations between U. S. and China and to achieve a better development in the future.”
Louis Jones, George Nakamura and Sho Nomura, members of the Group sent messages of congratulations to the meeting, for they could not come to Beijing to attend the commemoration activities due to their old age and poor health. In their messages they mentioned the cordial conversations they had with Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and other Party leaders, their friendship with the military and civilians in Yanan and their gratitude to the Chinese people. All this left them deep impressions. Louis Jones says: “I consider my assignment to the ‘Dixie Mission’ to Communist China the most significant of my military career. We have different beliefs; however, we seem to be in agreement that the spirit of the individual communist was far greater than that of the Nationalist individual.” George Nakamura says: “Although the Dixie Mission does not play a large role in World War II chronicles, it was a true mission of Sino-American cooperation and collaboration. I am thrilled that scholars and historians are remembering the Mission as you are today, and the spirit of the Mission will always remain alive between China and America.” Sho Nomura says; “Served with the Mission from September 1944 – September 1945, I was afforded rare experiences and opportunities to meet and become friends with your leaders, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Ye Jianying, Dr. Ma Haide, Huang Hua and a host of others. It was enough to spin a young soldier’s head.”
Past Events—Lost Chance in China, a TV documentary shot by the Shanghai Television Station was shown at the meeting. The documentary carries interviews of those who were involved in one way or another with the Group both at home and abroad. They talked about what they knew of the Group and the historical and practical significance of the Group’s mission in Yanan. The rich historical data collected in the documentary are very precious.
In coordination with the commemorative activities, the World Affairs Press has translated and published Dixie Mission, a book written by American researcher Carolle J. Carter, and the CSPFS has collected more than 100 precious old photos and compiled them into a picture album—In Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the U. S. Military Observer Group in Yanan—a copy of which was given to each participant of the meeting as a memento.
The author is the secretary general of the CSPFS.