“Record of the Reception of the Government Delegation of the Mongolian People’s Republic, led by Prime Minister Yu. Tsedenbal, by the Chairman of the People’s Central Government of the People’s Republic of China Mao Zedong,” September 29, 1952,

History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, Mongolian Foreign Ministry Archive: fond 5, dans 1, kh/n 105, khuu 14-22. 

Contributed by Onon Perenlei and translated by Sergey Radchenko.

September 29, 1952

Record of the reception of the government delegation of the Mongolian People’s Republic, led by Prime Minister Yu. Tsedenbal, by the Chairman of the People’s Central Government of the People’s Republic of China Mao Zedong.

On September 28, 1952, after our arrival at a specially prepared residence, Prime Minister Tsedenbal spoke to the head of the protocol section of the Foreign Ministry of the People’s Republic of China Wang Zhouzhu [transliteration] concerning his wish to pay a visit on Prime Minister comrade Zhou Enlai. To this Wang Zhouzhu said that according to the plan for the reception of the Mongolian government delegation, first and foremost we would like for you, comrades, to rest today. I will pass your, Prime Minister, wish to our Prime Minister. I think Prime  Minister Zhou Enlai will receive you tomorrow. I will let you know after I receive an answer.

At 10am on September 29, comrade Wang Zhouzhu wished to meet with Foreign Minister comrade Lhamsuren, and comrade Lhamsuren received him. Wang Zhouzhu said: Chairman of the People’s Central Government comrade Mao Zedong invites the government delegation of the Mongolian People’s Republic led by the Prime Minister to be received by him today at 15 hours.

Comrade Lhamsuren expressed gratitude to Wang Zhouzhu for this happy, wonderful news, saying that he will now pass this to our Prime Minister. If you don’t mind, let us go see the Prime Minister together.

Comrade Wang Zhouzhu gladly accepted this idea, and entered Prime Minister’s quarters together with comrades Lhamsuren and Rentsensonom, after asking permission. After Prime Minister Tsedenbal and comrade Wang Zhouzhu held a conversation of protocol nature, comrade Wang Zhouzhu said: Chairman of the People’s Central Government comrade Mao Zedong invites the government delegation of the Mongolian People’s Republic led by the Prime Minister to be received by him today at 15 hours. Besides, today at 17 hours Prime Minister comrade Zhou Enlai will hold a reception at the Foreign Ministry in the honor of the government delegation of the Mongolian People’s Republic, headed by you. You are invited to this reception.

Prime Minister Tsedenbal noted with gratitude that Chairman Mao Zedong was treating the Mongolian People’s Republic’s government delegation with great attention, and said, with gratitude, that our government representatives will happily attend.

At that time, one of the direct phones that connected Prime Minister c[omrade] Tsedenbal’s quarters with Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai rang, and protocol section head Wang Zhouzhu, having asked the minister for permission, answered the phone, and then said: “comrade Zhou Enlai is calling to say that the time of the reception of Prime Minister by Chairman Mao Zedong may change. If there is a change, I will come and let you know,” at which point he left.

[We] were informed that the reception time would change to 3:30 in the afternoon; at 3:15 comrade Wang Zhouzhu arrived and invited the delegation to go and meet Chairman Mao Zedong.

At 3 hours 20 minutes Prime Minister Tsedenbal and other members of the delegation left in the direction of the People’s Central Government palace in separate cars.

The honor guard outside the wall of the Government saluted [the delegation] and let [them] through. 

Then we went around the “Nanhai” Lake and arrived at the gates of the Government reception hall. Prime Minister Tsedenbal and the delegates, accompanied by the head of the protocol section, entered these gates, and the gate guard raised their guns to salute. Inside the gates were the Chairman of the People’s Central Government Mao Zedong, Secretary Lin Boqu, Prime Minister of the State Administration Zhou Enlai together with interpreter Puntsag, and after Prime Minister Tsedenbal stepped over the internal threshold of the gates, comrade Mao Zedong was first to meet and welcome Prime Minister Tsedenbal, shaking his hand.

When Prime Minister Tsedenbal and comrade Mao Zedong were thus shaking hands, Mao Zedong said: “I am happy you came,” to which comrade Tsendebal said: “On behalf of the Mongolian people, and the government of the Mongolian People’s Republic and the government delegation, I congratulate you.” Then comrade Tsedenbal introduced the members of the delegation to Chairman Mao Zedong, and they shook hands in succession with comrades Lin Boqu and Zhou Enlai (at this time, the cameramen were taking photos).

After greetings, Chairman Mao Zedong invited Prime Minister Tsedenbal to the central hall. At that, everyone except for comrade Wang Zhouzhu, who was late, entered this hall together, and comrade Zhou Enlai directed each person to sit at the appropriate places. At that, comrade Mao Zedong, comrade Zhou Enlai and interpreter Puntsag and Rentensonom sat in the chairs facing away from the door. At the rear part of the hall [hoimor: place of honor in a Mongolian ger – SR], in chairs facing the door sat Prime Minister Tsedenbal, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Lhamsuren, Enlightenment Minister Shirendev, and Ambassador Jargalsaihan. At the side sat the Secretary of the People’s Central Government Lin Boqu (the arrangement of chairs is attached).

Mao Zedong: How comfortable are you?

Tsedenbal: We are comfortable and well thanks to the attention and care on the part of you, Chairman Mao Zedong and the Government. We are very happy to be in Beijing, the capital of our friend, the Great People’s Republic of China.

Mao Zedong: Mongolia had a revolution much earlier than us, and the victory of your revolution

helped us a lot.

Tsedenbal: Under the Great October Revolution’s influence, with Lenin’s and Stalin’s help, under the leadership of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party led by Sukhbaatar and Choibalsan, the Mongolian people asserted freedom and independence, established a state, and with selfless help of the Soviet Union, with the attention and care on the part of great Stalin, and under the guidance of Marshall Choibalsan, have attained great successes over the past 30 years in the economic and cultural development of their country.

Mao Zedong: The Mongolian people have long found their freedom, and so have gained experience. So we will learn from your experience. Behind us is the Mongolian state, and further on is the Soviet Union. Now the Soviet Union, Mongolia and China are becoming more cohesive. The imperialists are afraid of our unity and cohesion. Thus, to speak of Asia, the imperialists are scared by fact that states that share a border with the Soviet Union – Mongolia, China, Korea, Vietnam [sic] – have closed ranks.

Tsedenbal: The Chinese people’s revolution carries significance for the world public, and the fact that it won greatly gladdens the Mongolian people. The heroic Chinese Communist Party attained victory by wisely and skillfully applying the Marxist-Leninist theory to the Chinese revolution. The fact that the Chinese people attained victory under the guidance of the heroic Chinese Communist Party and Chairman Mao Zedong, was very important for the strengthening of the Mongolian people’s independence. Before the victory of the Chinese revolution, the Japanese imperialists encroached upon the freedom of the Mongolian people. Now, with the victory of the Chinese revolution, the security of our people, and our international situation, have become stronger.

Mao Zedong: Yes, yes, the Japanese imperialists and the Guomindang were against that.

Tsedenbal: With the complete expulsion and destruction of the American aggressors and the Guomindang reactionaries by the great Chinese people, the freedom of the Mongolian people has solidified, and a new era of friendship has begun in Sino-Mongolian relations. I express gratitude for the attention that you and your government attach to the fraternal comradeship between the Chinese and the Mongolian peoples.

Mao Zedong: Mongolian and Chinese people have been linked by history since early times. We will work united from now on.

Tsedenbal: Yes, yes. The friendship of our peoples will further solidify.

Mao Zedong: Didn’t you go to Moscow? The establishment of a railroad between our two countries will facilitate relations between our two states.

Tsedenbal. Yes. I did go to Moscow. The establishment of a railroad between our two states is important and significant. This road is sure to become the road of friendship. While I was in Moscow, I spoke to comrade Zhou Enlai about comradely relations between China and Mongolia. When comrade Zhou Enlai was in Moscow, he invited me to the third anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. We are happy to be visiting the People’s Republic of China on its third anniversary.

Mao Zedong: Yes, yes. Very good. An economic and cultural agreement is to be concluded between us. This agreement has great significance. Therefore, it should be publicized. Capitalist countries will make a lot of noise – let them make empty noise about it. Let them see our unity. The content of the agreement is brief – just a few points. I took a look at it. Let’s talk about the basic questions now. Other agreements can be signed separately.

Tsedenbal: Yes. An economic and cultural agreement will be concluded between our two countries.

There is nothing to add to the agreement draft previously developed by our two governments.

Mao Zedong: The victory of the October Revolution became very significant for our revolution. Our revolution is a part of the world revolution. Our revolution is influencing colonial countries, especially India, Burma, Malaya, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Later the revolution will triumph in these countries and in the entire world. We are the pupils and Marx-Engels and Lenin-Stalin.

Tsedenbal: Yes. The Chinese revolution has significance for the world. The fact that the Chinese Communist party wisely applied Marxism-Leninism is significant for colonial countries and for Mongolia. There is much that we can learn from the heroic Chinese people.

Mao Zedong: The world’s peace movement is developing greatly. The peace congress of Asia and the Pacific region, which is taking place in Beijing, is of considerable significance. Delegates from a lot of countries are coming here. Delegates are coming from America, South America, Australia, Canada, and the countries of the Near East. We proposed to hold this congress in India. But India, afraid of America, did not allow it. The Indian people also like friendship. Anglo-American and French people also do not want war and like friendship.

Tsedenbal: This congress is truly significant.

Mao Zedong: Which one is Foreign Minister Lhamsuren? He also asked about the Minister of Enlightenment, and was in turn introduced to both.

Tsedenbal: The great success achieved within three years by the Chinese people under the guidance of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman Mao Zedong is clearly evident. The Mongolian people are gladdened by the victory of the Chinese people.

Mao Zedong: The people who came for the peace congress will be here during the celebrations, and will familiarize themselves with our situation.

Tsedenbal: It is very significant that this congress is taking place in the capital of the great victorious Chinese people. I am very happy that you are receiving us like this. We have taken too much of your time, he said, asking for leave and shaking hands, and Mao Zedong saw Prime Minister Tsedenbal out.

After they left the hall, and while walking to the gate, [Mao Zedong] said: where are you staying?

How is it? Zhou Enlai said that they are in the Yin Binguan hotel.

Tsedenbal: Thank you. We are nice and comfortable at the hotel you prepared.

Mao Zedong: Now the season is wonderful. The trees are green, the flowers are blooming. If would be good if you went inside the city to get familiar with the conditions of the city. (Photos were being taken).

Chairman Mao Zedong took the Prime Minister through the gates to the car, shook hands with every Mongolian delegate, and saw them off respectfully until they sat in the car.

There was a photograph and information about this in the September 30, 1952 issue of Renmin Ribao, No. 1551, and this information has been translated and attached.

During the audience comrade Mao Zedong got up and served cigarettes to our delegates. There was tea and sweets at the audience.

This record was done by the Second Secretary of the Embassy of the Mongolian People’s Republic in the People’s Republic of China [Signature] Rentsensonom.

Prime Minister Yu. Tsedenbal saw and checked this [record].

Two copies produced:

1. The delegation’s file

2. Embassy’s