The portrait of Chairman Mao was placed at the home of Mali’s old minister, giving China a thumbs up (photo).
A photo with President Mao Zedong.
The portrait of Chairman Mao has been here for decades.
BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) On the occasion of China president Hu Jintao’s visit to Mali on February 12-13, several China journalists visited the home of Seydou Badian Cuyatai, former Minister of Planning, Finance and Economic Coordination of Mali. The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China published a profile article of the entourage of the Embassy in Mali, giving an interesting description of the whole process. The original excerpt is as follows:
Although the old man over 82 years old has been idle at home for a long time, he seems to be in excellent mental state. During the whole interview, he was clear-headed and quick-witted, making it hard to believe that the old man in front of him has passed his eighties.
Talking about his first visit to China, although it has been 43 years, the old minister still remembers it vividly. He slowly told how he was met by Chen Yi and Fang Yi when he led a delegation to visit China for the first time 43 years ago, and visited several cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guangzhou successively … Speaking of this, the old man’s eyes gradually radiant with a different look and his face moved more and more.
According to the old minister, since he was first appointed minister at the age of 27, he has visited China 34 times in the past 43 years, and the latest one was at the end of last year. Asked about his knowledge of China, he replied half-jokingly and half-seriously, "I have known China longer than you, and I have traveled almost all over China, and I know more about China than you.". Regarding the development of China, especially the changes in the past 30 years, the old minister couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up with emotion. "I watched how China developed step by step, and China has really changed."
When talking about the friendly cooperation between China and Malaysia, the old man’s face gradually changed into a serious look. He recalled with emotion that at the beginning of Mali’s independence, China helped Mali build the first batch of industrial enterprises, including tobacco factories, match factories, tea factories, pharmaceutical factories, sugar factories and printing and dyeing factories. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China has helped build many infrastructures in the capital and mainland of Mali and insisted on sending medical teams to Mali for 40 years. Every year, it also provides many opportunities for people from all walks of life in Mali to go to China for training or study. "The cooperation between China and Malaysia in various fields has been very good, and the achievements of cooperation are obvious to all. No one or anything can destroy the friendship between Malaysia and China."
When asked about the evaluation and expectation of President Hu Jintao’s upcoming state visit to Mali, the old minister replied without hesitation, "This is an excellent thing. It is an excellent thing for the head of state of China to visit Africa and Mali." He said that people from all walks of life in Mali are generally friendly to China, and President Hu Jintao is very welcome to visit Mali, including those media and journalists who always play against the government.
In order to avoid disturbing the old man’s rest too much, we were ready to get up and leave. We were about to leave when the old minister asked us to visit his study and living room. As soon as I entered the living room, my eyes were unconsciously attracted by a set of mahogany furniture with a quaint smell. He went to the table, stroking the slightly faded desktop, and proudly declared to us, "This is a gift from Premier Zhou Enlai".
Walking into his study, I was even more taken aback. There was a portrait of Chairman Mao in the eye-catching place above the bookcase at the door. Noting our surprise, the old minister continued to say slowly that he had been received by Chairman Mao seven times. As if wanting more, the old man carefully took out an album from the drawer and introduced his previous visits to China and his photos with the main leaders at that time. He accurately read out the names of the main leaders of that era and pointed out the old photos that were slightly yellowed.
When seeing us out of the living room, he mentioned that he had just sent his 22-year-old grandson to China to study Chinese. A reporter asked him with concern when he was going to visit China next time. The old man replied happily that he had a son who studied and grew up in France. Now he runs high fashion in Paris. He only knows Paris and has never been to China. He wants to take his son to China for a walk in March this year.
The old minister was very happy to be interviewed by a reporter from China and kept us out of the house. I left his home for a long time, but I was immersed in the strangeness that I just realized for a long time. After a long meditation, I feel relieved again. Isn’t the old minister Kuyatai a pioneer and messenger of China-Malaysia friendship? Isn’t it just like many ordinary people in Mali who have simple and beautiful feelings for China that I have seen and contacted? This is the cornerstone of the friendship between the two countries. Suddenly, I feel that as a diplomat, I shoulder a particularly heavy burden of spreading culture, promoting exchanges, consolidating friendship and promoting cooperation. (Zou Yu)