Kissinger's secret visit to China was definitely a major event that shocked the world at that time, but for the Japanese government, especially the then Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, it was not just a shock, it was simply a "bolt from the blue"! He never imagined that one day Nixon would set Japan aside and go to work with China.

Immediately after that, Nixon's public visit to China had a tremendous impact on Japan, and a group of far-sighted people in Japanese political circles took this opportunity to strongly demand that the Japanese Government carry out independent peaceful diplomacy and improve Sino-Japanese relations. As a result, Eisaku Sato, who was at a loss on the China issue, was forced to resign as prime minister and was replaced by Kakuei Tanaka.

At Tanaka's first cabinet meeting, Tanaka publicly announced that he would "accelerate the pace of normalization of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China." He also said: "Fully understand" the three principles of normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan that the Chinese government has always advocated, namely: 1. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government of China; 2. Taiwan is part of China's territory; 3. The Japan-Taiwan Treaty is illegal and null and void. Foreign Minister Masayoshi Ohira made it even clearer: In order to normalize diplomatic relations, it is necessary for the prime minister or foreign minister to visit China at a certain time.

In order to speed up the pace of normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, Premier Zhou made a series of arrangements. On the 10th, Zhou Enlai sent Sun Pinghua, deputy secretary general of the Sino-Japanese Friendship Association, to lead the Shanghai Dance Theater to visit Tokyo to perform, and instructed Sun to seize the opportunity to convey his invitation to Prime Minister Tanaka in person: "As long as Prime Minister Tanaka can come to Beijing for face-to-face talks, all issues can be discussed." On 16 July, Premier Zhou said in a meeting with former chairman of the Japanese Socialist Party, Sōzo Sasaki: "If Japan's current prime minister, foreign minister, or other ministers come to discuss the issue of restoring diplomatic relations, Beijing's airport is ready to be opened to them, and Tanaka himself is welcome." ”

The Japanese side also reacted swiftly. On July 22, Foreign Minister Daping made an exception to meet with Sun Pinghua. Sun Pinghua conveyed Premier Zhou's invitation: If Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Ohira are willing to go to Beijing for a direct summit meeting, the Chinese side welcomes it. August 11th. Foreign Minister Ohira met with Sun Pinghua again and officially said that Prime Minister Tanaka had decided to visit China and expressed his gratitude to Premier Zhou for his invitation.

The next day, Chinese Foreign Minister Ji Pengfei officially announced through the news media that Premier Zhou "welcomes and invites Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka to visit China to negotiate and resolve the issue of normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan."

August 15th. Prime Minister Tanaka personally met with Sun Pinghua at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, formally accepted the invitation to visit China, and told him that he was going to make the trip in late September or early October. The two sides agreed that China and Japan would issue an announcement at the same time after the schedule of the visit to China was decided. Tanaka also expressed the hope that through his visit to China, diplomatic relations will be established in one fell swoop.

On September 21, China and Japan issued a simultaneous announcement in Beijing and Tokyo at 10 a.m. Beijing time (11 a.m. Tokyo time): "Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka has happily accepted the invitation of Premier Zhou of the State Council of the People's Republic of China to visit China from September 25 to 30. Negotiate and resolve the issue of normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan in order to establish good-neighborly and friendly relations between the two countries. At this point, Tanaka's visit to China was completely confirmed.

At 11:30 a.m., the Douglas JAL special plane on which Prime Minister Tanaka and Foreign Minister Ohira were traveling slowly landed at Beijing Airport. Tanaka, dressed in a gray suit, walked briskly off the plane and warmly shook hands with Premier Zhou, who was already waiting there, and a new page in history was opened at this moment. The five-star red flag and the sun flag fluttered over the airport, and the military band played the national anthems of the two countries, "March of the Volunteers" and "Jun's Generation." The Chinese saw the sun flag again and heard "Jun's Generation". These were symbols of aggression and disaster for the Chinese people in the thirties and forties. But now it has become a symbol of friendly exchanges, and people can't help but feel the great changes of the times!

Night. Premier Zhou hosted a banquet in the Great Hall of the People to welcome Kakuei Tanaka and his entourage. After Premier Zhou's toast, Prime Minister Tanaka delivered a reply. After reviewing the history of Japan-China exchanges over the years, he made the following statement: "Regrettably, however, Japan-China relations have gone through an unfortunate process over the past few decades. Meantime. My country has caused great trouble to the Chinese people, and I would like to express once again my deep remorse for this. Speaking of this, the expressions of the Chinese personnel who were still applauding just now suddenly became serious, and the warm atmosphere at the banquet also changed. Obviously, the Chinese side was not satisfied with Tanaka's understatement of "causing trouble". But at the end of Tanaka's speech. The Chinese side still responded with warm applause.

At the beginning of the talks the next day, Premier Zhou expressed his views on the matter. He solemnly pointed out: "At yesterday's banquet, Prime Minister Tanaka made a big trouble, and this expression aroused strong resentment among the Chinese people. The Japanese militarist war of aggression has brought profound disasters to the Chinese people, and the Chinese people cannot get through it when it is expressed as 'causing trouble'. Because the word 'trouble' means very light in Chinese, ordinary things can also be said to be 'causing trouble'. Tanaka explained that in Japanese, "causing trouble" means to sincerely apologize for the sin, and it also contains the meaning of promising not to commit the crime again in the future and asking for forgiveness, which is very heavy. He also said that if such an expression is not appropriate, it can be changed according to Chinese customs.

Later, when drafting the joint statement, Tanaka fulfilled his promise. The joint statement reads: "The Japanese side deeply feels Japan's responsibility for the heavy damage caused to the Chinese people by the war in the past, and expresses deep remorse. ”

Although the whole process of the talks went very smoothly, Tanaka returned to Japan and received many criticisms, according to the process, after returning from China, Tanaka Kakuei first went to the emperor to make a "national political report", and then attended the LDP convention. For two hours in a row, they concentrated on attacking Kakuei Tanaka, asking him why he wanted to join forces with the Communists. How can you sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan? It's too much to say that's done. At the meeting, they strongly demanded that Tanaka resign as a member of parliament, and even asked him to apologize for his crimes!

Although Tang Ning was very concerned about this matter, because of his American status, he could not go to China again this time, but there was one thing that he could not understand at all in his previous life, and this time he generally understood what was going on, that is, the "China gave up Japan's war reparations" that caused a sensation in the world at that time! That is, at the time of the Sino-Japanese talks on the establishment of diplomatic relations, Chairman Mao clearly gave up the huge war reparations to Japan! (To be continued.) )