When former Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau met Mao Zedong in China – then visited Hong Kong
In 1973, Trudeau became the second Western leader to visit China in a month – then went on a whirlwind personal visit to Hong Kong with his wife and son, current Canadian PM Justin Trudeau
“The Canadian Prime Minister, Mr Pierre Trudeau, arrived in Peking today for an eight-day State visit to China, the second Western leader to come here within a month,” reported the South China Morning Post on October 11, 1973. “At a colourful arrival ceremony, several thousand gaily-clad youngsters in neat ranks on the airport tarmac chanted slogans of welcome and danced in mass formations.
“The leading Chinese journal, the Peking People’s Daily, published a picture of Mr Trudeau on its front page as well as a short editorial which praised Canada for playing a ‘positive role in world affairs’. In an oblique critical reference to the United States and the Soviet Union, the editorial said: ‘More and more small and medium-sized countries are joining forces in the struggle to defend their independence and sovereignty and oppose the hegemonism of the super-powers.
On October 15, the Post reported that Trudeau “yesterday rounded off the official part of his visit to China by meeting for more than one and a half hours with Chairman Mao Tse-tung”.
“Mr Trudeau, speaking alternatively in English and French, said Chairman Mao was ‘one of this century’s greatest Chiefs of State’.
“Mr Trudeau said that he and the Chinese leader had discussed primarily issues involving Canada but that international issues were also raised […] He noted that the conversation on the Middle East centred on ‘the known Chinese position’ – a condemnation of ‘Israeli aggression’ and the opinion that Israel should pull back to the borders originally set by the United Nations.”
Writing from Hong Kong on October 17, the Post detailed “a lightning sightseeing tour” for “Mr Trudeau [who] had just completed his eight-day state visit to China [and] his plane, a Canadian military Boeing 707, is expected to touch down at Kai Tak at about 4:30pm. A spokesman for the Canadian Commission in Hongkong said yesterday Mr Trudeau’s brief visit is in a private capacity.
