Chang Yuan

Chang Yuan

Chang Yuan is a friendly person in Thailand. In August 1956, 12-year-old Chang Huai and 8-year-old Chang Yuan, accompanied by four entourage, came to Beijing through Myanmar and other secret channels and lived in a three entrance courtyard arranged by general director Zhou. They were also equipped with translators, cooks and drivers, some of them Thai overseas Chinese.

On the Mid Autumn Festival, Premier Zhou also took his brother and sister to the home of Zhongnanhai xihuating. Zhou Enlai asked his younger brother and sister, "do you like Chinese food?" Chang Huai smiles and doesn't speak, while her sister Chang Yuan says frankly, "Uncle Zhou, I don't like eating very much."

Deng Yingchao asked his younger brother and sister to taste the moon cake first. She said, "today is the Mid Autumn Festival. Let's have the reunion first." The younger brother and sister expressed their thanks to Premier Zhou and his wife in Thai etiquette, and Premier Zhou and his wife also gave a return gift. Premier Zhou and his wife said to them, "prime minister luanpewen and your father are visionary people. They entrusted you two to me to understand China and its civilization. In this way, you two can do great things in the future!"

Later, Premier Zhou asked Liao Chengzhi, who was in charge of foreign affairs, to take care of his brother and sister. The Chinese names of "Chang Huai" and "Chang Yuan" are given to Liao Chengzhi's mother, old man He Xiangning, according to the pronunciation of their Thai names.

Secret comes to China

In 1957, Thailand's defense minister, marshal Sari tanarat, launched a coup and the luanpivan government was overthrown. Naishan, the father of the two brothers and sisters, was also arrested. Liao Chengzhi told his shocked younger brother and sister, "according to Premier Zhou's instructions, our Chinese government will, as always, protect you and let you live, learn and grow in China." The brother and sister went to primary school, middle school and University in Beijing and made many friends. When my brother and sister were studying in Beijing No.1 middle school, they felt that China's political climate was also changing. They met one thing in the school: when the younger brother and sister were having lunch in the school canteen, a male classmate came quickly and yelled at Chang Huai: "down with US imperialism!" Premier Zhou soon learned about this. He urged the school to deal with the safety of his younger brother and sister, but Chang Huai, who was frightened, did not dare to take a special bus to school. Premier Zhou worried about their safety and let the special bus continue to send them to and from school. In 1966, during the cultural revolution, Chang Huai was studying in Peking University. After 10 years in China, he was sent back to Thailand by the red guards. In 2009, 43 years later, Chang Huai told Zhou Bingde, who was visiting Bangkok, "I have seen Premier Zhou no less than five times in ten years in China." Chang Yuan was not sent back like her brother. During the cultural revolution, Chang Yuan went to the countryside and factories. Zhou Bingde revealed: "she was very close to a Japanese youth in the University, but that person was a descendant of the extreme left in Japan, and his family did not allow him to associate with Thai nobles, so he broke up.". It happened that a British student liked Chang Yuan very much and pursued the 20-year-old girl again and again. Later, Chang Yuan told Zhou Bingde: "in 1969, China was in the chaos of the cultural revolution. Premier Zhou worried that I was in danger and told me: whether you like it or not, you should follow this Englishman to leave China." Since Chang Yuan entered the country secretly and did not have a passport, Premier Zhou personally wrote letters from the British Embassy to prove her identity, so that she could go to the UK.

Participating in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand

In early September 1972, Premier Zhou launched table tennis diplomacy again after the US president's visit to China. Like Sino US ping-pong diplomacy, the ping-pong diplomacy between China and Thailand also promoted the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Naishan was released after seven years in prison. He saw that the United States was in contact with China, and realized that it was time for Thailand and China to establish diplomatic relations, so that Chang Yuan would come to China from the United Kingdom to approach. Chang Yuan came to Beijing again and met Premier Zhou. Premier Zhou decided to organize an "Asian table tennis match" in Beijing. This allows Thailand to send teams to participate. The Thai government asked Bashi khancharanayue, a Chinese Thai who was in his 60s at that time and deputy director of the finance, economy and Industry Department of the National Administrative Committee of Thailand, to come to Beijing secretly as a consultant of the Thai table tennis team. Chang Yuan told Zhou Bingde: "as soon as he got off the plane, he was secretly picked up by me, my brother and Premier Zhou to discuss with Premier Zhou on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand. We have also become part of ping pong diplomacy. This historic breakthrough visit of the Thai delegation, from the arrangement to the meeting, is the result of the close cooperation between the Chang family and Premier Zhou, which has brought infinite happiness to my father. " At the beginning, when Naishan offered advice to send his children to Beijing, it was estimated that China and Thailand would establish diplomatic relations within one to two years, and then the younger brother and sister would return to Thailand. Who would expect things to change. So far, the two Thai brothers and sisters, who originally only stayed in China temporarily, stayed for ten years, while the younger sister left China 13 years later.

Special friendship

Although Chang Yuan's two sons are Eurasian, they all have Chinese names. Chang nianzhou, the eldest son born in 1975, and Chang nianliao, the second son born in 1978. They all studied in Beijing No.2 experimental primary school. In Bangkok, Thailand, Chang nianzhou founded his own company, strategy 613, which specializes in investment consulting. His business card also says "six ten three" in Chinese. The friendship between the Chang family and Premier Zhou has been continuing. In January 2009, Chang nianliao held his wedding in Bangkok, and Zhou Bingde was specially invited to attend. As for why he was invited to attend Chang nianliao's wedding, Zhou Bingde explained in Chang Yuan's words: "Premier Zhou, the most respected elder of the Chang family, connects the Chang family with the Zhou family. So, as the family elders, we invite you to this wedding "Chang nianzhou, the third generation of Chang family, is engaged in friendly relations and financial consultation between China and Thailand, Europe and the United States. Chang nianliao is the National Special Coordinator of the British government, responsible for the cross sectoral cooperation of sustainable development between Britain and China. He was appointed assistant to an Under Secretary General of the United Nations in June 2009. " Zhou Bingde said. Chang Yuan lives in Paris all the year round. She can't forget her little-known past. She once wrote the book "Dragon Ball" in English. This book has been translated into many languages, and has also been filmed as a TV play, staged in China and Thailand. Chang Yuan said she has always called Premier Zhou "father Zhou.".

Chinese PinYin : Chang Yuan