BANGKOK — Exactly half a century ago, Thailand and the People’s Republic of China established diplomatic relations in a groundbreaking ceremony marked by an unexpected hour-long audience with Chairman Mao Zedong that almost didn’t happen.
Reporting was contributed by Suchit Wongthet and Suthichai Yoon from Prachachat Newspaper, filing remotely from Beijing.
The historic meeting on July 1, 1975, came together with just 30 minutes’ notice, after Chinese doctors cleared the 81-year-old Communist Party leader to receive the Thai delegation led by Prime Minister M.R. Kukrit Pramoj.
Last-Minute Diplomacy
The Thai delegation had arrived in Beijing the previous day aboard a special Thai Airways flight, welcomed by Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping and enthusiastic crowds. But the meeting with Mao remained uncertain until the morning of July 1.
While Kukrit and his team were enjoying cultural performances at the Beijing Ethnic Minority Centre, watching ballet rehearsals and classical music, a Chinese official delivered urgent news at 9:00 a.m.: Chairman Mao would receive them at 10:20 a.m.
The rare audience included Kukrit, Foreign Minister Major General Chatchai Choonhavan, Thai Ambassador to the US Anand Panyarachun, and Government House Secretary General Prakaipet Intusophon. Mao had traveled from his summer residence specifically for the meeting.
An Hour of Unexpected Advice
What was typically a 15-minute protocol meeting stretched to a full hour in Zhongnanhai, with Mao’s doctor eventually intervening to ensure the chairman could rest.
In a remarkable exchange, Mao offered three key strategies for dealing with communists:
- Don’t insult them: “Communists are shameless,” Mao told the Thai delegation.
- Avoid military force: “If you do, they will simply run away,” he said, citing Chiang Kai-shek’s failed military campaigns as an example.
- Don’t make martyrs: “The more you kill them, the more they become heroes. In reality, communists want to be killed because it brings them glory.”
Instead, Mao recommended building prosperity: “The best way to fight communism is to build up the country and improve the lives of the people. If the people are well-fed and well-cared for, communism becomes meaningless.”
‘World’s Number One Bad Man’
The meeting’s tone was surprisingly warm and informal. When Mao mentioned his advanced age, Kukrit responded with characteristic Thai directness: “The world can’t do without its number one bad man.” The comment sent Mao into hearty laughter.
“We got on really well, typical of Thai people, I suppose,” Kukrit later recalled. “We Thais are modest and humble, unlike the Westerners. When Chatchai and I sat down, we perched respectfully on the edge of our chairs. Chairman Mao seemed amused and spoke to us very affectionately.”
Historic Agreement Signed
That evening at 6:40 p.m., the formal ceremony took place at the rehabilitation clinic where Premier Zhou Enlai was recovering. Nineteen Thai and 13 Chinese representatives witnessed Kukrit and Zhou sign the landmark agreement.
The 10-point joint communiqué addressed five critical issues:
- National sovereignty: Affirming each country’s right to choose its political and economic system without foreign interference
- Single nationality policy: China declared it would not recognize dual citizenship, automatically ending Chinese citizenship for ethnic Chinese who became Thai citizens
- Non-interference: Both nations opposed foreign intervention and domination
- One China recognition: Thailand acknowledged the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China
- Anti-hegemony: Both countries pledged to resist global domination by any power or bloc
Personal Touches
The ceremony concluded with Chinese champagne, though Zhou Enlai drank tea on his doctor’s orders. Kukrit presented Zhou with a gold-trimmed packet of cigarettes, saying “Even if it is not valuable, I am proud to give it.” Zhou’s gracious response: “It is really very valuable.”
Radio Beijing broadcast the ceremony worldwide in Thai, marking Thailand’s diplomatic pivot toward professional diplomacy and decisive civilian leadership.
The July 1, 1975 agreement fundamentally reshaped Southeast Asian geopolitics, with
Thailand ending its previous anti-communist stance while China ceased support for the Communist Party of Thailand.
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Information from Matichon Information Center
