Preface
After entering the 80s, with the improvement of relations between China and Britain, the friendly exchanges between the armies of the two countries also increased. In 1987, when the President of the Royal Institute of Defence Studies visited the National Defense University of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, he officially invited Chinese officers to study at their college.
At that time, Colonel Zhou Borong, deputy director of the Institute of Strategic Studies of the National Defense University, who had been engaged in foreign military research for a long time, was fortunate to be selected to become the first cadet from the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the history of the Royal College of Defence Studies.
A total of 78 participants came from 28 countries and regions. In November 1988, the cadets, dressed in their own distinct but crisp uniforms, were invited to visit NATO's European forces in the Nordic Union. On the same day, His Excellency the Commander was in the hall of the headquarters to wash the dust for the cadets. In order to show respect for the soldiers of various countries, but also to make the banquet look more grand. In front of each student's table, their name tag was placed and a flag of their own country was placed.
And Au Shipei, from the Hong Kong Government's Secretary for Security, also placed a "Hong Kong flag" in front of him. Later, with regard to the "Hong Kong flag", a very interesting conversation took place between Zhou Borong, Ou Shipei, and Brigadier General Deng Fule (Chinese name), chief of staff of a British division in West Germany.
Zhou Borong had the idea of joining the army in his bones
Zhou Borong was born in the barracks of the Second Division of the New Fourth Army, and his parents were both soldiers of the New Fourth Army. Zhou Borong has followed his parents to fight in the north and south with the army since he was a child, and in his eyes, the smoke and flames of war are "commonplace". "The cradle on horseback", he has been nurtured by the war, and he has already cultivated a strong and unyielding character.
From primary school to middle school, Zhou Borong studied in military schools. Speaking of which, the military schools are very strict in terms of the code of conduct. Zhou Borong later recalled: "After entering the school gate, you are a boarding student, and you can't go home until the holidays." No matter how precious you are in front of your parents, you have to be like a recruit who has arrived in the company, sitting and standing, taking turns cleaning, eating and ...... quiet."
Of course, Zhou Borong was a child at that time, but he was no exception to what children like to do. He remembers that the school, located at the foot of Plum Blossom Mountain, was surrounded by many peach trees. Whenever the peaches were ripe, their group of friends would learn the methods of fighting in a similar way, some reconnoitred, some sentry, and some would start the battle of "stealing peaches". Naturally, after going back, I had to be criticized by the teacher.
At the age of 19, Zhou Borong was admitted to the English Department of Beijing University of Foreign Chinese, a well-known institution for cultivating diplomatic and foreign language talents on the mainland. Among Zhou Borong's teachers and classmates, there were later famous Zhang Hanzhi, Wang Hairong and others. Zhou Borong had just studied and lived in the university for two years, and he caught up with the special era. In April 1970, the college moved to the "57" cadre school in Shayang, Hubei.
For the next year and a half, these professors and university students, who could only speak foreign languages, had to face the fields of crops in front of them. It was also from this time that they learned what "double grabbing" and "grouting" were. Zhou Borong later said that a year and a half of hard work was the first time in his life that he had been tempered. However, from the perspective of the present, that period of life is also a harvest!
The college returned to Beijing, and Zhou Borong started his study life again. Since the foundation has been laid in 2 years, it is not very difficult for Zhou Borong to study in depth. A few years later, after 9 years of living in the university, Zhou Borong's group of students finally began their graduation assignment.
Perhaps influenced by his parents, Zhou Borong wrote his intention to "go to the army" in the volunteer book. In this way, Zhou Borong entered the People's Liberation Army Military and Political Academy, which was later renamed the People's Liberation Army National Defense University. At that time, in addition to being an instructor and translator, Zhou Borong was also ordered to serve as a substitute in the army, and in one battle, he was the acting deputy commander of the 369th Regiment of the 123rd Division of the 41st Army.
In that battle, Zhou Borong led a battalion through minefields and rainforests to carry out a roundabout outflanking mission. The battalion commander of this battalion said to Zhou Borong before setting off that he will never forget, regiment commander, you are from Beijing, you are educated. We will do our best to protect you.
After hearing this, Zhou Borong couldn't help but shed tears. He said to the battalion commander, "My life is my life, isn't your life your life?" If there is something to do, everyone will die together!
In the Military Higher Academy, Zhou Borong went through the most precious youth years of his life. At the same time, he has also gained a lot, gradually growing into an officer who can be entrusted with important tasks.
Zhou Borong's conversation with a British officer
In 1987, Zhou Borong was invited to study at the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom. The academy is a higher military academy founded in 1927. Except for a period from 1939 to 1946, when enrollment was interrupted due to the impact of World War II, a group of students were recruited every year for the rest of the year.
In the winter of the following year, Zhou Borong and other cadets were invited to appear at a banquet at the headquarters of the European forces in the North European Union. At that time, Hong Kong's Au Shipei had a Hong Kong flag in front of him. Speaking of which, this is a banner that Britain is proud of, and it is also a banner full of shame for the descendants of Yan and Huang.
Suddenly, Ou Shipei gently put the Hong Kong flag in front of him in front of Zhou Borong, and said meaningfully: "It's yours." Zhou Borong smiled slightly, and then turned his attention to Brigadier General Deng Fule of the United Kingdom next to him, because everyone knew that Deng Fule would be the commander of the British forces in Hong Kong after graduation.
Zhou Borong turned the Hong Kong flag in front of Deng Fule, and said with the same deep meaning: "Please keep it first." By 1997, I wanted to take over a prosperous and stable Hong Kong. As soon as the words fell, the soldiers from all countries participating in the meeting applauded unanimously!
In fact, Zhou Borong said this completely out of a Chinese soldier's sense of responsibility and made a "broad" answer. However, neither Deng Fule nor even Zhou Borong himself did not expect that a few years later, Zhou Borong would really appear in the queue of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison as the deputy commander.
The other two had some "regrets" and could not meet Zhou Borong in Hong Kong on July 1, 1997. At that time, Au had already retired to New Zealand to enjoy his old age, and Tang Fule had already handed over the post of commander of the British forces in Hong Kong to another British officer, Tang Siu-yan, and returned to China to serve as the director of army training.
During his year of studying in the UK, Zhou Borong couldn't forget two things. In England, he went to a lot of museums. Whenever he saw the Chinese cultural relics on display inside, he couldn't help but feel indignant. Once, he couldn't help but say to a British classmate: "Look at it, you have stolen this from China!" ”
Or in the United Kingdom, when the Foreign Secretary, Geoffrey Howe, was lecturing at the College, and he was asked a question: What was the minister's view on whether Hong Kong could continue to prosper after China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997? Jeffrey Howe replied that it may have been a dream more than a decade ago, but after China's reform and opening up, this dream has become a reality. He personally has full confidence in Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in the future.
Afterwards, a British classmate talked to Zhou Borong, and he said that Hong Kong's prosperity was caused by their system. Zhou Borong said disdainfully that Hong Kong's prosperity today is due to the efforts of the Hong Kong people, China's reform and opening up, and the mainland market. In other words, Britain has also implemented its own system in Pakistan and India, how can it not cause prosperity!
On April 21, 1997, in the CCTV news program, with Zhou Borong's powerful wave and an order to "go". The convoy of advance personnel of the Hong Kong Garrison left the barracks, passed through the Huanggang Port, and headed for Hong Kong. At this moment, the mainland and Hong Kong, as well as the people of the world, were shocked by this scene!
During his public appearance at the Hong Kong Garrison, Zhou Borong impressed Hong Kong reporters with his fluent English and standard military demeanor.
References: "Dialogue between Zhou Borong and the British Foreign Secretary", "The General Comes from the Red Army - Remembering Zhou Borong, Deputy Commander of the Hong Kong Garrison"