On June 29, 2000, the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery was solemn and solemn.
At the funeral, which was attended by more than 100 people, there were revolutionaries of the older generation such as Zhang Aiping, as well as national leaders such as Hu Jintao and Li Lanqing. The body of the deceased was covered with a five-star red flag, and the mourners paid respects to his remains in an orderly manner with a heavy heart.
He is General Geng Biao, who was praised by Chairman Mao as "a good ambassador who dares to tell the truth".
From General Geng Biao's serious illness to his death, it touched the hearts of almost all senior central dignitaries. At the funeral, Geng Biao's son Geng Zhiyuan, together with the then governor of Fujian Province, personally buried Geng Biao's ashes into the urn.
The grandeur of General Geng Biao's funeral is comparable to the level of a state funeral.
But at the first award ceremony of the People's Republic of China, he was the only defense minister who was not awarded the military rank. Therefore, Geng Biao is known as the "untitled general".
The reason why Geng Biao was not awarded the title was because he was the party's "all-rounder", and he had always led the army, but after the liberation, he "changed careers" and started diplomacy.
Geng Biao's early revolutionary career can be described as a handsome man. He grew up in the Liling riots and became more and more tenacious in the anti-"encirclement and suppression" campaign. It has experienced the attack on Loushan Pass, the four crossings of Chishui, the rush to cross the Jinsha River and the Dadu River, and the flying capture of Luding Bridge. In the War of Liberation, he participated in and led the battles of Qingcang, Baobei, Qingfengdian and Shijiazhuang, and made great contributions to the liberation of Ningxia.
Such a general, who has galloped on the battlefield for more than 20 years, is fully worthy of the senior military rank of New China. But he always remembered that he was a fighter of the party, and he did whatever the party wanted him to do. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Geng Biao was ordered by Premier Zhou to transfer out of the army and start his diplomatic career.
Premier Zhou respected the opinions of every comrade very much, and once asked Geng Biao: "What is your opinion on this work transfer?" ”
Geng Biao replied sincerely: "Resolutely obey orders." However, I don't know anything about diplomacy. ”
In the face of Geng Biao's down-to-earth attitude, Premier Zhou smiled and said with relief: "You can learn by doing!" Besides, didn't you lead the U.S. military observation team from Yan'an to the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region during the Anti-Japanese War? Didn't the Beiping Military Dispatch Department still deal with the representatives of the United States and Chiang? Actually, you've already been exposed to foreign affairs. ”
In this way, Geng Biao began to devote himself to the preparations for the participation of New China in the United Nations, under the leadership of Premier Zhou and Zhang Wentian, then First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, due to the United States using all possible means to obstruct it, New China was blocked from the United Nations. The first major task of Geng Biao's diplomatic career was interrupted.
In September 1950, Geng Biao was appointed as the mainland's first ambassador to Sweden, and later concurrently served as minister to Finland and Denmark. On September 10, Geng Biao led the embassy staff to Stockholm, and soon after, he was greeted by the Swedish side of the six-by-one king. On behalf of New China, Geng Biao held friendly talks with the King of Sweden.
At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, funds were limited and talent was in short supply, and the number of diplomats, diplomats and other staff members led by Geng Biao was not large. Geng Biao asked the comrades to give full play to their personal strengths and take on multiple positions. That's what he demands from others, and that's what he demands from himself.
When the only driver of the embassy was too busy, Geng Biao simply became his own driver every time he had to go out. Such an ambassador who leads by example and has no frame has been recognized by the Swedish diplomatic circles and the press, and the Swedish media called Geng Biao "a diplomat with a steering wheel."
Through driving out again and again, Geng Biao has gained a lot. He found that Sweden's special steel refining industry is developing well and selling well, and it is an important raw material for Swiss watches and German cameras, which are known for their delicacy; Finland's experience in afforestation is worth learning from; Wind power in Denmark makes efficient use of energy......
Geng Biao soon wrote a report on these advanced experiences and sent them back to China, and his reports played a great role in promoting the construction of New China, so he was praised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on many occasions.
In order to implement the materials sent back by Geng Biao into actual construction, the state first needs to import advanced equipment. At that time, the United States imposed a blockade on the mainland, and procurement was difficult. Thanks to Geng Biao's efforts to procure in Europe, the primary problem of domestic development has been solved.
In 1953, Hammarskjöld, deputy foreign minister of neutral Sweden, was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations. Geng Biao remembered that Premier Zhou had instructed him: "Strive to unite more international backbones", so he reported the news to Premier Zhou as soon as possible.
Soon after, Premier Zhou sent a telegram back instructing Geng Biao to meet with Hammarskjöld as soon as possible and strive to restore the mainland's lawful seat in the United Nations after he took office.
Geng Biao took sufficient historical information to meet Hammarskjöld. The other party proposed that there should be no reporters during the conversation, and it should not exceed half an hour. Geng Biao briefed Kazakhstan on the situation of New China and the illegality of the Kuomintang's theft of seats in the United Nations, and criticized and condemned the United States' act of obstructing New China's entry into the United Nations.
Subsequently, using the prepared historical materials, he exposed the crimes of the United States in bacteriological warfare in Korea. Soon after, Hammarskjöld exposed the crimes of American bacteriological warfare at a UN meeting.
In 1956, Geng Biao was transferred to Pakistan as ambassador. The following year, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and successively served as Ambassador to Myanmar and Albania.
Albania was the first European country to recognize the new China, so the CPC Central Committee attached great importance to it.
Since 1954, New China, which has suffered from the blockade of the United States and is in the initial stage of economic and industrial development, is not rich, but it has been providing Albania with economic and military resources, which can be said to be "responsive to needs".
After Geng Biao arrived, he discovered the problem through investigation. While black-and-white televisions are scarce in the mainland's capital, Albania has been asking the mainland for televisions, and a small agricultural community in the country has access to televisions aided by the mainland. Albania has limited land for cultivation, and the fertilizer provided by China is running out and is piled up in the ground to rot.
On the contrary, Albania's mentality of blindly comparing itself with developed countries has been encouraged by the people of the whole country to "tighten their belts" in aid of construction. Soon, Geng Biao wrote a letter to the central government to report the results of his investigation.
After Geng Biao returned to China, Li Xiannian joked to him: "Geng Biao, you are really bold enough to dare to say 'bad things' about Albania, you are the first person to put forward this kind of opinion!" ”
Chairman Mao commented on Geng Biao: "Geng Biao dares to tell the truth, reflects the real situation, and is a good ambassador."
In 1971, Geng Biao was appointed director of the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee.
Geng Biao has been resolutely obeying the party's orders all his life, and he has always adhered to the party's principles first, the party's cause first, and the people's interests first. Although he was an untitled general for half of his life, his funeral was almost at the national level. His life's merits cannot be summed up by any title, he is a model of an outstanding Communist Party member and a loyal defender of the interests of the country and the people!
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Bibliography:
2019-09-23 08:16 Source: Study Times, the "General Ambassador" of the New China's diplomatic arena
2020.11.14 Source: People's Daily Online Party History Channel, Geng Biao: The "General Ambassador" who dares to tell the truth
2000-06-30 07:55 China News Service website, Geng Biao's body was cremated in Beijing