Archives detailing major developments in foreign affairs between 1960 and 1965, a tumultuous time for China’s external relations, were made public on Wednesday.
Amid acute ideological differences between China and the former Soviet Union during the early 1960s, China on one hand managed to help the former Soviet Union transport aid to Vietnam during the latter’s war against the US, while solving disputes with the Soviets on the other.
Why the Chinese side suddenly ceased fire in the China-India border war in late 1962 and how it repatriated Indian prisoners of war and military spies soon after are also revealed for the first time.
And the above is just a sample of information from more than 41,000 historical archives declassified yesterday by the archives bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This has been an ongoing project since 2004, and the report states another set of records dealing with the period from 1965-1977 is currently being prepared. That should be interesting: Cultural Revolution, Vietnam War, Ping Pong diplomacy, and the opening of the PRC to the world.
It’s always a good sign when a government allows scholars the access necessary to carry out historical research. Hopefully, the Chinese government will carry on with this spirit of openness and allow access to more records and materials related to China’s domestic situation during these years as well.