Monday, 21 September

Fine

From a 11.15 to 1.30 in the afternoon I studied Russian.

I received a news telegram from the Foreign Ministry, learning that when Minister Song reported in the People’s Political Council, he mentioned how the Soviet Union helped us from the beginning of the war and the Sino-Soviet relationship in particular. He said they were based on the principle of “maintenance of relations on the basis of mutual understanding between China and the Soviet Union – China’s nearest great neighbour”. This is enough to see the Generalissimo’s and Minister Song’s sincerity and that they are eager for friendship with the Soviet Union. I am very glad about it.

Today the Soviet Union announced the truce which Britain, the Soviet Union and Finland signed in Moscow the day before yesterday. The terms were more or less the same as previously proposed by the Soviet Union. The only condition was that after the Soviet side gave up Hanko, it would, for fifty years, lease from Finland Porkkala-Oodd Regeo which is to the southwest of the Finnish capital. Overall speaking it is generous since Finland fought against the Soviet Union, and the people in Leningrad suffered so much from the Finnish soldiers. That the Soviet Government could still be so generous was not easy.

In the evening I invited Directors Litvinov, Beliaev, Petrov, Formui, and Varsikov and reporters Ying and Zhu. Secretaries and Attaché Hu accompanied them. We were all very happy. Probably people in the Soviet Foreign Office found my place the warmest. Previously their Consuls and directors got drunk. Tonight Varsikov drank too much too. The Director of Communication, Formui, and Director of the Far East, Litvinov, sang loudly and were very friendly.  Director Litvinov said he would postpone his trip to China.