Monday, 23 January

Eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Yiwei year

I woke up in the morning and my spirit seemed to be improved enough that I could go to the restaurant.

Walter Lippmann has compared the economic and diplomatic methods of the United States with the Soviet Union.  He said that the Soviet political and economic advances towards the Middle East, the Near East, as well as the backward countries of South America were that, 1) the Soviets adopted the method of exchanging goods but absolutely did not mention assistance nor attach any terms. What they demanded was neutrality. Such an attitude was certainly welcomed by the various parties. 2) The Soviets could absorb the agricultural products of the said countries. Therefore, Britain has to change its policy. What he said seems to be reasonable.

Huang Qiang wrote to me. He told me how he was getting on. In the last few years in Madagascar things have not been fine. Therefore, he thought of the old debt Liang Lipun owed him. I wrote in reply that he should not think about it as the Xinya Restaurant still owes a great deal of money. I was afraid that Liang does not have any spare capacity.

I told Shaohua the reasons why we cannot abandon the Hong Kong restaurant.