A couple of years ago, redacted notes of negotiations Mao Zedong had with Henry Kissinger in 1973 were released, and they highlighted an amusing exchange between the supreme leader of China and the great statesman.
Noting that China was a poor country with little to offer, the Chairman suggested that he could ship over Chinese women. First, he suggested sending thousands of women, but after some thought came up with a figure of 10 million.
His reasoning was as follows:
Let them go to your place. They will create disasters. That way you can lessen our burdens.
Do you want our Chinese women? We can give you ten million. By doing so we can let them flood your country with disaster and therefore impair your interests. In our country we have too many women, and they have a way of doing things…
The talks continued for some time, and Mao kept bringing up the subject of women and the troubles they were causing for China. One of his aides suggested that the public would be upset if the offer were made public, but the elderly Chairman, hinting at his mortality, said: “I’m not afraid of anything. Anyway, God has sent me an invitation.”
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