Eric's Beijing Diary

It is supposed to be the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Went with a group of students again to the Hunan restaurant on the West Side, which has still managed to survive the bull dozers. Over a meal of pig's head, bamboo, and mushrooms, we somehow got into a discussion of China's ancient history. I told the students that I had a lot of trouble trying to understand the ancient history of China, because there isn't as much stuff available in English.

A little later, I was at the coffee bar, and somehow got into a discussion with some students from Post and Telecoms about Mao. One of them had seen the book I was reading, and wanted to know how Americans view Mao. Quite a number of people have asked me this question since I have been in China. I usually tell them that Mao is viewed as a dark figure by Americans. Deng Xiao-ping is different. He visited America, was very friendly, and managed to enhance Chinese--American friendship considerably. But Mao is still viewed very negatively, mainly because of how he treated his own people. Opinions about Mao in China itself are much more dynamic. I have heard every possible variety of opinion. Generally undergraduate students are more adoring of Mao as a "great leader" than graduate students. Still, it never ceases to amaze me how many professional people will try to argue that the progress seen in China today is really a modification of Mao's principles.