154 { China’s Quest
Washington, London, and Moscow. In effect, Moscow was choosing nuclear
cooperation with Washington over nuclear cooperation with the PRC.
Beijing saw Moscow’s cancellation of the 1957 nuclear technology agree-
ment with China as a Soviet “gift” to Washington opening the way to Soviet
“peaceful coexistence” with the United States, although Beijing would not
make this view public until several years later. When the reciprocal state vis-
its by Khrushchev and Eisenhower were announced, Hong qi, the theoretical
journal of the CCP, gave a detailed exposition of why “peaceful coexistence”
with imperialism was impossible. A reduction of tension with imperialism
might be possible, but that would only benefit imperialism itself.^13 Te n s i o n
benefited the efforts of the anti-imperialist forces to mobilize the masses. On
September 16, 1959, Khrushchev arrived in the United States for a two-week
visit at the invitation of President Eisenhower. This was the first-ever visit by
a top Soviet leader to the United States.^14 The only previous time an invitation
for such a visit had been issued was in November 1946 by Truman to Stalin.
The very day Khrushchev arrived in the United States, Hong qi attacked those
who mistakenly believed that US imperialism would “lay down the butcher
knife and become Buddha.” The only effective way to deal with US imperi-
alism was by repeated face-to-face struggle until it was completely defeated.
As scholar Donald Zagoria pointed out, the crux of the CCP’s thinly veiled
criticism of Khrushchev’s US policy was that it was undermining the revolu-
tionary struggle of the people throughout the world. US aggression was still
running wild, but Khrushchev was proposing that the socialist camp respond
to US aggression with negotiation.
Khrushchev’s visit was very well received by American people across the
country. Most Americans welcomed the easing of Cold War tension, and
many fondly remembered the still-recent wartime alliance against Nazi
Germany. There was popular hope for a revival of Soviet-American friend-
ship. Khrushchev basked in that warm and enthusiastic reception, and saw his
visit as a major diplomatic accomplishment opening a new era in Soviet-US
relations. After two weeks of travel filled with often highly emotional (and
generally positive) meetings with American leaders and ordinary citizens,
Khrushchev flew back to Moscow and then directly on to Beijing to attend
the PRC’s tenth National Day celebrations on October 1. The next day there
was a long discussion between Mao and Khrushchev.^15
The October 2, 1959, session was the mirror image of the fiery July 22, 1958,
meeting between Mao and Khrushchev. In 1958, it had been Mao who pro-
voked his counterpart. This time it was Khrushchev, inspired perhaps by his
recent success in America, who was provocative and needled Mao about his
shortcomings. Khrushchev raised the matter of five American citizens being
held in Chinese prisons at the beginning of the talks and then returned re-
peatedly to it.^16 Eisenhower had brought this issue up with Khrushchev and
asked him to raise it in Beijing during his upcoming visit there, Khrushchev