during Bush's tenure there, three solo appearances and a final junket accompanied by
Ford. On October 19, 1975, Kissinger arrived in Beijing to prepare for Ford's visit, set for
December. There were talks between Kissinger and Deng Xiao-ping, with Bush, Habib,
Winston Lord and Foreign Minister Qiao taking part. It was during this visit that, Bush
would have us believe, that he had his first face to face meeting with Mao Tse Tung, the
leader of a communist revolution which had claimed the lives of some 100,000,000
Chinese since the end of the Second World War.
Mao, one of the greatest monsters of the twentieth century, was 81 years old at that time.
He was in very bad health; when he opened his mouth to meet Kissinger, "only guttural
noises emerged." Mao's study contained tables covered with tubes and medical apparatus,
and a small oxygen tank. Mao was unable to speak coherently, but had to write Chinese
characters and an occasional word in English on a note pad which he showed to his
interpreters. Kissinger inquired as to Mao's health. Mao pointed to his head saying, "This
part works well. I can eat and sleep." Then Mao tapped his legs: "These parts do not work
well. They are not strong when I walk. I also have some trouble with my lungs. In a
word, I am not well. I am a showcase for visitors, " Mao summed up. The croaking,
guttural voice continued: "I am going to heaven soon. I have already received an
invitation from God."
If Mao was a basso profondo of guttural croaking, then Kissinger was at least a bass-
baritone: "Don't accept it too soon," he replied. "I accept the orders of the Doctor," wrote
Mao on his note pad. Mao at this point had slightly less than a year to live. Bush provided
counterpoint to these lower registers with his own whining tenor.
Bush was much impressed by Mao's rustic background and repertiore of Chinese
barnyard expressions. Referring to a certain problem in Sino-American relations, Mao
dismissed it as no more important than a "fang go pi," no more important than a dog fart.
Bush has always had a strange fascination for scatological references, which is probably
rooted amid the taboos of his clenched Anglo-Saxon family background, where the boys
never heard their father fart. We have seen Bush's obsessive recounting of LBJ's much-
told "chicken shit" anecdote about the House of Representatives.
Mao went on, commenting about US military superiority, and then saying: "God blesses
you, not us. God does not like us because I am a militant warlord, also a Communist. No,
he doesn't like me. He likes you three." Mao pointed to Kissinger, Bush, and Winston
Lord. Towards the end of the encounter, this lugubrious monster singled out Bush for
special attention. Mao turned to Winston Lord. "This ambassador," said Mao while
gesturing towards Bush, "is in a plight. Why don't you come visit ?" "I would be
honored," Bush replied according to his own account, "but I'm afraid you're very busy."
"Oh, I'm not busy," said Mao."I don't look after internal affairs. I only read the
international news. You should really come visit."
Bush claims [fn 17] that he never accepted Chairman Mao's invitation to come around for
private talks. Bush says that he was convinced by members of his own staff that Mao did
not really mean to invite him, but was only being polite. Was Bush really so reticent, or is