Mao offered U.S. 10 million women

Ap via CNN ^ | 02/15/08

[Abathar]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amid a discussion of trade in 1973, Chinese leader Mao Zedong made what U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger called a novel proposition: sending tens of thousands, even 10 million, Chinese women to the United States.

"You know, China is a very poor country," Mao said, according to a document released by the State Department's historian office.

"We don't have much. What we have in excess is women. So if you want them we can give a few of those to you, some tens of thousands."

A few minutes later, Mao circled back to the offer. "Do you want our Chinese women?" he asked. "We can give you 10 million."

After Kissinger noted Mao was "improving his offer," the chairman said, "We have too many women. ... They give birth to children and our children are too many."

"It is such a novel proposition," Kissinger replied in his discussion with Mao in Beijing. "We will have to study it

[riverdawg]

Yes, and now there is a worrisome shortage of men (even though the one-child policy is no longer in effect).

[Kevmo]

bmflr

[Gay State Conservative]

And,ten years later,Castro offered us thousands and thousands and thousands of men and women (from his prisons and mental hospitals).

[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: "Most industry in China is in private hands"

Depends upon the meaning of "private hands."

"[China's] factory owners are mostly privileged children of party officials – 90 per cent of China's billionaires are the children of senior cadres – who have a reputation for spending more time in karaoke lounges than boardrooms. They are ill-equipped to act as innovators and entrepreneurs."

Is there any independently supported reason not to believe this? E.g, another news article from a more-or-less trusted source.

Yes, the early Soviets made mistakes, the ideologues terminated NEP before it was time. I think that the nepmen had quickly become almost half the Soviet economy. And of course FDI flowed in.

Deng grilled Armand Hammer for firsthand information.

[Berosus]

But don’t they have a shortage of women today, due to too many sex-selection abortions? A few years ago, I heard the male-female ration was 6/5.

[SunkenCiv]

:’) Jabob was probably a distant ancestor of Smiling Jabob...

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, it’s resulted in a 40 million surplus of men. Of course, if the 10 million women had actually been exported or whatever, the surplus would have wound up lower in the lower age ranges.

[Political Junkie Too]

Ooh... a tough choice...

72 virgins later or 10 million Chinese girls now...

-PJ

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

The Chinese have a classic fascist economy and society.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

There’s a shortage of women in China, not a shortage of men. They have kidnappings and forced marriages in the provinces. Mao probably wanted to force a women shortage on China to “encourage” young men to join the military.

[ladyjane]

No, it’s a worrisome shortage of women.

All those young men in China, with no women, and an excess of testosterone. Very dangerous.

[Clemenza]

In many ways, you are right. The governement influence is more corporatist than communist. Again, Deng and his associates were much smarter than anyone in the Soviet Union.

[riverdawg]

Yes - I meant to type “women.” The surplus of men in China is potentially very destabilizing. Historically, empires with a surplus of men have started wars of aggression to annex neighboring countries and seize the women.