China News Agency, Beijing, February 4th, title: Guo Ping: Once served as the translator of Premier Zhou, he has gone through "Life of Roses"

  Author Liu Yueqing Zhu He

  Born in Taiwan and raised in Japan, Guo Ping, the former vice president of the All-China Taiwan Federation, returned when the motherland needed it the most, dedicating his youthful wisdom.

He communicated with Japan and connected the two sides of the strait, and he continued to write in his later years, giving full play to his talents.

On February 5, 2022, he passed away in Beijing at the age of 89.

In the eyes of his wife Chen Fumei, a well-known fashion designer of returned overseas Chinese, this "eternal patriotic boy" has gone through a "life like a rose".

  When I came to the house of Guo Ping and his wife, although the house was not big, it was very warm.

There are photos of Guo Ping when he celebrated his birthday in previous years. The certificate of commendation he obtained is placed in a prominent place in the living room. There are more than a dozen photos of them when they were young under the glass plate of the coffee table, telling visitors about Guo Ping’s extraordinary Throughout his life, it also depicts the love between the husband and wife who respect each other as guests.

  There are two desks in the living room, and the couple once each used one for office work.

While Guo Ping was writing, Chen Fumei was making clothes.

Guo Ping wrote a lot, and sometimes the paper would be placed on Chen Fumei's desk; Chen Fumei's clothes making tools would occasionally be placed on his desk, and when they found it, they looked at each other and smiled, and then continued to do what they were doing.

Chen Fumei said that they have always gotten along like they did when they were students, "they have never quarreled in their lives", and they have always helped each other.

  After Guo Ping passed away, Chen Fumei, who had reached an octogenarian age, felt that she had a tingling heart disease.

Telling the story with her husband, her tone is full of reluctance and longing.

In October 2022, Mrs. Guo Ping and Chen Fumei, a well-known fashion designer of returned overseas Chinese from Japan, were interviewed by a reporter from China News Agency in Beijing.

Photo by Li Xuefeng

"He was a true 'patriotic boy'"

  Time went back to 1953, the "October" National Day, when the Association of Chinese Students Studying in Japan was organizing a performance of the Yangko drama "Brothers and Sisters Opening up Wasteland" in Tokyo.

Chen Fumei, who was a high school student at the time, played the "sister" in the play.

After the performance, just as the actors were taking their curtain call, the audience suddenly became chaotic.

  The auditorium was crowded and noisy, leaflets were scattered on the ground, and the actors on the stage were quite frightened.

At this time, someone brought the saboteur onto the stage to calm the panic of the students. This person was Guo Ping.

"He is so brave and heroic!" The scene of the two first meeting was deeply etched in Chen Fumei's mind.

  Since then, the exchanges between them have increased.

Guo Ping has been educated in two aspects since he was a child. One is traditional Chinese culture such as Confucianism, patriotism and love for the country, etc.; the other is saving the country through science and culture.

Therefore, he became Chen Fumei's "senior" in terms of ideology and politics, and Chen Fumei helped him solve problems in life.

  As the relationship deepened, Guo Ping's image became more concrete in Chen Fumei's eyes, "He thinks hard about how to make the country stronger, and he is a real 'patriotic boy'."

For Chen Fumei, who is engaged in fashion design, he is not a magnificent artificial gemstone made of glass, but a small shiny and hard diamond.

  When studying in Japan, Guo Ping majored in international law and hoped to combine what he had learned to serve the construction of the motherland. He also took the initiative to study Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong's works.

Chen Fumei recalled that when he was dying, he said, "I am a permanent student."

  In November 1953, Guo Ping, who took on the task of escorting his compatriots back to the country, set foot on the mainland of the motherland for the first time.

During this short stay, he took off his usual woolen overcoat and put on a double-breasted Lenin suit popular in China at that time to return to Japan.

"Faith is the most beautiful." He walked in the streets of Tokyo with his head held high in a Lenin suit, and the local boys thought he was very fashionable.

  In 1956, Guo Ping, who studied at Waseda University and was already the chairman of the Association of Chinese Students Studying in Japan, received a personal letter from Liao Chengzhi, then director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of China. Call to return home.

  After reading the letter, Guo Ping, his wife and his classmates couldn't hide their joy, and they danced at the class reunion, "Talent and intelligence will come in handy, which is more important to young people than life."

At the end of December of the same year, the couple officially returned to China on the passenger ship "Xing'an Maru".

In October 1954, a visiting delegation from the Red Cross Society of China arrived in Tokyo and started a friendly visit.

The picture shows Liao Chengzhi (the third from the right in the front row), the deputy director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the State Council at that time, and Guo Ping (the first from the right in the back row), a patriotic overseas Chinese and an overseas student.

Photo provided by the interviewee

From the translation of Premier Zhou to the consul of the Consulate General in Osaka

  Guo Ping, who has just returned to China, has strong professional ability, but he has not yet adapted to the domestic working methods.

His research and reports have been evaluated as "wrong way of thinking".

Gradually, he realized that "you can't just write a paper from the perspective of a scholar."

Since then, Guo Ping's work has advanced by leaps and bounds.

  When the Japanese Fernza National Song and Dance Troupe visited China in 1963, Guo Ping served as the interpreter for Premier Zhou Enlai and was responsible for communicating the details of the reception.

At that time, the Beijing Capital Theater arranged a gala event. After the performance, Zhou Enlai, Guo Ping, Chen Fumei and other Chinese representatives got up and danced the Bon dance with the Japanese representatives on stage. Although the dance steps were slightly unfamiliar, it did not hinder the atmosphere Friendliness and joy.

  Guo Ping once expressed emotion to Chen Fumei that Premier Zhou treated Japanese friendly people with great care. He would learn about each other's food tastes in detail, present them with exquisite Chinese handicrafts, and "do everything possible to promote moderate exchanges between China and Japan."

  With his excellent work ability and familiarity with Japan, Guo Ping was seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1972 to participate in the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations. In 1978, he served as the consul of the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka, Japan, in charge of overseas Chinese affairs.

After more than 20 years, Guo Ping and his wife came to Japan as Chinese diplomats this time.

  At that time, China's development was still lagging behind. Guo Ping and Chen Fumei, who was a consular attache, hoped to use their strengths to help the motherland become stronger.

The two collected newspapers every night, made them into briefings, and then bound them into volumes. They combined the domestic problems that needed to be solved and the experiences of other countries that could be used for reference, and packed a large box.

  Guo Ping and his wife also attach great importance to economic work.

They contacted Japanese business people extensively, "determined to make up for the gap in the motherland as much as possible."

Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric, and other business celebrities were invited to the Osaka Consulate. Guo Ping negotiated business with them, and Chen Fumei acted as an interpreter. He not only invited them to invest in China, but also hoped that they could provide technical assistance and cooperation for China.

  Chen Fumei said, "Even if it is not the work that Guo Ping is in charge of, he will spare no effort in doing these things."

The picture shows that in 1994, Guo Ping (third from left) led a delegation to visit the United States, and held discussions and gatherings with Taiwanese and overseas Chinese from all walks of life in Los Angeles.

Photo provided by the interviewee

"Cross-strait relations are a family affair"

  As a compatriot in Taiwan, Guo Ping has always been committed to extensive contact and unity with Taiwan compatriots at home and abroad, whether he was a student or during his stay in Japan.

  When serving as a diplomat, Guo Ping dared to contact Taiwanese who held different political positions.

Chen Fumei has been by Guo Ping's side all the time, and has witnessed him dispelling the misunderstandings about the Chinese Communist Party one after another by his compatriots.

  After returning to China after the end of his tenure, Guo Ping was responsible for entertaining Taiwan compatriots who watched the National Day in October 1984.

Since then, he has started to work in the All-China Friendship of Taiwan Compatriots, a new organization that has not been established for three years.

  When getting along with Taiwan compatriots from Japan, Guo Ping is good at using international thinking and expressions to communicate.

Due to similar experiences and feelings, Guo Ping is very popular with overseas Taiwanese. Many Taiwanese who were reluctant to know about the mainland took the initiative to ask him about the situation.

  Coming to the National Taiwan Federation, Guo Ping is meticulous every time he receives Taiwan compatriots.

Chen Fumei remembers that before meeting, he would learn about each other's hobbies and family situation in detail, and only contact them when he was ready.

  Guo Ping insists that "cross-Strait relations are a family matter, and the family's problems should be solved together by the family, without the intervention of other countries."

Chen Fumei said that he sees himself as "a 'warrior' of the '92 Consensus'".

  After retiring, Guo Ping still continued to pay attention to the changes in Taiwan and the mainland of the motherland, kept writing, and actively made suggestions to the National Taiwan Federation and other relevant departments.

He believes that Taiwan awareness does not mean "Taiwan independence" awareness, Taiwan people have a strong sense of China; the DPP is not monolithic, it represents part of the Taiwanese public opinion and can do work.

Many suggestions have been adopted and become a reference for relevant departments to do a good job with Taiwan.

After retiring, Guo Ping also continued to pay attention to the changes in Taiwan and the mainland of the motherland, kept writing, and actively made suggestions to the National Taiwan Federation and other relevant departments.

(Photographed in 2015) Photo courtesy of the interviewee

  Chen Fumei once went to the old house of Guo Ping's ancestors on Penghu Island.

The mansion has a history of more than 100 years and is made of oyster shells mixed with mud.

"They said that this house will be handed over to the state in the future." The weather-beaten house leaked several times, but the Guo family built it again and again to keep their promises, and replaced the wooden door with an iron door.

  "Only by transforming yourself can you transform the world." Guo Ping has been learning all his life, always curious, and always passionate. He has made important contributions to the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations and the unity of Taiwan compatriots.

This "eternal patriotic boy" has turned into a star in the sky, watching the prosperity and development of the motherland.

In October 2022, Mrs. Guo Ping and Chen Fumei, a well-known fashion designer of returned overseas Chinese from Japan, were interviewed by a reporter from China News Agency in Beijing.

Photo by Li Xuefeng

  Before his death, Guo Ping once said, "Now I am La Vie en Rose, as brilliant as a rose, I like it, I am very happy, I am very happy." Hearing this, Chen Fumei hummed the French song "La Vie en Rose" for him.

(over)