A New China For the New Year

THE TRADITIONAL Chinese New Year does not fall on January 1, but that day did mark a new era for China this year. For this week's ceremonies and demonstrations both in New York and Washington heralded in more than just another year for us westerners: they also celebrated the beginning of normalization with the People's Republic of China and the official severance of diplomatic ties with "Free" China. The festivities of January 1 also offered a remarkable contrast.

At noon in New York 600 policemen in riot gear, on horseback, in helicopters and on rooftops milled above and about Chinatown. State Department officials and representatives from China's liaison office joined other Chinese, Americans and Chinese-Americans in staging a ceremony honoring normalization. Meanwhile, supporters of Taiwan stood nearby clutching furled and unfurled Taiwanese flags as they waited their turn to demonstrate later in the afternoon. At that moment things were peaceful, though confused.

Red, white and blue Nationalist flags adorned many buildings in Chinatown. Only one edifice sported the red and yellow People's Republic flag. Discounting the police, the streets and sidewalks played host to a smaller crowd than usual, while the normal bustle was muted. Most of the people out on the streets were of Chinese descent. They tended to stop and stand fairly often--to watch the police and one another.

Restaurants and shops seemed unusually empty and unusually loud. We were the only customers in Hong Wah, a seven-table restaurant on Mott Street, Chinatown's main thoroughfare. Outside there were more policemen than civilians; inside, the proprietor, waiters and friends were talking excitedly, presumably about events in the streets, though when questioned our waiter seemed non-committal as to what might occur that afternoon.

Some police officers were not so non-committal. One warned us not to stick around after 7 p.m. when he thought most of the trouble would begin, another said he expected to be home by 6 p.m. and a third expressed the general sentiment that he wished none of this was happening in the first place, that after all this was New Year's Day.

Lunch was hurried since we had a 4 1/2-hour drive to Washington ahead of us. It was 1:30 and we were shooting for a 6 o'clock reception at the Chinese Liason office where Liaison Chief Chai Tse-min and Vice President Mondale would formally celebrate normalization. Fortunately we had unwittingly stumbled into the tension of the Chinatown demonstration, a curious prelude to the evening.

The Chinese Liaison Office is located in the old Windsor Hotel, a drab yellow, undistinguished-looking building on Washington's Connecticut Avenue. We arrived late. A few policemen stood outside, unoccupied. Inside people were standing attentively, listening to Liaison Chief Chai Tse-min and his interpreter.

CHAI SPOKE a word of greeting, praised Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai for beginning negotiations, mentioned Presidents Nixon and Ford, and thanked Carter, Vance and Zbigniew Brzezinski. He added that normalization would "certainly play an active role in combatting the expansion and aggression of hegemonism and upholding peace and stability in Asia and the world." He expressed the belief that all would go well, as well as the conviction that this was a momentous and great occasion. He ended by toasting the normalization and friendship between the two countries and the health of America's leaders and his guests, at which point people clapped, drank and talked. The murmuring ceased as Vice President Mondale began to speak.

The Vice-President would first utter a few sentences, at which time the interpreter, in a high-pitched "stage" voice used specifically for audiences, would interject and translate Mondale's words into Chinese. Modale praised the President, Premier Hua Kuo-feng and Vice Premier Teng Hsiao-ping, acclaimed the establishment of diplomatic ties and said "the touchstones of this new and historic chapter in Sino-American relations are equality and realism, in contrast to the "estrangement, misunderstanding and confrontation" which have characterized so much of America's previous dealings with the Asian power. He later added that our ideological differences cannot be bridged by sentiment alone. Rather, "what has brought us together is an awareness of our parallel interests in creating a world of economic progress, stability and peace." He too then proposed a toast and the formalities ended.

The room darkened as the TV lights were switched off. People turned to chatting and eating. There were plates of hors d'oeuvres--mostly pork and shrimp--and drinks. Overhead were four painted lantern-covered light fixtures. On one wall was a mural of ethnic Chinese in native costume. Chairman Mao stood in the middle, fleshy and pink-faced in a gray collarless suit. Significantly, he towered over everyone else in the mural.

The men in the Chinese delegation, save the waiters who sported white tops and used cardboard Coca-cola boxes instead of trays, wore the same sort of suit that Mao was dressed in, with various shades of dark gray. The women wore similar gray pants with short, colored, brocade tops. They posed an interesting contrast to the other women in the room--overseas Chinese and Americans. Some of the female guests wore brightly colored satin while other donned Chinese jade; none was in pants.

Many of those invited were State Department types, journalists and stalwart Chinese and American supporters of the People's Republic. In addition to Vice President Mondale, Secretary of State Vance and Dr. Brzezinski also represented the Carter administration.

Although the guests came from many different backgrounds they all agreed that this was an "historic," "fascinating" occasion. Some even called it unexpected; they never dreamed normalization would occur in their lifetimes. Members of the Chinese delegation seemed to marvel even more; they certainly couldn't have looked any happier. Deputy Liaison Chief Han Hsu beamed as he shook hands in the reception line while the proudest-looking man had to be Liaison Chief Chai. He looked especially pleased when someone pointed to one of the three buttons pinned to his suit. In Coca-Cola script it read "things go better with science."

Thanks to normalization China's science will improve as will Sino-American relations, despite the demonstrations in New York, Taiwan, San Francisco and Washington. They are bound to, if the zeal the Chinese delegation displayed is any indication. After all, January 1 is not the Chinese New Year.