Anecdotes of Liu Shaoqi, Wang Guangmei — Before Visiting Pakistan in 1966
In early 1966, Liu Shaoqi, along with his notorious wife Wang Guangmei, visited Pakistan as head of state. Officially, it was a state visit, but in reality, it was an opportunity for sightseeing and indulging in evil deeds. Before this trip abroad, Liu and Wang abused their power, indulging in tyranny, squandering national funds to satisfy their personal desires. The various crimes committed by them at the Friendship Company’s Foreign Personnel Service Department and elsewhere before this visit clearly show that Liu Shaoqi and Wang Guangmei were two spiritually hollow aristocrats, parasites feeding on the people’s blood and sweat, once again exposing the grotesque soul of the bourgeoisie.
Two Straw Hats on a Plane
On each trip abroad, Emperor Liu and Queen Wang would buy all kinds of fashionable items and dress up. For this trip to Pakistan, a subtropical country, they decided to bring two small straw hats. They went to the Special Crafts Department of the Friendship Company to select hats. After several choices, they picked two straw hats woven with gold thread. These hats were soft and beautiful, but Queen Wang was afraid they would hurt her scalp and ruin her peculiar hairstyle, so she came up with a nasty idea: to have the staff add a lining and ribbons made of high-quality white silk.
When they arrived in East Pakistan, they caused a scene and lost face. On their return to Urumqi, en route to West Pakistan, they suddenly discovered that the two straw hats had disappeared, probably lost at a welcoming event in East Pakistan. Losing the crown was a serious matter. Liu and Wang felt very upset, and at 11:30 p.m., they made a long-distance call from Xinjiang directly to Beijing, urgently ordering the Foreign Personnel Service Department to prepare two identical straw hats immediately.
This caused quite a fuss. Several people searched through cabinets and drawers late into the night for the gold-thread straw hats, and quickly made the lining and ribbons. Once ready, they immediately transported the hats by car to the airport. At 5 a.m. the next day, these two unusual gold-thread straw hats were flown from Beijing to Urumqi.
Liu Shaoqi’s extravagance and reckless spending of the people’s blood and sweat are no less than feudal society.
Noble Attire
It is known that Liu Guangmei, born into the bourgeoisie, was a famous “socialite” during her studies at Furen University, often dressed in bizarre clothes and frequently visiting officials’ homes. Skilled in playing the part, flirting and teasing. Over the past ten years, her bad habits only worsened. For this trip to Pakistan, she had to dress up again and buy a batch of fine clothing for the trip.
When choosing clothes, Liu “Queen” once made a notorious remark: “I am the front stage, you (referring to sales staff) are the backstage.” implying she was a prominent figure who often represented the country abroad, and the service staff should serve her unconditionally and diligently, obeying her every demand.
Wang relied on Liu Shaoqi’s power to do evil. She ordered the Foreign Personnel Service Department to display all stock and imported clothing samples on shelves for her selection. The styles of the clothes she ordered were bizarre and diverse—cheongsams, coats, shawls, etc. She insisted on Western or Hong Kong styles.
Wang Guangmei shamelessly wanted the workers to make shawls resembling those worn by Western aristocrats at banquets: outer velvet, inner black satin, with lace trim and two small basket-shaped pockets.
Wang Guangmei often boasted: an old lady once gave her a pair of floral fabric socks embroidered with the words “Imperial Palace Consort.” Isn’t her ruthless ambition clear?
Even more infuriating, to vent her bourgeois sentimentality, Wang Guangmei specifically asked a major capitalist of Friendship Company, Han ××, to tailor and carefully craft her clothes—truly a kindred spirit.
Chinese people do not wear traditional Chinese clothes but desperately pursue Hong Kong and Western styles. Liu Kesi (Liu Shaoqi) praised the reactionary film “The Secret History of the Qing Palace” and its imperialist, pro-empire, traitorous theories. Unexpectedly, Wang Guangmei’s attire also reflected this, demonstrating a long-standing trend.
An Ultra-High-End Leather Belt
Liu Shaoqi’s trips abroad required not only gold-thread straw hats to decorate his appearance but also a beautification of his waistline: an ultra-high-end belt. After searching through hundreds of Beijing stores without success, the Foreign Personnel Service Department was ordered to expedite.
Liu, accustomed to tyranny and difficult to serve, caused the department to cooperate with the Leather Research Institute to urgently design and produce the belt. They selected several excellent imported cowhides, cut the best parts for the belt material, and processed them with the latest techniques, finally producing three ultra-high-end belts. Despite the waste of manpower and imported leather, Liu Shaoqi ultimately chose one. This “political task” was considered “successfully completed.” One belt remained in storage, still unsold.
A belt costs countless blood and sweat. Liu Shaoqi’s evil deeds deserve death.
“Paris Rouge”
Wang Guangmei, this old witch, always applied heavy makeup, dressing flamboyantly and seductively, especially on this trip abroad. Once, to be a “socialite,” she had her monolid eyes double-lidded; now, to sell her flirtatious image, she painted her face yellow with rouge.
Knowing the magic of rouge, Wang hurriedly ordered the Foreign Personnel Service Department to buy two boxes of top-quality “Peony” export rouge. They sent two boxes of “Peony” rouge. Seeing it was “Peony,” she forgot her simple style from Taoyuan during the Four Cleanups Campaign, angrily saying, “This color is dull, and the smell is not fragrant.” She shamelessly asked, “Do you have French rouge?” When told no, she immediately threw a tantrum, returned the rouge, and searched for her Paris rouge.
Look! This old witch looks like a Western slave. Truly hateful.
“Beaded Handbag”
Three days before going abroad, Liu “Queen” suddenly had a whim, itching to order a “beaded handbag” entirely made of pearls, shiny and dazzling.
The department had to send specialists to buy pearls from four places. After purchase, they had to select smooth, round, uniform pearls and string them one by one. It took three days and nights, but they still couldn’t finish. Wang Guangmei was very angry and resentful.
Liu’s attire for the trip required matching accessories to show off her prestige. Whatever clothes she wore, she carried the matching handbag. There were over a dozen types. As the Queen was about to leave, she was impatient and had the service department embroider, paint, and finally embed gold plating into the handbags.
Wang Guangmei’s behavior was utterly decadent.
Liu Emperor’s Stockings
Liu Emperor’s motorcade to Karachi required full “armament,” and his favorite items were rare and unusual. This corpulent man specifically demanded long, high-quality stockings, and would get furious if they were uncomfortable.
Such stockings were very scarce on the market. The Foreign Personnel Service Department was again ordered to specially produce them. Many worked day and night for this high-end stocking. After selecting Kesi wool yarn, they sent it to Qinghe Hosiery Factory. Fourteen and a half pairs were woven. Liu’s eyes opened wide; he took five pairs immediately. One was later sold, and the remaining eight and a half pairs are still stored, ignored.
It’s likely that Liu can no longer concern himself with this matter now. He must feel great sorrow. However, dialectics of history are ruthless. Liu Shaoqi’s numerous crimes deserve death. Down with Liu Shaoqi!
Railway Red Flag, NPC’s Third Red, New North University Commune’s Friendship Company Group
Excerpt from “Railway Red Flag” May 21, 1967, pages 6-7
