Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes an unknown archival document issued by the Central State Archive (fund of the former Central Committee of the ALP) which contains the minutes with the initials “Top secret” of the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the ALP- of July 11, 1978, where under the leadership of Enver Hoxha was approved the letter to be sent to the People’s Republic of China, in response to the note of protest that the Chinese government had sent to the Albanian embassy in Beijing on July 7 of that year, where he announced the termination of all aid and loans to Albania. All the discussions held at that meeting regarding the senior leadership of the People’s Republic of China, which only a few days later, on July 28 of that year, withdrew all its specialists from Albania, ending the close friendship. which had characterized the two communist countries for a quarter of a century.
That note of protest, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China submitted to the Albanian Embassy in Beijing on July 7, 1978, marked the end of the “honeymoon” and the long friendship of nearly two decades that had existed between the two communist countries. With that eight-point note, which the head of Chinese diplomacy handed over to the Albanian ambassador Behar Shtylla that hot July day, it was announced that the great Asian communist state, led by Mao Zedong, was cutting off all aid it had accorded to Albania, both in the economic and military fields, and also attracted all its specialists from the small communist country of the Balkans, which for years he had regarded as his greatest friend. But how was that note of the Chinese government received in official Tirana and was the Albanian government aware of what was being prepared in Beijing? For all these and other unknown facts, for the official relations between Tirana and Beijing, we know the top secret minutes of the meeting of the Politburo of July 11, 1978, chaired by Enver Hoxha, a document which is published for the first time. first. Also, in this article, we are publishing for the first time the letter sent to Enver Hoxha by the Secretary of the Central Committee of the ALP, Hysni Kapo, who for health reasons did not participate in the meeting of the Politburo.
Minutes “Top secret” of the meeting of the Politburo dt. July 11, 1978
Albanian Labor Party
Central Committee
General Sector Top secret
Minutes held at the meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee on July 11, 1978
The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the ALP in its extraordinary meeting of dt. July 11, 1978 considered the note of July 7 that the Chinese government has addressed to our government announcing the cutting of all loans and economic and military aid and the withdrawal of all specialists. The meeting was opened by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the PPSh, Comrade Enver Hoxha. Assisted members and candidates of the Politburo, comrades: Adil Çarçani, Hekuran Isai, Kadri Hazbiu, Manush Myftiu, Mehmet Shehu, Ramiz Alia, Rita Marko, Spiro Koleka, Lenka Çuko, Llambi Gegprifti, Pilo Peristeri, Qirjakf Mihali and Simon. The secretary of KQPPSH, comrade Prokop Murra also participated in this meeting.
COMRADE ENVER HOXHA: We are holding this meeting of the Politburo in order to review the latest note sent to us by the Chinese Government, through which it informs us about the cut of economic and military aid that has been granted to us by them, in based on the agreement we concluded between our two countries in 1975, leaves us in the middle of all the unfinished works and removes all the specialists. All our friends have read this note, so we have gathered to exchange views on this and to outline our position that we should take, as well as to define our tasks for the future. We can start with discussions, who has the floor.
COMRADE SPIRO KOLEKA: This measure that the Chinese Government is taking is not a surprise to us. We expected that with their attitudes they would go out there and of course they went out there, to wait for all our help. Of course, this attitude of theirs is similar to the attitude of the Soviet revisionists towards our country, who, in order to justify their attitude, tried to find all kinds of excuses to leave us in charge, as all revisionists have done. and so would the Chinese revisionists, even worse, because they have a face and a purpose. I think we need to take a firm stand. They sent us the government note and we will respond. Our response must be dignified as we have always given it. But, of course, we will maintain state relations. What kind of state relations will we have with them afterwards? They will maintain these relations as the Czechs, etc. We do not care much how they will maintain these relations, but we should not be the ones to expect state-to-state relations. This pressure and this blackmail that the Chinese revisionists are doing towards us, has no place to stand, but we have never submitted to them, they have never scared us, but we have stood by them properly. We have never traded with principles. Therefore the responsibility for all this lies with them. Of course, these actions of Chinese leaders have consequences that will cause great damage to our economy. This is a sabotage made to bring us to our knees, but they will never achieve it, for others have not achieved it either.
COMRADE ENVER HOXHA: Let us also point out that it is you who have made a subversive effort for us to make a military alliance with Titoism and Romania, so that the traitors of our country leave the gates of entry into Albania of the Soviet fleet open. , to occupy our country, which would endanger the people of Yugoslavia, the Greek people, etc., but we have kicked all these proposals of yours. To emphasize that we can never allow the Balkans to turn into a powder keg, etc. You are currently trying to create a situation in the Balkans to the detriment of the people of this area with the policy you are pursuing, therefore those who make your policy will be severely punished by these peoples. We have long stated that we will always stand by the people of Yugoslavia and Greece to defend their sovereignty, if they are to be attacked from any side. To put an end to the idea that we warn all those who are getting into the intrigues of the Chinese against the Albanian people, that socialist Albania and all Albanians everywhere as a single body will oppose them and emerge victorious against them, should we put this on the note now, or should we put it when Hua Kuo Feni comes to Yugoslavia? However, these are all ideas that we will look at one by one carefully and decide which ones to put on now and which ones to save for later.
COMRADE MEHMET SHEHU: In this note we put all those issues that are raised in the Chinese note, because we will have other cases I think, to preserve all our indisputable arguments.
COMRADE ENVER HOXHA: That’s right, we should not throw all our arguments at once in this note. I agree with the opinion that the comrades said that neither the “Political Diary on China” nor the other book “Imperialism and Revolution” could be published now, although in our controversy against the Chinese some of the materials dealt with in these two volumes may be used. But why not publish now? Because the work of our Party has caused China to be unmasked and now we are really throwing an even bigger cap based on indisputable arguments and facts and thus strengthening the international and revolutionary positions of our Party and Republic in the world. But, if we always talk about everything, as we have said the other time, if we talk now against Mao Zedong, there are still many people in the world who will not understand our position. Therefore, in no way should we create difficulties for ourselves, we should not give cause in the international opinion to pour water on the Party and our people and people should say: “I am coming out, what do these Albanians say, that Mao Zedong Duni is like that, because the whole world knows that Mao Zedong is a man heard for wisdom ”etc. But when we throw these things little by little and gradually, the positions of the Party and our people in the world will be strengthened.
COMRADE MEHMET SHEHU: If this is done it will be in favor of the Chinese and people will continue to look at Mao Zedong with sympathy. Such an approach to the issue, creates the opportunity to speak in favor of Mao. Documents will later emerge, such as letters on the borders of the Soviet Union, which will crush the person of Mao Zedong.
COMRADE ENVER HOXHA: Our letter talks about the Soviet Union and Europe, why Mao Zedong envisioned reviewing the borders of all European countries, while the letter we sent to the Chinese refutes Mao this view. That’s why we all agree to respond to the Chinese note, which should become a bit applied and serious. The trend seems that so far the Chinese still want to keep its content secret. Ramiz made me a proposal, which may be right and we can anticipate it, I think, i.e. let us first make an official announcement of the note sent to us by the Chinese, that others will immediately begin to speak, and will begin to speculate and say so and so, to prepare in one word the opinion according to their line. The Yugoslavs will no doubt start talking as well.
COMRADE MEHMET SHEHU: We can make a brief announcement in the press, where we can say that this and that has happened.
COMRADE ENVER HOXHA: I also agree, as Ramiz thinks, to make known to the public the issue that the Chinese have sent us a note, in which they unilaterally inform us that they are cutting economic and military aid to our country. and will withdraw their specialists from us. It should be noted in this notice that for all these we take appropriate measures.
COMRADE MEHMET SHEHU: Can we make this announcement through ATSH or make an announcement through the Albanian Government?
COMRADE ENVER HOXHA: I think it should be done through ATSH, then, later, it can be done through the Albanian government, when we submit the note from our Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I agree with another proposal, to make a letter to inform the Party on these issues, but not long, a concise letter, that the Party is aware of these issues. Now we have the problem of the tasks that come to us to return to these new situations that are being performed. We will overcome this difficult situation, comrades, just as we have overcome other even more difficult situations, when we were still weaker in all directions, and now we are much stronger and in steely unity with the people in all directions, that we are constantly vigilant and our defense is getting stronger and stronger, our economy has moved, is moving and we are confident that it will move even better in the future. But of course these are difficult situations, which we must take a good look at and make every effort to overcome. Then we’re done, I’m continuing the holidays, so goodbye. You too take vacations all in a row.
COMRADE MEHMET SHEHU: Slowly we will arrange the holidays, comrade Enver.
COMRADE ENVER HOXHA: Then I wish you all a happy holiday! Long live the Party!
(Head of the General Sector of the Central Committee, Pandi Dini)
Hysni Kapos’s letter: Comrade Enver, to remove the espionage center from Tirana from the Chinese
Dear friend Enver. Today I carefully read the radiogram sent to us by Behari from Beijing, where it is about the long note of 8 pages that the Chinese have submitted to our Government.
The Chinese traitors took the step that was not unexpected for us. They announce that they are waiting for all the economic and military aid signed according to the agreement between the two countries, attracting all economic and military specialists.
In other words, they thus violated all agreements and put an end to any kind of relationship between the two countries. Only they want us to keep in Albania the espionage center, their embassy, ostensibly trade representatives, Hsinua, military attaché, etc.
I calmly welcomed this hostile act of the Chinese towards the Party, the people and our country.
But we, knowing well the enemies and their intentions, nothing shakes us from the Marxist-Leninist attitude that our Party has held and still holds and from the great struggle that it waged and will have to wage on an international scale for the protection of Marxism. Leninism, to expose Chinese traitors to the world, from Mao Zedong to the gang of Hua Kuo Fen and Ten Hsia Pin.
You judge for yourself when and how to respond to this hostile step taken by the Chinese with the note they submitted, but I think we should do worse than we did to Khrushchev and his gang, so that not only the Chinese but the whole world that there is no joke with Albania. Even for the espionage center that the Chinese seek to maintain in Albania with those hundreds of employees of the embassy and the representation they have, from the attachés to the representatives of HSINUA and the employees who are in Radio, I think we should give them a good lesson.
Putting the Chinese in their rightful place, side by side with the United States of America and Soviet social-imperialism, the time when we will take this step, you know better, when it will be most beneficial to us .
I, dear friend Enver, expressing these thoughts, which you judge better than anyone if they are right, I wrote them with a lot of composure and they have not brought me any concern, which is also confirmed by the immune system.
So I am very calm and although I am not allowed to move, I feel very strong and with unwavering confidence in our beloved party and its lessons, in you personally and in your lessons that arm us every day and more than how to work and how to fight for the people of our homeland, for the party and its great cause, for the defense and triumph of Marxism-Leninism, for the unmasking and defeat of all enemies of any color of our people and country, as well as all the enemies of Marxism-Leninism be they imperialists, revisionists, renegades and traitors, including the Chinese traitors.
With much respect and love, Hysni Kapo
Memorie.al
