Cultural Revolution and China s Foreign Policy

Revolution was launched. The Revolutionary Committees, a new organ of power which the Cultural Revolution threw up, have now been -establish ed in as many as 21 provinces of China. The first Revolutionary Committee came into existence on January 31, 1967 in Heilungkrang province in the north-east. The latest committee, the twenty-first, was established in Szechuan province in the south-west on May 31, 1968. Five provinces, Yunnan, Fukien, Kwangsi, Tibet and Sinkiang. ara yet to get their Revolutionary Committees. But it seems that before long these provinces will also follow suit and the rather confused picture of political hierarchy in China that we now have will have been considerably cleared. In other words, the Cultural Revolution may well be drawing to a close. It may not, therefore, be too early to take stock of the situation. It is intended in this short article to examine Chinese foreign policy in this revolutionary period. How has China's leadership conducted its diplomacy during this period when a major political upheaval was taking place within the country ? It is not possible to give a completely satisfactory answer to the question. Only a tentative attempt is possible.