Kissinger sees Mao

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33154, 19 February 1973, Page 13

Kissinger sees Mao

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) PEKING, February 18. The United States special envoy, Dr Henry Kissinger, has had an unexpected audience with the Chinese leader, Mao Tse-tung —an apparent indication that his talks on normalising Chinese-United States relations are progressing well.

The New China News Agency said that the two men had “a frank and wideranging conversation in an unconstrained atmosphere” last night. It added that Chairman Mao asked Dr Kissinger to convey his regards to President Nixon. Dr Kissinger, now on the fourth day of his present visit to China, previously met Mao just under a year ago when he attended a meeting between the Chairman and Mr Nixon during the President’s visit to Peking.

Observers said that Mao’s meeting with Dr Kissinger was a surprise gesture, as the Chinese leader usually meets only visiting Heads of State or Government leaders of countries closely allied with China.

The meeting, which took place in Mao’s residence in the western section of Peking, was a sure indication that Dr Kissinger’s current talks with Chinese leaders and officials on the international situation in the postVietnam war era and on normalising Chinese-Ameri-can relations were progressing well, the observers added. Observers said that it was likely’ a brief news film of the meeting with Mao would be broadcast by Peking television in the next day or two, as Mao’s meeting with North Vietnamese officials earlier this month was also shown on television. Dr Kissinger was accompanied to the meeting by Mr Winston Lord, a member of

; his party in Peking. On the Chinese side, apart from Mao, was the Prime Minister (Chou En-lai), who is holding most of the negotiations with Dr Kissinger, the assistant Foreign Minister (Miss Wang Hai-jung) and two interpreters.

Truant alive Police yesterday found a 14-year-old boy once thought to be among the 21 victims of a fire , that ravaged a Paris school nearly two weeks ago —he had played truant and was too frightened to return home.—Paris, Feb. 18.