Chinese Servicewomen Marching towards the World Arena

On Christmas Day of 1919,the 19-year-old Cai Chang embarked at Shanghai on a French mail liner which, after crossing the Indian Ocean and the Suea Canal, entered the Mediterranean and landed at Marseilles. Thus after a 35-day journey at sea, Cai began her career of studying abroad. No one could imagine that this ordinary Hunan girl could eventually become a prominent figure in the circles of Chinese women and exercise her influence in world affairs. Whether Cai Chang herself had ever dreamt of this we don't know.But when 28 years later Cai Chang headed from the Northeast for Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia, to attend the Prague Council of the International Democratic Women's Federation, a new historic era began:for the first time the Preparatory Committee of the Women's Federation in China's liberated areas put up an appearance upon the world arena.

The International Democratic Women's Federation was established in France on Dec.1,1945 at the suggestion of women representatives from 41 states, including the Soviet Union, France, Britain and the United States. Its goal was to unite women all over the world to strive for the elimination of fascism and for world peace and democracy. The Council agreed that the Women's Federation in China's liberated areas could recommend two regular and one alternate members to the council. In April 1946, the organizations in the various liberated areas elected Cai Chang and Deng Yingchao to be regular members and Ding Ling an

alternate member. In May, the International Democratic Women's Federation invited Deng Ying chao by telegram to attend the council to be held in Paris on June 27. but Deng failed to go because of obstructions by the Kuomintang government. At the conference in 1947,Cai Chang gave a talk "titled Chinese Women Striving for Independence, Democracy and Peace".The Internaetional Women's Federation decided to send by post the full text of Cai Chang's talk to each of the American women's organizations and to send a letter to Mrs.Roosevelt and the American women's organizations to call for their support to the Chinese women in their movement for peace and democracy. From Dec.1 to Dec.6, 1948, the Second Congress of the International Democratic Women's Federation was held in Budapest, the capital of Hungary . The Chinese Women's Delegation headed by Cai Chang, taking with them pictures, diagrams and products showing the life and struggle of women in the liberated areas,participated in the congress. Members of the delegation included Zhang Qiuqin,Qu Mengjue, Li Wenyi, Ding Ling, Li Landing and 7 others. Cai Chang gave a talk titled "On the Development of Women's Democratic Movement in Asian Countries". Mrs.Gordon, Chairwoman of the International Democratic Women's Federation, praised the Chinese revolution and Chinese women again and again in her talk. She said: "Ms, Cai Chang from China is an organizer and fighter of the Women's Movement in China's liberated areas. She is a great heroine. She stands for New China, whose gradual progress is a great inspiration to us." The congress elected Cai Chang vice-chairwoman,Cai Chang, Deng Yingchao,He Xiangning and Li Dequan regular members of the council, Xu Guangping, Lu Cui and Ding Ling alternate members of the council, Cai Chang, Deng Yingchao and He Xiangning regular members of the executive committee,and Li Dequan and Lu Cui alternate members of the executive committee. The congress made the decision that in 1949 the liberated China was to hold a conference on Asian women.

In 1949,the conference was held in China as scheduled.For the first time Cai Chang and the other Chinese delegates supervised the conference as hosts in power,thus opening another historic page for the women of China, who were marching to wards the world arena in their brand new posture. By the time the Chinese service-women appeared again on the world arena, the face they put up was already apolitical.

Before us is a dazzling stage whose mercury lamps shine stingily only upon the world-class players.Even so, there is too much for the eye to feast upon in the formation where the Chinese servicewomen stand. In the front row of the servicewomen's formation are young athletes and artists who visit the world as messengers of peace and who, in the fair competitions with players of various countuies, have won one dazzling gold medal after another for the motherland and the Chinese

servicewomen. In 1963,Li Shulan broke the world women's archery record. By 1966 Li had, for 17times in succession,broken 8 world women's archery records.

In 1975,during the shooting competitions of the Third National Games, Li Yamin, Dong Xiangyi and Du Ningsheng broke respectively with the scores of 591,587 and 588 points the world women's record of shootingwith small-bore pistols. By 1978 they had for 4 times in succession broken the world record for this event in domestic and international shooting competitions.

In 1979, Ma Yanhong won the women's uneven bars championship at the 20th World Gymnastics Championships; in 1984 she won again the women's uneven bars championship of the 23rd Olympics Games.

In 1979, Gao Qing,at the women's 60-cartridge slowly accelerating shooting competition with small-bore standard pistols, broke the world record with a score of 593 points.

In 1981,Tong Ling won the women's singles title at the 36th World Table Tennis Championships.

In 1983,Shen Jianping and Dai Lili won the women's doubles title at the 37th World Table Tennis Championships.

In1985,Dai Lili and Gang Lijuan, a player from Shanghai, won again the women's Table Tennis Championships.

In 1991,Lei Li won the championship with the highest score in 65.7 kg-grade snatch and jerk at the 5th World Women's Weight Lifting Championships.

As top players of the Chinese National Team, Cao Huiying,Chen Zhaodi,Yang Xi,Yang Xilan and Li Yanjun, women players from the armed forces,won , together with other players of the National Women's Volley Ball Team, championships 5 times running respectively at the 3rd World Cup Women's Volley Ball Match in 1981, the 9th World Women's Volley Ball Championships in 1982,the 23rd Olympics Women's Volley Ball Match in 1984, the 4th World Cup Women's Volley Ball Match in 1985, and the 10th World Women's Championships in 1986.

In Oct , 1992, at the 2nd Women's Military Pentathlon Championships held by the International Military Sports Council in Switzerland, the Chinese Military Sports Delegation won the women's team title, and at the 2nd International Military Sports Competition, Shao Wenfang won the military pentathlon individual championship.

In 1993, at the World Shooting Competition, Li Duihong won the women's mobile pistol championship.

In 1994, at the International Military Sports Competition, Lu Fang and Wand Lianying won respectively the pistol individual championship and the military pentathlon individual championship.

In the same year, at the 7th World Swimming Championships,He Cihong won respectively with the scores of 1 "0"57,2 '7"40, and 4 '1"67the

women's 100-metre backstroke,200-metre backstroke and 4x100 medley relay championships. Zhou Guanbin and Yue Ying won, with the score of 7 '57"96, the 4x 200 relay championship and Shan Ying and Yue Ying won, with the score of 3 '37"91, the 4x100relay championship.

The women artists in the armed forces were the first in paying visits abroad on behalf of the state as messengers of peace. In 1960, Xu Youguang, a soprano singer of the Sing and Dance Ensemble of the General Political De-partment, paid a visit to Korean folk songs as Ar Lilang at the front of the Korean People's Army, the troops stationed at the front presented the Chinese singer with their highest honour: they conferred on her the title of "Model Fighter" and named a squad after her. The Russian songs and Mexican songs she performed also followed her footsteps to many European countries and were imprinted on the minds of the peoples there.

Zuohala Shahemayiwa was one of the first generation of minority dancers trained in the armed forces after the founding of the Republic. The dances she performed, being at once graceful, free and easy, had very strong artistic appeal. Besides, she was known for performingthe dances created by herself. In the 50's, on behalf of the cultural and artistic circles of the state and the armed forces, Zuohala, Su Shenglan and some other performers of the General Political Department paid many visits to over 20 European, Asian and African and African nations. Zuohala was awarded respectively the Ethiopian King's Gold Prize, the Polish Government's Gold Cross, the Romanian Government's Gold Star Medal ,and the Czechoslovakian Fucik Medal. In 1956,the Gauze Kerchief Dance and the Plate Dance she performed both won silver medals at the 6th World Youth Festival.

In 1958, Wang Xiaotang, a youg actress of the August First Film Studio, won the Young Performers' Prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival because of her outstanding Performance in Beaconfire in a Stockaded Border Village.

In Jan. 1990,the 13th "Tomorrow" World Acrobatics Megagame and the 4th "Future" World Acrobatics Megagame were held in Paris, France. Fifty-six items from 19 countries contended intensely. The one who won the first gold prize of the "Future" World Acrobatics Megagame-the President of the French Republic Prize-was Xiao Mili,a merely 9- year-old Chinese performer. The prize-winning item she performed was Jujitsu Turning the Blanket, the performance of which also won her the Youngest Performer Prize awarded by the Sovist "Lenin Foundation." Xiao Mili was a little performer of the Soldiers' Acrobatic Troupe of the same year, the Political Department of the Guangzhou Military Command awarded her a Citation for Merit, First Class. Premier Li Peng cordially called her "National Treasure." The ones who brought back the highest prize of the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival-the

Gold Clown Prize-were Xiao Mili's companions Chen Xiaojie and Zhu Weili. That competition was one that reflected the highest level of acrobatics and cirus in the present world. That year both of them were 12. The director and coach of the prize-winning item Carrying a Stack of Bowls on Double Parts they performed was the 45-year-old woman artist Gao Wenxiu of the Soldiers' Acrobatic Troupe of the Guangzhou Military Command. Born in an old and well-known acrobatic family, Gao began to practice art at the age of 5 and at 6 she began to perform on the stage with her family members Carrying a Stack of Bowls. At 11, she entered the Soldiers' Acrobatic Troupe of the Guangzhou Military Command with her art and pqayed the leading role in Carrying a Stack of Bowls. Later, injured as a result of carelessness, she turned into a coach instead. She transferred her artisticdream into training a new generation of artists. Carrying a Stack of Bowls on Double Parts, creatively produced by Gao Wenxiu thanks to her accumulation of many years' artistic practice, blended art , technique, enjoyment, and aesthetics into one, thus raising the item to a higher level from its traditional basis. In 1993, Gao burst into tears upon hearing the announcement of the highest-prize winner by the organizing committee of the festival.

In 1994, the "Sound of Asia" International Popular Singers' Grand Prix was held in Alamutu. Bai Xue,a young performer of the Sing and Dance Ensemble of the General Political Department, and Fan Chunmei, a young perfoumer from the Art Troupe of the Political Department of the Air Force, both won first prizes.

On the international book market, works by women writers of the Chinese armed forces also have their place. Tie Zhuwei, a woman wuiter of the Literary and Artistic Production Section of the Nanjing Military Command is known for writing full-length biographies. She has published, from a unique viewpoint and with rarely known material, The Heavier the Frost, the Stronger the Colour,One Person and One City, and completed jointly with others The Red Army Romance, Biography of Chen Yi, The Biography lf Liao Chengzhi and A Peasant Entrepreneur, all six of which are full-length biographies. The full-length documentary film Zhou Enlai, the caption of which she wrote ,had over 700 copies released both at home and abroad. The Biography of Liao Chengzhi, the title of which was written by Deng Xiaoping, will be translated into English and Japanese and distributed both at home and abroad. In Oct. 1988, Yu Jin, Tie's comrade-in-arms, brought forth Adversity, a full-length reportage, Which presents a genuine de- scription of the solemn and stirring history of the prisoners of war of the Chinese People's Volunteers druing the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. The book was published in Hongkong in 1990. Another full-length reportage written by her , Shanghai-1949: Great Collapse, presents the historical vicissitudes in politics, economy

and military affairs of China in the latter half of the 40's of the present century and the evo;ution of the decline and fall of the Kuomintang and the growth and rise of the Communist Party. In 1995, the book was also placed in the bookshelves of Hongkong.

Compared with Xiao Mili, chen Xiaojie and those like them, the 62-year-old Deng Rongxian,a research fellow of the Academy of military Medical Science, is as old as their grandmothers, and yet it was at such an advanced age that Deng Rongxian stepped in 1989 onto the WHO platform dealing with work of chemotherapy of malaria and gave a report on the various data and properties of the new anti-malaria drug- Benflumetol-which she designed and whose research and development she directed. It had a cure rate of over 95% when used to treat pernicious malaria, was easy to produce, low in price, and insignificant in the production of three wastes and in toxicity . The experts present were all astonished and all convinced. According to the WHO statistics, the yearly incidence of malaria was as high as 200 million people, of which life-endangering pernicious malaria accounted for 80%. The search for a new anti-malaria drug became, therefore, a major problem demanding prompt solution in the field of medical sciences and public health. This hard nut was cracked by the Chinese scientists. With their new anti-malaria drug-Benflumetol, Deng Rongxian and her colleagues won a first-class army-level award for achievements in science and technology and a first-class national prize for invention. People knew only that she carried away a bright pearl from the pharmaceutical crown; they were rarely aware that the process of picking the pearl was one of about 20 years' struggle, a challenge which involved innumerable failures. In this silent and monotonous process, the young girls working with her found white hairs on their heads and she herself turned from a "mainstay" in the prime of life into a white-haired and valetudinarian old lady.

On the rugged path of science, the flowers of success do not blossom earlier because its opponents are female. In this contest of human wisdom, there are mare people who put in o lot of hard work without ever smelling the fragrance of the flowers.

Long Chenghua, an army doctor at the Department of Physiotherapy of the General Hospital of the Guangzhou Military Command , and her husband Wey Zheng, di-rector of the Orthopaedical Department, devoted themselves to the study of cervical vertebra diseases from 1959 onwards, but it was not until after their retire-ment did they carry back from America the gold prize of the "Life Force" Cup Grand Prix of Papers on Traditional Medicines in the world.

Since we entered the latter half of the 20th century, the contest of world military affairs has been turning mord and more intellect-oriented as a result of high-tech development. On this

battlefield free of the smoke of gunpowder can also be seen Chinese women with yellow complexion, black eyes and long hair.

Geneva, Switzerland, March 1991. In the hall of the Spiez NC- Chemical Laboratory, people anxiously awaited the assessments of the second of comparison experiments related to international chemical disarmament. When the results were announced and the China lab report #6 ranked first, all those present cast their admiring eyes towards a reserved Chinese woman expert. She was Zhong Yuzheng, an analytical chemistry professor at the PLA Antichemical Warfare Commmand Engineering Institute under the Headquarters of the General Staff. The participants were once more surpuised at the charm and talent of Zhong when she stood on the rostrum presenting the academic paper in correct and fluent English. The experiments were organized by the Special Committee for Chemical Weapons under the United Nations Disarmament Commission. This was China's first participation. The degree of difficulty of such experiments was unusually high, and there was only one month for the whole process from opening the samples to completing reports on the experiments. A battle without firearms thus began. The Chinese delegation led by Zhong Yuzheng tackled the difficult problems involving high technology with not very advanced instruments and even with rather primitive methods. They worked day and night. Eventually a 206-page lab report in English came out of Zhong Yuzheng's typewriter and was wubmitted to the International Disarmament Commission on schedule. Thereafter, the three typical sample processing methods included in the comprehensive technical reports issued by the UN Special Committee of Chemical Disarmament were all devised by Chinese experts. In addition, some 22% of the illustrative plates were also devised by the Chinese deldgation. Participants in the meeting called for all countries to adopt China's methods as an example for future experiments, and the report of the Chinese delegation was printed in the form of booklets recommended to the other15 countries participating in the experiments. Zhong Yuzheng thus won the first battle. Afterwards, she led a delegation of Chinese chemical experts to the 3rd and then the 4th rounds of comparison experiments of international disarmament and likewise won outstanding successes.

The Chinese women military scientists began to attract special world attention. This was not only the pride of the Chinese servicewomen but also a symbol of the leap of the Chinese women as a whole.