China: Peking Puzzles

There he was, apparently hale, saying nothing but acknowledging with a wave the cheers of the 500,000 celebrators jammed into Peking's Tien-anmen Square for Communist China's 20th anniversary. To the solemn strains of The East Is Red, Chairman Mao Tse-tung made his first public appearance in 4½ months, confounding reports from Moscow that he had suffered a serious stroke. Japanese newsmen and British diplomats emphasized that, at 75, he seemed in excellent health. For the time being, that put to rest doubts about whether Mao was still around—except among Moscow sources, who...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!