Xiao Qian
Encyclopedia
Xiao Qian alias Nuoping (若萍) (27 January 1910 – 11 February 1999) was a famous essayist, editor, journalist and translator from China. His life spanned the country before and after the establishment of the People's Republic of China
.
, China
. His civil name was Xiao Bingqian (萧秉乾[蕭秉乾], Xiāo Bíngqián). He was born into a sinicized Mongolian
family. The father died before his birth, leaving only his mother to bring him up. His mother died when he was seven, and he was sent to live with his cousins.
(中国共产主义青年团[中國共產主義青年團], Zhōngguó Gòngchǎn Zhǔyì Qīngniántuán).
In 1931 Xiao enrolled Furen University (辅仁大学[輔仁大學], Fǔrén Dàxué). Together with an American youth William Allen he published a magazine in English China in Brief (《中国简报》[《中國簡報》], Zhōngguó Jiǎnbào). It presented works of famous authors such as Lǔ Xùn
(鲁迅), Máo Dùn
(茅盾), Guo Moruo
, Wen Yiduo
and Yu Dafu
. Due to insufficient funding the magazine ended after eight issues, but it influenced the foreign readers in Beijing. In this period he became a student of Shen Congwen
(沈从文[沈從文], Shěn Cóngwén), who greatly influenced Xiao's early writings.
In 1933 Xiao entered the Faculty of English in Yenching University
and in autumn of the same year he switched to the Faculty of Journalism
. His teacher was an American journalist Edgar Snow
. Snow encouraged him to use various literary techniques in journalistic reporting, which became characteristic to Xiao's writing. He graduated in June 1936 and continued the studies as a postgraduate student at Cambridge University
. Soon after he became a lecturer at University College London
.
to work as an instructor in modern Chinese language for the School of Oriential and African Studies (SOAS) http://www.soas.ac.uk/ in London. SOAS was moved to Cambridge when Germany began the devastating bombing campaign Blitz
.
Xiao Qian was politically active and made regular speeches for the China Campaign Committee, a left-wing group which campaigned against the Japanese occupation in China.
. They had an extramarital son born in 1948. Xiao tried to get a divorce, but Wang opposed it and as a result Xiao Qian left China for England.
In 1954, Xiao married his fourth wife, Wen Jieruo (文洁若[文潔若], Wén Jiéruò) http://www.people.com.cn/GB/wenhua/27296/2140865.html. They had two sons and a daughter. On 30 January 1955 the daughter Xiao Lizi (萧荔子[蕭荔子], Xiāo Lìzi) was born.
Xiao's older sister and a good friend Bing Xin
mentioned that a lack of love in his childhood made him an amorous man.
(1966–1976) Xiao Qian was regarded by the Communist Party of China
as a member of the Right Wing (右派, Yòupài) and was banished to the countryside. In 1968 he tried to commit suicide. In 1978 he received a redress as one of the mishandled cases.
In 1999 Xiao Qian died at the age of 90 of myocardial infarction
and renal failure
in Beijing.
Instead of simply reporting the facts, Xiao describes the scenes in a vivid way. Many people were moved by his articles and this stirred up public debate over the state of Chinese society and China's internal problems.
The early reports are considered of great historical value by the academic community in China and are currently in the care of the Chinese Literature Society. Most of Xiao's featured reports were based on first hand experience from the front line. He selected scenes that he believed would reflect society at that time. He also used contour line
drawings to vividly depict events, display emotions, and illustrate the story for the reader. His work acts like a camera, capturing moments of real life. Not only did his reports offer insights into the harsh realities of the time, they also reflected his deep sentiments toward his country and its people.
and Western Europe
:
These works were mostly concerned with the day to day life of ordinary English citizens. They contained an analysis or speculation about political and military matters. While he was impressed by the determination of the English to defeat Germany
, he also observed their negative cultural traits.
and Taiwan
shortly after. The work was awarded the "Chinese Book Prize" (中国图书奖[中國圖書獎], Zhōngguó tú shū jiǎng) as early as in 1993.
Though Xiao wrote no more than 20 essays, they played a very important role in the development of Chinese essay history. All his works were published under the name of "Tatamulin", an exiled Latvian
merchant, between the years 1946 and 1948. His essays were satirical and often contained criticisms of contemporary political issues at that time.
His essays also include a considerable amount of poetry which express his strong feelings toward China at that time. The sole purpose of all his essays was to end the political dictatorship of the Nationalist Party
in China, and thus promote a peaceful, democratic Utopia. His magnum opus is "Long talk by red hair" (红毛长谈[紅毛長談], hóngmáo chángtán). In the polarised political climate of that time in China, his two essays — “Ease, tolerance & personnel work" (放心、容忍、人事工作, fàngxīn, róngrěn, rénshì gōngzuò) and "Why do people's presses become the government offices?" (人民的出版社为甚么变成衙门[人民的出版社為甚麼變成衙門],rénmín dí chūbǎnshè wèi shénme biàn chéng yámén) — caused him to be labelled a rightist in 1957.
, Stephen Leacock
and Henrik Ibsen
. These were widely published in mainland China and Taiwan.
In 1990, as invited by Nanjing
YiLin Publication (南京译林出版社[南京譯林出版社],Nánjīng Yìlín chūbǎnshè), he translated Ulysses
(尤利西斯)
by James Joyce
(詹姆斯·乔伊斯) into Mandarin, assisted by his wife Wen Jieruo, who was fluent in both English and Japanese. When the book was released in 1994, it became a surprise best-seller in China. Because of this, he received the Caihong Translation Prize (彩虹翻译奖[彩虹翻譯獎],cǎi hóng fānyìjiǎng) and the Best Foreign Literature Book-First Class (全国优秀外国文学图书一等奖[全國優秀外國文學圖書一等獎],quán guó yōu xiù wài guó wén xué tú shū yī děng jiǎng).
The English-based magazine "The Economist
" complimented his work as being The Odyssey in China.
Xiao strongly believed that the truth is what moves people, and his writings often encouraged his readers to come to their own conclusions. His writings Lu Xi Liu Ming Tu (《鲁西流民图》[《魯西流民圖》],Lǔxī liú mín tú) and Lin Yan Fa Ru Yu (《林炎发入狱》[《林炎發入獄》],Lín yánfā rù yù) best illustrate his beliefs.
's Takung Pao (《大公报》[《大公報》], Dà gōng bào), where he published his early writings including his first novel, as an editor for "Literary arts" (《文艺》版[《文藝》版], wén yì bǎn). In 1936, he moved to Shanghai
to prepare for the publication of Shanghai's Takung Pao. Then in 1938, when full-scale war against the Japanese broke out in China, Xiao was offered a job by the Takung Pao in Hong Kong
to work as an editor and journalist.
Later in 1939, he traveled to London
, United Kingdom
, and continued his job as a journalist for Takung Pao until 1946. While the British took part in the Second World War, he gave up his place at the University of Cambridge
in 1944, and became the only Chinese war correspondent in Western Europe
.
As WWII came to an end, he produced a number of reportages such as "Symphony of Contradictions," "Bloody September" and "London under Silver Kites", which all reflected the (often harsh) reality during wartime. Thereafter, he worked for several newspaper companies such as the English version of People's China (《人民中国》[《人民中國》], Rénmín Zhōngguó).
While being a journalist in the WWII, Xiao entered Rhine with the 7th troop of the Allied Forces. When the Allied Forces entered Berlin
, Xiao was one of the very first journalists who entered the city. He attended and collected news from the Potsdam Conference
in July 1945, which was one of the most significant conferences marking the end of the WWII.
In May 1945, Xiao gained fame after writing a piece of exclusive news about Molotov
(莫托洛夫) inviting Song Ziwen (宋子文, Sòng Zǐwén) to sign the "Sino-Soviet treaty of mutual non-aggression" (中苏互不侵犯条约[中蘇互不侵犯條約],Zhōng Sū hù bù qīnfàn tiáoyuē) during his trip to San Francisco while doing reports on the United Nations
Conference. He was also involved in the reporting of the trials of Nazis
in Nuremberg
, Germany
.
Memorial Meeting. The event was organized by the English PEN Club. The two became very close friends and often exchanged letters. They disagreed with each other over the issue of homosexuality
(Xiao was opposed to legalization).
The friendship, however, did not last. Xiao, fearing for the safety of his family during the Cultural Revolution
, destroyed all the letters he had received from Forster and asked Forster not to contact him again. Because Forster might have assumed that Xiao was ignoring him, he burned some of the letters he had kept as a memento of their friendship.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Early years
Xiao was born on 27 January 1910 in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. His civil name was Xiao Bingqian (萧秉乾[蕭秉乾], Xiāo Bíngqián). He was born into a sinicized Mongolian
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
family. The father died before his birth, leaving only his mother to bring him up. His mother died when he was seven, and he was sent to live with his cousins.
School days
In 1917, at the age of 7, Xiao entered the Chong Shi School (崇实小学[崇實小學], Chóngshí Xiǎoxué). It was a church school run by European missionaries. He took up part-time jobs to pay the tuition fees (e.g. weaving Turkish rugs, delivering milk and mimeographing lecture notes in the school administration office). He worked in the morning and studied in the afternoon. In summer 1924, about half a year before completing junior middle school, he worked as a trainee in Beixin Press bookstore. This sparked his interest in literature. In the same year he joined the Communist Youth LeagueCommunist Youth League
The Communist Youth League of China also known as the China Youth League is a youth movement of the People's Republic of China for youth between the ages of fourteen and twenty-eight, run by Communist Party of China. The league is organized on the party pattern. Its leader is its First Secretary...
(中国共产主义青年团[中國共產主義青年團], Zhōngguó Gòngchǎn Zhǔyì Qīngniántuán).
In 1931 Xiao enrolled Furen University (辅仁大学[輔仁大學], Fǔrén Dàxué). Together with an American youth William Allen he published a magazine in English China in Brief (《中国简报》[《中國簡報》], Zhōngguó Jiǎnbào). It presented works of famous authors such as Lǔ Xùn
Lu Xun
Lu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren , one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the leading figure of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
(鲁迅), Máo Dùn
Mao Dun
Mao Dun was the pen name of Shen Dehong , a 20th century Chinese novelist, cultural critic, and journalist. He was also the Minister of Culture of China from 1949 to 1965. He is currently renowned as one of the best realist novelists in the history of modern China...
(茅盾), Guo Moruo
Guo Moruo
Guo Moruo , courtesy name Dingtang , was a Chinese author, poet, historian, archaeologist, and government official from Sichuan, China.-Family history:Guo, originally named Guo Kaizhen, was born on November 10 or 16, in the small town of Shawan...
, Wen Yiduo
Wen Yiduo
Wen Yiduo , born Wén Jiāhuá , courtesy names Yǒusān , Youshan , was a Chinese poet and scholar.-Biography:Wen was born in Xishui County, Hubei. After receiving a traditional education he went on to continue studying at the Tsinghua University. In 1922, he traveled to the United States to study fine...
and Yu Dafu
Yu Dafu
Yu Dafu . Born in Fuyang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, was a modern Chinese short story writer and poet.-Early years:...
. Due to insufficient funding the magazine ended after eight issues, but it influenced the foreign readers in Beijing. In this period he became a student of Shen Congwen
Shen Congwen
Shen Congwen was the pen name of a Miao Chinese writer from the May Fourth Movement. He was known for combining the vernacular style of writing with classical Chinese writing techniques, and his writing also reflects a strong influence from western literature. He was born as Shen Yuehuan on 1902...
(沈从文[沈從文], Shěn Cóngwén), who greatly influenced Xiao's early writings.
In 1933 Xiao entered the Faculty of English in Yenching University
Yenching University
Yenching University was a university in Beijing, China. It integrated three Christian colleges in the city in 1919. Yenching is an alternative name of Beijing - derived from its status as capital of Yan state, one of the seven Warring States from 5th century BC to 3rd century BC.The university...
and in autumn of the same year he switched to the Faculty of Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. His teacher was an American journalist Edgar Snow
Edgar Snow
Edgar P. Snow was an American journalist known for his books and articles on Communism in China and the Chinese Communist revolution...
. Snow encouraged him to use various literary techniques in journalistic reporting, which became characteristic to Xiao's writing. He graduated in June 1936 and continued the studies as a postgraduate student at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. Soon after he became a lecturer at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Life in England
In 1939, at the age of 28, Xiao Qian returned to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to work as an instructor in modern Chinese language for the School of Oriential and African Studies (SOAS) http://www.soas.ac.uk/ in London. SOAS was moved to Cambridge when Germany began the devastating bombing campaign Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
.
Xiao Qian was politically active and made regular speeches for the China Campaign Committee, a left-wing group which campaigned against the Japanese occupation in China.
Marriage and family
He married four times. In 1936 he met his first wife Wang Shucang while working on the Shanghai edition of the Takung Pao. The couple only stayed together for two years before he fell in love with another woman during his stay in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. They had an extramarital son born in 1948. Xiao tried to get a divorce, but Wang opposed it and as a result Xiao Qian left China for England.
In 1954, Xiao married his fourth wife, Wen Jieruo (文洁若[文潔若], Wén Jiéruò) http://www.people.com.cn/GB/wenhua/27296/2140865.html. They had two sons and a daughter. On 30 January 1955 the daughter Xiao Lizi (萧荔子[蕭荔子], Xiāo Lìzi) was born.
Xiao's older sister and a good friend Bing Xin
Bing Xin
Bingxin was one of the most prolific and esteemed Chinese writers of the 20th Century. Many of her works were written for young readers...
mentioned that a lack of love in his childhood made him an amorous man.
Later years
During the Cultural RevolutionCultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
(1966–1976) Xiao Qian was regarded by the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
as a member of the Right Wing (右派, Yòupài) and was banished to the countryside. In 1968 he tried to commit suicide. In 1978 he received a redress as one of the mishandled cases.
In 1999 Xiao Qian died at the age of 90 of myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
in Beijing.
Early reports
Two of Xiao Qian's early major reports in China were:- Report on the Flooding refugees in Shandong, published at Takung Pao (《大公报》[《大公報》], Dà gōng bào)
- Impression on the war between Beiping and Suiyun
Instead of simply reporting the facts, Xiao describes the scenes in a vivid way. Many people were moved by his articles and this stirred up public debate over the state of Chinese society and China's internal problems.
Feature articles
Between the 1940s and the 1990s, Xiao wrote many famous articles. Many of his published feature reports are distinctive for their combination of news-accuracy and literary style of writing.The early reports are considered of great historical value by the academic community in China and are currently in the care of the Chinese Literature Society. Most of Xiao's featured reports were based on first hand experience from the front line. He selected scenes that he believed would reflect society at that time. He also used contour line
Contour line
A contour line of a function of two variables is a curve along which the function has a constant value. In cartography, a contour line joins points of equal elevation above a given level, such as mean sea level...
drawings to vividly depict events, display emotions, and illustrate the story for the reader. His work acts like a camera, capturing moments of real life. Not only did his reports offer insights into the harsh realities of the time, they also reflected his deep sentiments toward his country and its people.
Wartime writings
The following books were written between 1939 and 1946 and reflected Xiao Qian's experience during the Second World War while he was living in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
:
- Symphony of Contradictions
- Bloody September
- London under Silver Kites
These works were mostly concerned with the day to day life of ordinary English citizens. They contained an analysis or speculation about political and military matters. While he was impressed by the determination of the English to defeat Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he also observed their negative cultural traits.
Popular publications
As a journalist, he wrote a variety of publications. One of them is his book: xin bian wen shi biji cong shu (新编文史笔记丛书[新編文史筆記叢書],Xīnbiān wénshǐ bǐjì cóngshū). The series contains 50 books, in which 6,000,000 words were written. These series were written between 1980s and early 1990s. The books collected a range of anecdotes and highlights from over 2000 celebrities and researchers. The series became highly reputable and widely accepted when it was released. As the last volume of the series published in October 1994, another edition of the series were published in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
shortly after. The work was awarded the "Chinese Book Prize" (中国图书奖[中國圖書獎], Zhōngguó tú shū jiǎng) as early as in 1993.
Essays
In addition to his books Xiao also wrote several notable essays.Though Xiao wrote no more than 20 essays, they played a very important role in the development of Chinese essay history. All his works were published under the name of "Tatamulin", an exiled Latvian
Latvians
Latvians or Letts are the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia.-History:Latvians occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which may have originated from the word Latve which is a name of the river that presumably flowed through what is now eastern Latvia...
merchant, between the years 1946 and 1948. His essays were satirical and often contained criticisms of contemporary political issues at that time.
His essays also include a considerable amount of poetry which express his strong feelings toward China at that time. The sole purpose of all his essays was to end the political dictatorship of the Nationalist Party
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
in China, and thus promote a peaceful, democratic Utopia. His magnum opus is "Long talk by red hair" (红毛长谈[紅毛長談], hóngmáo chángtán). In the polarised political climate of that time in China, his two essays — “Ease, tolerance & personnel work" (放心、容忍、人事工作, fàngxīn, róngrěn, rénshì gōngzuò) and "Why do people's presses become the government offices?" (人民的出版社为甚么变成衙门[人民的出版社為甚麼變成衙門],rénmín dí chūbǎnshè wèi shénme biàn chéng yámén) — caused him to be labelled a rightist in 1957.
Translations
Apart from his work as a journalist and a writer, Xiao also translated important works of European literature into Mandarin Chinese. He translated several books and plays by William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, Stephen Leacock
Stephen Leacock
Stephen Butler Leacock, FRSC was an English-born Canadian teacher, political scientist, writer, and humorist...
and Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
. These were widely published in mainland China and Taiwan.
In 1990, as invited by Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
YiLin Publication (南京译林出版社[南京譯林出版社],Nánjīng Yìlín chūbǎnshè), he translated Ulysses
Ulysses (novel)
Ulysses is a novel by the Irish author James Joyce. It was first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,...
(尤利西斯)
by James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
(詹姆斯·乔伊斯) into Mandarin, assisted by his wife Wen Jieruo, who was fluent in both English and Japanese. When the book was released in 1994, it became a surprise best-seller in China. Because of this, he received the Caihong Translation Prize (彩虹翻译奖[彩虹翻譯獎],cǎi hóng fānyìjiǎng) and the Best Foreign Literature Book-First Class (全国优秀外国文学图书一等奖[全國優秀外國文學圖書一等獎],quán guó yōu xiù wài guó wén xué tú shū yī děng jiǎng).
The English-based magazine "The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
" complimented his work as being The Odyssey in China.
As an author
Xiao views were shaped by the poverty and hardships of his childhood. He witnessed the suffering of the lower classes at first hand. His reports attempted to address the injustices and disparity in Chinese society.Xiao strongly believed that the truth is what moves people, and his writings often encouraged his readers to come to their own conclusions. His writings Lu Xi Liu Ming Tu (《鲁西流民图》[《魯西流民圖》],Lǔxī liú mín tú) and Lin Yan Fa Ru Yu (《林炎发入狱》[《林炎發入獄》],Lín yánfā rù yù) best illustrate his beliefs.
As a journalist
Xiao entered the field of journalism in April 1935. He first worked for TianjinTianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
's Takung Pao (《大公报》[《大公報》], Dà gōng bào), where he published his early writings including his first novel, as an editor for "Literary arts" (《文艺》版[《文藝》版], wén yì bǎn). In 1936, he moved to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
to prepare for the publication of Shanghai's Takung Pao. Then in 1938, when full-scale war against the Japanese broke out in China, Xiao was offered a job by the Takung Pao in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to work as an editor and journalist.
Later in 1939, he traveled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and continued his job as a journalist for Takung Pao until 1946. While the British took part in the Second World War, he gave up his place at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1944, and became the only Chinese war correspondent in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
.
As WWII came to an end, he produced a number of reportages such as "Symphony of Contradictions," "Bloody September" and "London under Silver Kites", which all reflected the (often harsh) reality during wartime. Thereafter, he worked for several newspaper companies such as the English version of People's China (《人民中国》[《人民中國》], Rénmín Zhōngguó).
While being a journalist in the WWII, Xiao entered Rhine with the 7th troop of the Allied Forces. When the Allied Forces entered Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Xiao was one of the very first journalists who entered the city. He attended and collected news from the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
in July 1945, which was one of the most significant conferences marking the end of the WWII.
In May 1945, Xiao gained fame after writing a piece of exclusive news about Molotov
Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat, an Old Bolshevik and a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from the Presidium of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev...
(莫托洛夫) inviting Song Ziwen (宋子文, Sòng Zǐwén) to sign the "Sino-Soviet treaty of mutual non-aggression" (中苏互不侵犯条约[中蘇互不侵犯條約],Zhōng Sū hù bù qīnfàn tiáoyuē) during his trip to San Francisco while doing reports on the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Conference. He was also involved in the reporting of the trials of Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Literary friends
According to Xiao's autobiography, he met the English novelist E.M. Forster, on 9 May 1941 at the TagoreRabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
Memorial Meeting. The event was organized by the English PEN Club. The two became very close friends and often exchanged letters. They disagreed with each other over the issue of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
(Xiao was opposed to legalization).
The friendship, however, did not last. Xiao, fearing for the safety of his family during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, destroyed all the letters he had received from Forster and asked Forster not to contact him again. Because Forster might have assumed that Xiao was ignoring him, he burned some of the letters he had kept as a memento of their friendship.