Cold War International History Project Bulletin, Issue 16 - “Albania is not Cuba.” Sino-Albanian Summits and the Sino-Soviet Split

Aside from consumer goods the Soviet Union, the Albanian people were starving to death, (including wheat bought from France and shipped directly to because the leadership of the Albanian Labor Party had not Albania) and agricultural machinery, China agreed to provide bent to the will of the Soviet leadership.”6 the Albanians with a number of major industrial projects. [...] Until the failure of the Sino-Soviet vide some of the most revealing evidence that has yet come party talks in July 1963 and the final collapse of party rela- to light on Beijing’s view of the world and its diplomacy dur- tions in 1966, Beijing remained—at least intermittently—open ing the early to mid-1960s and the Cultural Revolution. [...] While our comrades were still in of the Politburo of his party he should know about the talks Beijing, the foreigners here were interested in knowing about held during the month of October on this issue and the letter the eventual talks we were going to have with the Chinese that Comrade Mao wrote after the discussions. [...] Here he told me that the counselor at the Czechoslovak embassy was an agent of the Then he told me that the meeting of the representatives of Intelligence Service and had contacts with the English repre- our parties, slated to be held this time in Bucharest, would not sentative here, and that was the reason he was transferred.) I be held since the Central Committee of the Polish comrades and repea. [...] After I returned to the USSR I spoke to all the com- our relations? I do not understand in what direction you are rades about the great impression the warm reception by the trying to lead the conversation.