The State Department recently released a 268-page document called ``Foreign Relations of the
United States, 1969-1976, Volume XVIII, China, 1973-1976" which includes a 1973 proposal by former Chinese leader Mao Zedong to give 10 million Chinese women to the U.S. The offer was intended to promote trade between the nations.
``The trade between our two countries at present is very
pitiful,'' Mao said. ``You know China is a very poor country. We
don't have much. What we have in excess is women.''
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger responded in jest to the proposal by stating that there were no quotas
or tariffs for women.
``In our country we have too many women, and they have a way
of doing things,'' Mao said. ``They give birth to children and
our children are too many. Let them go to your place. They will
create disasters. That way you can lessen our burdens.''
Mao concluded the conversation by saying his comments on
Chinese females were ``nonsense'' and ``begged the pardon of the
women of China.''