Interview with Jiang Qing

Q: What was your life like before you met Mao Zedong? Is it better or worse?


A: I was born in 1914 and my father was a carpenter. I went to Qingdao University to become an actress, but when I tried to make a career out of it, it did not work as well as I had hoped. I had many failed marriages as well before I met Mao. I wouldn’t say that I had a bad life before Mao, but I feel more fulfilled. I am doing more work to help my country become a better place.




Q: What have you been doing to help China?


A: I am working on reforming the Beijing Opera so that they support Mao Zedong, control the art portion of China, and I advise my husband on political problems too. I accompany Mao to all important political events and I participate in them too. I have modeled a village, called Xiaojinzhuang, where they focus more on the arts than production in the political world. I feel that if all of China were like that then China could become very successful.




Q: What do you think of the way Mao is trying to achieve his goal?


A: I have no problem with it. As long as he is getting the job done, it is fine with me. Maybe he
is being a little violent, but if that’s what it takes to make China better, then that is what he will do. It is not easy to change China, and doing it peacefully would take years. China doesn’t have years. We need to act now! And if doing it violently is the way to do it, then that is how we will do it.




Q: You are saying “we”. Who is “we”?


A: All of China of course! Every citizen must participate in the Revolution so that it will be done successfully. Some people think of myself and Mao Zedong when I say “we”, and others think of Weng Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, and myself when I say “we”. I don’t know why people group the four of us together. It is an odd grouping, if I say so myself.




Q: Thank you for your time. Long live Mao Zedong!

A: I hope so...his health seems to be failing. I am worried about what will happen when he dies. I hope that China will be stable before that happens. If he dies while chaos is going on who knows what will happen? So yes, long live Mao Zedong!