The Hungarian Incident - The Turning Point Of The Evolution Of Sino - Soviet Relations

The Treaty of Sino-Soviet Friendly Alliance with Mutual Assistance signed by China andSoviet Union symbolized the establishment of the alliance relation, which expanded the impactof China and Soviet Union as well as the socialist bloc on the international community andenhanced the international status of China. In the early1950s, the Sino-Soviet relation entered itshoneymoon period.The Hungarian Event in1956put Soviet Union and Eastern Europe countries in trouble,however, Communist Party of China (CPC), by virtue of its attitude and strength, had raised itsprestige and influence in the international communist movement. In order to strengthen the unityof socialist countries, Soviet Union and eastern Europe countries kept asking Chinese leaders fora formal visit to Europe. In January1957, Zhou Enlai paid a visit to Soviet Union, Poland andHungary in succession, during his visit in Soviet Union, Premier Zhou made a sharp criticism onthe chauvinism of Soviet Union. While accepting the criticism of the CPC, the Communist Partyof the Soviet Union (CPSU) felt its leadership in the international communist movement beingchallenged by the CPC, the status of both parties in the international communist movement wasconstantly shifting.Mao Zedong believed that Khrushchev’s criticism of Stalin brought both positive andnegative effects. After the Hungarian Event, Mao Zedong recognized the disastrous effect ofnegating Stalin, CPC began to emphasize the negative influence resulted from criticizingmistakes made by Stalin.Peaceful coexistence is the main foreign policy of Soviet Union in1950,however, Chinaand Soviet Union differed from each other not only in the definition on peaceful coexistence, butalso in the implementation of this policy. To Chinese Communists, the behavior that Khrushchevnegated Stalin and advocated peaceful coexistence with western countries had deviated fromMarxism and turned to revisionism. After the Hungarian Event, the weakening of Soviet Unionand the rising of CPC made a huge contrast. Therefore, the CPC believed that the Soviet Unioncould not undertake the responsibility of leading the international communists movement anymore, and the center of world revolution had transferred from Moscow to Beijing.