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Mao Zedong proposed sending 10 million women to the United States during talks with top US envoy Henry Kissinger in 1973, according to newly released documents.

So, what if Kissinger takes this as comedy and jokingly accepts, yet to his surprise shiploads of Chinese refugees begin swarming the west coast in the following months? How would the US respond? China wouldn't accept them back, so would they be forced to integrate them?

I imagine a large amount would opt for Alaska given the shorter distance compared to more populated places like California, which could have some interesting knock on effects.

So yeah, a crazy what-if that I wouldn't put past Mao to actually put into practice if given the go-ahead; how do things play out in your guys' opinion?
 
Well for starters it would set a terrible precedent and for that reason alone it would not be allowed to happen.

There are lots of other reasons while it would not have been accepted!
 


So, what if Kissinger takes this as comedy and jokingly accepts, yet to his surprise shiploads of Chinese refugees begin swarming the west coast in the following months? How would the US respond? China wouldn't accept them back, so would they be forced to integrate them?

I imagine a large amount would opt for Alaska given the shorter distance compared to more populated places like California, which could have some interesting knock on effects.

So yeah, a crazy what-if that I wouldn't put past Mao to actually put into practice if given the go-ahead; how do things play out in your guys' opinion?
I feel like this should belong in ASB instead.

Assuming this does happen, lord knows how much, much worse Chinese potrayal in Hollywood than it already is.
 
Well for starters it would set a terrible precedent and for that reason alone it would not be allowed to happen.

There are lots of other reasons while it would not have been accepted!
Can you be more specific, please?

Getting back to OP's original premise, I was thinking more like a exchange program (like EU's, or hell, otl's China and Australia with students), rather than a literal containers of women being shipped to US.
 
China would be shooting themselves in the foot; this kind of export would worsen their population's gender imbalance.
Never underestimate the depths of stupidity to which a dictator will stoop in an attempt to seem smart - especially when it comes to Mao and population/demographics

He is, after all, the one who put forth the idea ;)
 
I imagine a large amount would opt for Alaska given the shorter distance compared to more populated places like California, which could have some interesting knock on effects.
The transit distance impact is small enough that the difference between settling 10 million people in Alaska (1975 population: 376,000) and California (1975 population: 21.5 million) isn't worth the logistical difference of trying to increase Alaska's population by a factor of 25 or so, and even California won't be able to absorb a 50% increase in its population solo--the population boom (about a 5% increase in the nationwide baseline of 216 million in a short time) would have to be absorbed and spread out nationwide.
 
If we forget how crass this idea is, would their be a "fille du roy" system where the women are "pre-married" to American men before being shipped
or a sort of trainning, plan of integration, housing and English class before immigration
or are they just sent on the American coast on their own ?
 
Ignoring the obvious question of "how the hell does Mao transport 10 million people across the world's largest ocean before the US government can realise Kissingers blunder and put a stop to their armada", this is probably a good way to start a dystopia.

10 million women, many likely taken from their spouses/children/families, speaking a completely different language with an entirely different culture (and political leaning, though to be honest I doubt many would he diehard Maoists after their betrayal) are thrust into a foreign land that definitely isn't going to welcome them with open arms.

Short term; Chinese ghettos spring up all along the Pacific coast, with infrastructure completely unprepared to handle them. Many starve, crime runs rampant as people take advantage of the carnage and upheaval.

Medium term; Once things stabilise and people manage to find some way of existing in this new reality, the refugees begin migrating east across the rest of the US (Canada also likely sees a large influx). While sticking to major cities, pretty much every county in the Union sees their Chinese population grow by several orders of magnitude. Racism becomes commonplace and accepted, people bash the government for seemingly "allowing an Oriental invasion". Serial killers and other criminals prey on the new demographic with no money to their name nor anyone to miss them, the police uncaring of their disappearance if they ever even hear of it.

Long term; Things eventually settle into something resembling what it was before. Many Americans (particularly the wealthy, though far from exclusively) take Chinese mistresses, the gender imbalance between the US born Chinese being far too great for them to stay with their own as would likely be preferred. Prostitution becomes stereotyped as an Asian profession, being the only way many can make money without anything of their own besides their bodies. Race relations between the other groups is a toss up, either coming closer together to combat 'the new threat', or grinding even harder against one another, another group simply thrown in to stir the pot faster.

Epilogue; Thank God this didn't happen, for everyone's sake
 
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Not going happen. How even Mao could get 10M women to move to USA? And it would be extremely stupid idea for China anyway. Yes, Mao was good giving stupid and destructive orders but would even Politbyroo agree such stupidity? And whilst they are crossing Pacific US government and Kissinger would notice that Mao is really sending ten millions women to the country and try turn them back or elsewhere. USA nor any other nation just handle such immigration.
 
Can you be more specific, please?

Getting back to OP's original premise, I was thinking more like a exchange program (like EU's, or hell, otl's China and Australia with students), rather than a literal containers of women being shipped to US.
Was there enough spare airline or passenger ship capacity to send this many in a year? It would cost in the multiple billions.
 
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Was there enough spare airline or passenger ship capacity to send this many in a year? It would cost in the multiple billions.
As a practical matter, it'd probably have to be done with something like Operation Magic Carpet, using naval reserve ships (like the endless mothballed Essex class carriers or the liner SS United States) and would take a few years, but it'd take that long to have the infrastructure set up to receive them anyway.
 
The transit distance impact is small enough that the difference between settling 10 million people in Alaska (1975 population: 376,000) and California (1975 population: 21.5 million) isn't worth the logistical difference of trying to increase Alaska's population by a factor of 25 or so, and even California won't be able to absorb a 50% increase in its population solo--the population boom (about a 5% increase in the nationwide baseline of 216 million in a short time) would have to be absorbed and spread out nationwide.
If a large number opt for Alaska they would be shipped back straight away.

The only reason for a large number to choose Alaska is if they are told to. China wants to turn it majority Chinese then secede.
 
Can someone post what was said in the website? Not sure if I am having an issue or the article is pay-walled.

Yes, it is paywalled. I copied the whole article but don't know if i can post the whole thing here. But from what I saw I doubt that was a serious offer:

Mao continued: 'By doing so we can let them flood your country with disaster and impair your interests. We have too many women, and they have a way of doing things. They give birth to too many children.'
 
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Can someone post what was said in the website? Not sure if I am having an issue or the article is pay-walled.

The article seems being behind of pay-wall. So perhaps OP could tell what exactly there is and what on discussion was said.
 
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