The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project Shanghai Stories: 30th Anniversary of the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai Beatrice Camp, Editor Copyright 2013 ADST TABLE OF CONTENTS Don Anderson, Consul eneral 1980-1983 Consulate eneral&s 'Happy Hour( David Hess, Branch PAO 1980-?? ,S failed effort to rescue Teheran embassy hostages spar.s anti-,.S. demonstration Thomas Biddic., Consular, later Political Officer 1980-1980 Opening Consulate in1980. Housing and environment Dengist reforms Ohel 1achel Synagogue President Clinton visit 2rs. Clinton&s speech Steve Schlai.jer, Consular Officer 1980-1980 China&s soccer team victory over 3uwait spar.s vast demonstrations, which threatened to become ugly. Tom 5auer 1980-1980? The sight of blond-haired Americans ama6es Chinese Tess 7ohnston 1981-1988 Housing, restrictions and general environment Stan Broo.s, Consul eneral 1983-1987 President 1eagan spea.s at Fudan ,niversity America as Disneyland Post and personnel awards CODE5s and other visitors eneral post activities Shanghai American School Photos Demonstrations 1 3ent Wiedemann 1983-1988 President 1eagan visit 5loyd Neighbors, Branch Public Affairs Officer 1983-1988 5iving conditions and environment Climate Changes for the better 2rs. Du 2uriel Hoopes 2r. Wang Earlier prohibition of cultural events English language 2usic lecture Delegation of American Writers Ira 3asoff, Commercial Officer 1985-1987 Sunday afternoon football games 0004-0007 Shanghai Consulate Chamber of Conference 3eith Powell, Consular Section Chief 1985-1987 Consular 'Elf( '2illion degree( Bar-B-Que 7oint ,SAAussie T IFs American School regorie W. Bujac, Diplomatic Security Officer 1988-1987 Finding a site for the Consulate eneral Charles Sylvester, Consul eneral 1987-1989 Former Consuls Fran. 'Pat( Wardlaw, Consul eneral 1989-1990 Wor.ing relationship with Shanghai government officials after Tiananmen Housing and wor. accommodations Nora Sun, Commercial Officer 1989-1991 Commercial section after Tiananmen Tess 7ohnston 1989-1998 Shanghai following Tiananmen 7erome Ogden, Consul eneral 1990-1994 '5ocomotive( or 'boom( period of construction and development 0 Pam Slut6, Political Officer 1991-1994 Deng Biaoping&s 1980 speech spar.s commerce and development 1elease of Chinese dissident ,S funding for the American Center at Fudan ,niversity '2ost Favored Nation( Housing improved and travel restrictions removed 1onald Deutch, Administrative Officer 1991-1994 Improvements made to the Consulate eneral&s structures. 7oe Borich, Consul eneral 1994-1997 CPreviously posted at consulate 1980-1980 as Economic OfficerD Spea.er Newt ngrich visit. Chinese Easter Service, with ingrich 2other&s comment 1obert Wang, Pol-Econ Officer 1994-1997 Consulate eneral composition President Clinton visit Other EIP visitors ,SS Fort 2cHenry visit Congressional Delegations 1aymond F. Burghardt, Consul eneral 1997-1999 President Clinton visit State Secretary Albright Commerce Secretary Daley Anthony Sariti, Branch Public Affairs Officer 1997- ? President Clinton visit Clinton visit to Internet cafF Stoc. exchange visit Anti-,S demonstrations after China&s Belgrade Embassy bombing Fourth of 7uly celebration School campus 7erry Ogden, Consul eneral 1990 H 1994 President Clinton visitI his limo 1obert D. riffiths, Pol-Econ Chief 1997-0000 Clinton visit includes 2rs. Clinton, Chelsea and 2rs. Albright Separate schedules Clinton motorcade Ohel 1achel Synagogue Tess 7ohnston 1989-1998 3 Eisit of President Clinton 2eeting the President Anthony Sariti 5ocal reactions to President Clinton&s visit Anti-,S demonstrations following ,.S. bombing of Chinese Embassy in Belgrade Doug Spelman, Consul eneral 0000-0995 North 3orean refugees see. refuge in ,S Embassy 3en 7arrett, Consul eneral 0005-0008 Special Olympics Beatrice Camp, Consul eneral 0008-0011 Ohel 1achel Synagogue Pearl Buc. museum Ambassador 7ohn 5eighton burial ceremony Abraham 5incoln&s 000th birthday celebration President Obama visit EIP visitors Shanghai Expo Shanghai&s reconstruction and infrastructure development S ANG AI STORIES Don Anderson, Consul General (1980-1983, When we first arrived we were all housed at the 7injiang Hotel. I had a suite which doubled as our social gathering place, and 1o6 Fishman, my secretary, also had a suite which doubled as the Consul eneral&s office. We had a practice of gathering at the end of the day for 'Happy Hour(. On one evening there was a .noc. on the door and I answered it. A man was there, and he said 'I represent 2cDonnell-Douglas and I&m the only American businessman resident in Shanghai. Could I come in for a drin.? ' David ess, Branch .AO (1980-/, On April 04, 1980, ,S efforts to rescue our Foreign Service colleagues held hostage in Iran failed. On Friday, 2ay 0, we received word from the Public Security Bureau that on Saturday there would be a large-scale demonstration against the ,nited States held in front of the Consulate eneral. C Don Anderson was out of town. Saturday morning, 7oe Borich and I assembled at the consulate. Public Security assured us that we would be safe, and to ma.e us feel better, par.ed about two companies of 4 armored Public Security troops behind the old American school, which at that time was a naval research lab. At about 11 o&cloc., we spotted the mob coming down ,rumqi across Nanjing. There appeared to be about 5000 people. On closer inspection, we noticed that there were four 2iddle Eastern students in front carrying a banner ',SA Hands-Off IranK( The other 4998 demonstrators were apparently just curious Chinese who followed along to see what was going on. We .ept the gate closed, but one of the four real demonstrators called out demanding to see the Consul eneral so that he could present their demands directly to him. We shouted bac. that the C was out of town. He lowered his standards and said any American would do. We told him we were closed and to come bac. 2onday. They never came bac.. Thomas Biddic1, Consular, later .olitical Officer (1980-1982, I served as Consul in 1980-80 and was one of the original Shanghai crew along with C Don Anderson, 7oe Borich, Tom 5auer, Dave Hess C,SIAD, 1o6 Fishman and Chips Carpenter. I opened the consular section and then moved to political when Steve Schlai.jer arrived to head consular. In those early days, I was the only consular officer and handled nonimmigrant visas as well as ACS, including some interesting citi6enship cases involving Americans who had survived the decades of revolution and separation. Our local employees were all assigned by the Waiban. It was my honor to be the first on the scene in 7anuary 1980, followed shortly thereafter by C Don Anderson, 7oe Borich, Dave Hess, Tom 5auer and several others with their spouses and families. We initially stayed in the 7in 7iang Hotel and enjoyed the amenities of the club across the street Cthe old Cercle Sportif from French Concession daysD, including a massive indoor swimming pool, bowling alley and ballroom where a gala celebration was held to mar. the New Lear. The consular corps consisted of the Polish, 7apanese, French and ,.S. consulates. 1esident Americans were few but well-acquainted with the consulate, including some old-timers from 'pre-5iberation( days, a few students and teachers and the fol.s from Ni.e and Pan Am. We would ride out to Fudan ,niversity in the consulate pic.-up for softball games. Eisitors from the ,.S. included the singer 7ohn Denver, who stayed with Don and Blanche Anderson at the residence and entertained us at a private party there. I also remember a visit by former president Carter during that period C1981D and of course the CODE5s such as that headed by Senator Howard Ba.er who visited the P5A submarine base at Wusong. Change was in the air with the Dengist reforms underway and there were social tensions brewing in the aftermath of the Cultural 1evolution. Security was s.etchy in those days. While riding my bi.e to wor., I was passed a note Cin ChineseD informing me of a threat 5 from a disgruntled Wen6hou NIE applicant. 5ater a person fitting that description was caught by local guard trying to ma.e a run into the consulate compound. And then there was the morning when the C discovered a young fellow hiding in a downstairs bathroom. He apparently had scaled the wall but didn&t do any harm. Steve Schlai13er, Consular Officer (1980-1982, We have a couple of 1981-80 vintage group photos of the Shanghai Clippers softball team Csponsored and coached by Pan AmD, including some with visiting pitcher- songwriter 7ohn Denver. The event Tom Biddic. recalls was a major impromptu city-wide demonstration after midnight on 19 November 1981 following the China national men&s soccer team defeat of Saudi Arabia Cthat futbol powerhouseD 0-0 in a World Cup final round qualifying match broadcast live from 3uala 5umpur. The event left a deep impression on me. China&s hopes were high that it would represent Asia-Oceania in 2adrid in 1980 in its first time competing, post-5iberation, for the World Cup. The government, including government controlled press, at first encouraged the spontaneous demonstrations of patriotic fervor that crowds in Shanghai and elsewhere had exhibited in an earlier 3-0 victory against 3uwait. But late-night street parades continued after the great defeat of 3uwait Cwith clanging gongs, drums, shouted slogans( Mhongguo 7iayou, Mhongguo Wansui, Mhongguo Diyi(, etc.D, troubling the sleep of party leaders Cnot to mention, literally, that of the ,S Consul eneral and his wifeD, and the Party propaganda organs ordered in various ways subtle and direct that, while patriotism was wonderful, there would be no more demonstrating 'next time( after the upcoming 35 match with the Saudis. Watching the game on TE in Biddic.&s Huaihai ongyu flat, 7oe Borich, Tom Biddic. and I Cand Tom 5auer?D were intrigued to hear, even before the final whistle blew, firewor.s popping off in the distance in a 380 degree arc.