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A thought after watching an Australian documentary about Pu Yi. He and his entourage very nearly made it out of Manchukuo and to Japan in Aug 1945. Had they immediately gone from Shenyang to Japan as planned, they'd have probably made it back to Hokkaido or Honshu.

So, let's allow Pu Yi and his entourage their escape and they arrive on an isolated airfield on Hokkaido on August 18th 1945. All around is chaos and confusion and for four weeks, little is known about his movements.

On September 15th 1945, Pu Yi reports to American HQ in Tokyo where no one seems to know what to do with him. MacArthur recognises the potential propaganda value of the last Emperor of China and affords Pu Yi the utmost respect and deference.

Pu Yi testifies to the War Crimes Trial in Tokyo where he is convicted for his complicity with Japanese abuses in Manchuria from 1931 onward. He is sentenced to 20 years prison but serves his time in relative comfort.

George Marshall thinks he could be useful in brokering a peace between Chiang Kai-Shek and Mao Zedong as a way of ending the conflict in China. Pu Yi himself proposes a solution whereby he is constitutional monarch presiding over a joint Government but it soon becomes clear Pu Yi has no influence in China and the Communists will not deal with him.

The Communist triumph in 1949 ends any chance of Pu Yi returning to his homeland. He is reluctantly allowed to settle in Taiwan in 1955 after he is released from jail in Japan. However, Chiang Kai-Shek quickly regards Pu Yi as a potential political rival though there is no evidence for this and in 1960 Pu Yi is deported and seeks refuge in the United States.

At a time of poor Sino-American relations, Pu Yi was warmly welcomed when he arrived in San Francisco on January 26th 1961. Newly-elected President John F, Kennedy sent his brother, the new Attorney General, to talk to Pu Yi but Robert Kennedy reports back that Pu Yi is of no political importance.

That said, Pu Yi found himself among friends in California and married a wealthy business woman in 1965. He became a representative for the influential Chinese business community for a number of years before ill-health affected him in the late 1970s.

His last significant contribution was to publically support Richard Nixon's rapprochement with China in the early 70s. This surprised many but was a recognition of the help the American Government had given him in 1945.

In a hugely magnaminous gesture which went down very well in the West, Mao invited Pu Yi to be part of the American delegation which visited Beijing in 1972. The historic meeting of Nixon, Mao and Pu Yi was filmed workdwide and although Pu Yi was a minor player, his presence was hugely symbolic for millions of exiled Chinese worldwide.

From 1973, Pu Yi enjoyed a new status as a UN ambassador but was shunned by Taiwan. He attended Mao's funeral as an honoured guest but Deng Xiaoping was cooler toward him.

In June 1978, Pu Yi suffered a major stroke which effectively ended his public life. He retired to his home in the California Hills and often visited Richard Nixon with whom he remained a close friend. Pu Yi died on July 16th 1982.

The Chinese Government agreed following a request from President Reagan to allow Pu Yi's body to be buried in his homeland.

Any thoughts ?
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