Zhou En-lai's Response to Kissinger： “It is too early to tell'

Based on Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius' 的The Turning Point of Modern History： Chapter 10

https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/turning-points-in-modern-history （can be borrowd from library via Libby)

Zhou En-lai's "Too Early to Say" in Response to Kissinger's Question

Zhou Enlai (Chou En Lai) 1898–1976, Prime Minister of P.R.China during 1949–76 

Such is Zhou's response in a conversation with Henry Kissinger when questioned about the success of revolutions in France. 

This has been widely quoted as Zhou's response referring to the French revolution of 1789 and his reply was quoted a quintessential example of a statemam being visionary and far-sighted. (It was commonly understood that French Revolution had a violent nature and had a cycle of revolution-mob-anarchy-dictatorship, while the other American Revolution featured restraints and balance of power.)

It was only revealed later by Nixon's interpreter Chas Freeman and Chinese archives make it clear too that while questioned about the French revolution and the Paris Commune, Zhou Enlai in reply was clearly referring to the Paris riots of 1968.

However this response since then has acquired a life of its own.

來自

Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius' 的The Turning Point of Modern History，第10章：

https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/turning-points-in-modern-history （可在圖書館Libby借到）

周恩來對基辛格問題的回應：“現在還為時尚早”

周恩來（Chou En Lai）生於1898年，76年去世，於1949年至1976年擔任中華人民共和國總理。

這是周恩來在與亨利·基辛格（Henry Kissinger）交談中對法國革命是否成功問題所作的回應。這被理解為周恩來對法國大革命的暴力特質以及革命-暴民-無政府狀態-獨裁的循環的看法（另一種革命方式是美國革命，具有克製和權力平衡的風格）。

這個對法國革命的"現在還為時尚早"的評論後被引為國家領袖具備遠見卓識的典型例證。

然而，後來由尼克鬆的翻譯查斯·弗裏曼和中國檔案資料明確顯示，當被詢問有關法國革命和巴黎公社時，周恩來明顯是在回應1968年的巴黎騷亂。

然而，這個回應自那時起已不脛而走。