In January 1949, on the eve of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong, in a conversation with Anastas Mikoyan, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, described China’s foreign policy as “cleaning the house before inviting guests.”
“If we compare China to a house-hold, its house is far too messy, full of hay, dust, fleas, bedbugs, cooties, and all kinds of rubbish,” Mao said. “After the country is liberated, we must do some serious cleaning. We won’t invite guests until the house is clean and tidy and everything is in its place…”
The city of San Francisco in California adopted a “cleaning the house before inviting guests” tactic to welcome attendees of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting. The city underwent a cleanup in preparation and streets once occupied by homeless encampments were cleaned and fenced off, some with planter boxes adorned with wildflowers.
APEC, founded in 1989 and comprising 21 member economies today, is one of the most important multilateral cooperation mechanisms in the world,.
