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.

来自

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

https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/turning-points-in-modern-history （可在图书馆Libby借到）

周恩来对基辛格问题的回应：“现在还为时尚早”

周恩来（Chou En Lai）生于1898年，76年去世，于1949年至1976年担任中华人民共和国总理。

这是周恩来在与亨利·基辛格（Henry Kissinger）交谈中对法国革命是否成功问题所作的回应。这被理解为周恩来对法国大革命的暴力特质以及革命-暴民-无政府状态-独裁的循环的看法（另一种革命方式是美国革命，具有克制和权力平衡的风格）。

这个对法国革命的"现在还为时尚早"的评论后被引为国家领袖具备远见卓识的典型例证。

然而，后来由尼克松的翻译查斯·弗里曼和中国档案资料明确显示，当被询问有关法国革命和巴黎公社时，周恩来明显是在回应1968年的巴黎骚乱。

然而，这个回应自那时起已不胫而走。