. ▁K . ▁Mason , ▁a ▁poet ▁and ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁China ▁Friend ship ▁Society , ▁to ▁assemble ▁a ▁representative ▁group ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ers ▁for ▁an ▁all - exp enses ▁paid ▁visit ▁to ▁visit ▁China ▁and ▁attend ▁the ▁May ▁Day ▁celebr ations ▁in ▁Be ij ing . ▁ ▁Cold ▁War ▁host ilities ▁meant ▁that ▁no ▁official ▁New ▁Zealand ▁support ▁was ▁forth coming ▁for ▁the ▁visit , ▁although ▁New ▁Zealand ▁had ▁not ▁gone ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁Australia ▁in ▁withdraw ing ▁pass ports ▁from ▁those ▁who ▁planned ▁to ▁visit ▁China . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁Victoria ▁University ▁had ▁refused ▁leave ▁for ▁Ber tr am ▁but ▁later ▁rel ented . ▁ ▁Ber tr am ▁wrote ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁China ▁was ▁doing ▁its ▁best ▁to ▁present ▁a ▁relax ed ▁and ▁liberal ▁image ▁to ▁the ▁world . ▁" No ▁one ▁at ▁this ▁time , ▁could ▁have ▁for ese en ▁the ▁sav age ▁r ift ▁with ▁Kr ush chev ' s ▁Russia ▁that ▁was ▁to ▁follow , ▁still ▁less ▁the ▁internal ▁t ensions ▁and ▁sudden ▁violent ▁excess es ▁of ▁the ▁so - called ▁Cultural ▁Revolution ." ▁( pp .   3 0 0 – 3 0 1 , ▁Cap es ▁of ▁China ). ▁During ▁the ▁Be ij ing ▁visit ▁he ▁was ▁re - int rodu ced ▁to ▁his ▁old ▁friends ▁including ▁his ▁former ▁ro omm ate ▁at ▁Y en ch ing ▁University , ▁now ▁Deput y ▁Foreign ▁Minister , ▁Hu ang ▁H ua ▁and ▁R ew i ▁Al ley . ▁Premier ▁Z