Sidney Rittenberg, The American Who Joined China's Communist Party (VIDEO)

Watch: The Only American Who Joined China's Communist Party

As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrates its 90th anniversary, one American offers a unique perspective on its history.

Sidney Rittenberg is one of only a handful of foreigners ever to join the Chinese Communist Party. He was part of the radical student movement in the U.S. and went to China after World War II and lived there for 35 years.

He says of his decision to join the party: "When I came to China, the country was in such desperate plight and the communists were the only group who were trying to get China out of that kind of poverty."

He met party leader Mao Zedong many times. "He was always rather aloof, he moved slowly, he talked slowly usually. When he was talking at a personal level, he could be hilariously funny." When asked about his seemingly uncritical view of the communist leader, Ritterberg said that Mao was both "a great historical leader and a great historical criminal."

Watch:

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot