A couple of days ago, one of my coworkers asked me how to communicate with common Chinese people if he were to go to China for a business trip (when he goes to China on business).

But after thinking for a while, I was only half kidding to suggest that reciting some of Chairman Mao's quotes might be gaining an acquaintance with (might [serve to] establish a rapprochement with) Chinese quickly.

:-) Since I make jokes almost everyday, the talk about Mao's quotes was forgotten by me soon (was soon forgot[ten] by me).

On Thursday morning, when I took the company's commuter bus, that coworker told me proudly that the Mao's selected works he ordered on Amazon had reached his home yesterday night.

I told him (that) in current (present, contemporary, modern) China, almost no one really takes the Chairman's quotes seriously.

Most Chinese people, in particular Beijingers, are likely to BORROW the Chairman's fame to make jokes.

So 'Our great leader Chairman Mao taught us that～～～', a well known canned phrase in Cultural Revolutionary times (in / during the Cultural Revolutionary period), has been used in various jokes.

For example, you may say " Our great leader Chairman Mao taught us that SUZUKI(a common Japanese surname) is a good comrade!" I can tell that this joke will help you make Chinese friends soon because they think you are well-versed in China.

It's no exaggeration to say that the respect or worship of Mao by our generation of Chinese people is close to zero.

However, the fun thing is that sometimes when we promise something, we still might unconsciously (flippantly) say something like: "It's true.

:-) And once someone swore to Chairman Mao to prove he is honest (to prove his honesty), apparently his words would be believed more easily.

Because the potential (likely) mentality for both sides is that few people dare to say 'swear to Chairman Mao' easily, because if they lied (if the few people lied), they would be punished by heaven.

:-) Seems Mao is really a key figure amongst Chinese people's daily life whose status is just like Jesus in the western world.

In current China, Mao's political influence is no longer existing (no longer exists).

Mao has died, yet his ghost stills lives (yet his ghost lives on).