The Chairman

Dr. John Hathaway, a widowed Nobel Prize winning American scientist teaching at a London university, is asked by Lieutenant General Shelby of the American Embassy to visit the People's Republic of China for the purpose of obtaining an enzyme, developed by Hathaway's former teacher Soong Li, which will enable crops to grow in any climate. Because the formula would guarantee world domination to the power holding its secret, Shelby explains that both the United States and the Soviet Union have an interest in seeing that its monopoly does not remain with the Chinese. Hathaway hesitates to make the trip both because of his romantic involvement with college professor Kay Hanna and because of his opposition to America's Far East policy; but a telephone call from the President persuades him to undertake the project. In preparation for the trip, a transmitter is implanted in Hathaway's skull so that he can communicate with officials in London by satellite. Unbeknownst to Hathaway, the transmitter is also equipped with an explosive device that can be detonated from London should it be deemed necessary. Arriving in Hong Kong, Hathaway is escorted to China by Yin, the chief of Chinese security forces, who introduces him to the Chairman of the Communist party. During a ping-pong game in which they trade viewpoints, the Chairman persuades Hathaway to help with the production of the enzyme by assuring him that China plans to share the discovery with the world. With the help of Soong Li's daughter, Soong Chu, a brilliant scientist and member of the Red Guard, Hathaway and Soong Li perfect the enzyme, but their experiments are stopped when Red Guards storm the laboratory and attack Soong Li because he is opposed to the new movement in China. Hathaway decides to steal the microfilm on which the formula is recorded but discovers that the film has been removed. Soong Li commits suicide, leaving Hathaway only a book of the Chairman's quotations. He flees, aided by Yin's lieutenant, Chang Shou, who is actually a Soviet agent, but Yin has detected the transmitter in Hathaway's skull by radar, and the Chinese take pursuit. Hathaway makes his way to the electrified wire fence at the Sino-Soviet border, but Shelby in London decides to activate the explosive device when Hathaway is unable to reach Soviet soil. However, Russian soldiers blow up a section of fence, enabling Hathaway to cross the border. Safe in London, Hathaway discovers that the book given to him by Soong Li contains the enzyme formula. He also learns that the Anglo-American authorities, like the Chinese, intend to keep the formula secret, and decides with Kay to fight the decision in the interests of humanity. (official distributor synopsis)