Basic Program of the National Union of
People's Organizations
(October 27, 1926)1 Explanation by committee member Xu Qian, who was in attendance
Remarks in brief: At yesterday's plenary session,2 the present member and
others were charged with drafting the current document. Having met in consultation, the present member and others came to the unanimous conclusion that the
basic program of the national union is the practical application of the political
program of the party. This sort of union is, indeed, the propaganda organ for
realizing the political program of the party; therefore, absolutely no clauses
whatsoever may be added to its basic program apart from the political program
of the party. It is requested that this point be called to everyone's attention. The
various points in the current document have been compiled by taking from the
party's most recent political program the points having a national scope. Aside
from a small degree of consolidation in a few places, in principle there has been
no change. The entire text will now be read aloud, along with elucidation of
points of discrepancy: (1) In item 3, "assembly" has been written incorrectly as
"gathering."3 (2) In item 4, "state-run" should read "within the nation."4 (3) Item
9, "modify the land tax" should be combined with item 25, "standardize the land
tax to eliminate exorbitant rates," to form a single item. (4) The phrase "Carry out village self-rule" in item 11 should be listed as item 12, and the phrase "Take
practical and planned measures to annihilate bandits" should be listed as item 13.
When the reading was finished, it was once again earnestly declared that the
most important point of this document is to cause this kind of union to accept the
political program of the party and promote its implementation, to achieve the
aims of the national revolution. Discussion is requested.
The chairman opens the meeting to discussion (complete text as follows):
The Political Program of the National Union:
1. Achieve national political and economic unification.
the commissioner, and establish a democratic government.
association, freedom of speech, freedom of publication, and so on.
Take practical and planned measures to annihilate bandits.
12. Build railroads.
13. Construct roads.
14. Regulate rivers and watercourses.
15. Build new ports.
16. Make improvements in irrigation works.
17. Reform the educational system.
18. Designate educational funds.
(Discussion)
that the title "National Union" be changed to "National Union of People's
Organizations." (Seconded by more than 10 people.)
Citizens." (Seconded by more than 5 people.)
Union." (Seconded by more than 5 people.)

Resolution: Amended as per Comrade Gan's suggestion and passed.
items under "Treatment of Women" be added. (No objections.)

---

Notes

Our source for this document is a manuscript copy from the Guomindang archives, obtained through the courtesy of Eugene Wu, Director of the Harvard-Yenching Library.
annual rate of 20 percent.
prevention.
freedom to strike and outlaw excessive exploitation by employers. Pay special
attention to the protection of women workers and child workers.
33. Abolish the system of contract labor.
34. Restrict work hours to no more than 54 hours per week.
35. Raise and improve the living standards of soldiers.
place of residence.
"Abolish unequal treaties and conclude new treaties that respect China's
sovereignty." (No objections.)
changed to read "Unify finances and bring about national political and
economic unification." (Voted down.)
reading "Strictly punish bribery and corruption, strive to carry out clean
government." (No objections.)
Chinese returning to China and establishing enterprises must be given
special protection." (No objections.)

--- Notes

1. The Chinese text is dated "15th year of the Republic."
Central Executive Committee Members and of Representatives from Party Councils in the
Various Provinces and Districts [Guomindang zhongyang zhixingweiyuan he ge sheng qu
dangbu daibiao lianxi huiyi]. This gathering had been convened on October 15 to work out
new policies in the light of the rapid and victorious advance of the Northern Expedition.
Mao was, with Xu Qian, one of the seven people appointed to draft this document.
Although the resulting text was called, following a discussion reported below, the program
of the "National Union of People's Organizations," it was, in effect, the political program
for the Guomindang adopted by the National Joint Session, and is so characterized in the
Nianpu, Vol. 1, p. 171. The "people" were involved only to the extent that the party was
seen as representing them, or perhaps because mass organizations were to be created
subsequently.

3. I.e., jihe appears instead of jihui.

4. I.e., it should read guonei instead of guoli.
beside it indicating the errors pointed out above. In this case, the original reads jihe
("gathering") where it should read jihui ("assembly").
transcribed "likin" in Western sources), and its impact on commerce, see above, his article
"The Beijing Coup d'État and the Merchants" of July 11, 1923.
a native of Guangxi. While a student at the First Girls' Normal School in Tianjin, she
participated in the May Fourth movement, and joined the Awakening Society, of which
Zhou Enlai was one of the organizers. She and Zhou were married in 1925. Deng
Yingchao joined the Socialist Youth League in 1924, and the Communist Party, as well as
the Guomindang, in 1925. At the Second Congress of the Guomindang in January 1926,
she was elected an alternate member of the Central Executive Committee.

--- Notes

2. Eliminate all warlord systems such as the provincial military governor and

3. Guarantee to the people complete freedom of gathering (sic),5 freedom of

4. All state-run (sic)6 national minorities have the right to self-determination.
5. Separate military and civilian authority.
6. Unify national finances.
7. [Establish] tariff autonomy; strive to carry out a protective tariff policy.
8. Eliminate all lijin taxes7 and institute new [forms of] taxation. I.e., eliminate all exorbitant taxes and levies.
9. Reform the land taxation.
10. Establish a uniform currency and uniform standards of weights and measures.
11. Establish a national bank. Develop agricultural, industrial, and commercial enterprise through minimal interest rates. Carry out village self-rule.

19. Enforce and make universal compulsory education, and promote vocational education.
20. Promote a literacy campaign among the populace.
21. The government should assist the development of new industries.

1. Gan Naiguang, Yu Shude, Chen Qiyuan, and other comrades suggested

2. Comrade Mao Zedong suggested that it be changed to "National Union of

3. Comrade Ding Jimei suggested that it be changed to "National People's

4. Comrades Chen [X], Deng Yingchao,8 and others suggested that two

22. Eliminate special privileges for foreign industries in China.
23. The government should ensure transportation safety and protect commercial travel.
24. Reduce by 25 percent the land rental fee for tenant farmers.
25. Standardize the land tax to eliminate exorbitant rates.
26. In times of famine, land rent should be waived.
27. Prohibit the practice of usury. Maximum interest rate is not to exceed an

28. The government should help organize and develop the enterprise of reclamation and cultivation of wasteland.
29. The government should adopt measures for famine relief and famine

30. Monetary and grain taxes are not to be levied in advance.
31. The peasants have the freedom to establish peasant associations.
32. Establish a labor law to guarantee workers the freedom to organize and the

36. Take measures to have overseas Chinese receive fair treatment in their

5. Comrade Sun Ke suggested that after item 4, an item be added reading

6. Comrade Yu Shude suggested that item 6 be incorporated into item 1 and

7. Comrade Xu Qian suggested that item 6 be kept as it stands. (No objections.)
8. Comrade Sun Ke suggested that before item 5 another item be added

9. Comrade Chen Xihao suggested that an item be added reading "Overseas

2. The reference is to the October 26 meeting of the Joint Session of Guomindang

5. Here and below, what is in boldface represents a character in the original with a dot

6. As indicated above, "state-run" (guoli) should read "within the nation" (guonei).

7. For an earlier discussion by Mao of the road tax on goods called lijin (commonly

8. Deng Yingchao (1904-1992), alternative name Wenshu, also known as Yihao, was