Telegram Denouncing the Nationalist Government’s Signing of a Traitorous Agreement[1]

(June 10, 1933)

To the revolutionary masses of the whole nation!

On May 31, the Nationalist government concluded a North China ceasefire agreement with Japanese imperialism. This agreement completely sells out the vast territories of North China and tens of millions of people to imperialism, yet this is only a part of the traitorous secret pact made public by the Nationalist Party. Although Wang Jingwei and other arch-criminals of national betrayal shamelessly claim that the agreement is limited to military matters and does not involve politics, in reality, what is even more serious is the large-scale traitorous secret pact that the Nationalist government has kept secret and not announced. According to the main contents of this secret pact obtained by our government, they are as follows: (1) Chinese troops shall withdraw south of Beiping and Tianjin, and the area south of the Great Wall shall be designated a buffer zone. (2) The Chinese side shall recognize "Manchukuo" and "Mongolgo." (3) All activities of the Volunteer Armies shall be suppressed, and the Volunteer Armies and all anti-Japanese armed forces shall be disarmed as opportunities arise. (4) The Chinese side shall guarantee the cessation of all anti-Japanese movements. The Provisional Central Government of the Soviet Republic, representing the entire Chinese populace, absolutely refuses to recognize this secret pact and the North China ceasefire agreement, because such a secret pact and agreement have already completely sold out the vast lands of Manchuria, Mongolia, North China, and the national interests of the whole country to Japanese imperialism. Moreover, there is no doubt that the Nationalist government will further accede to the demands of British, American, and other imperialists, selling off the territories and rights of Tibet, Xikang, and even the Yangtze and Pearl River basins, thereby carrying out its traitorous line of "equal opportunity" and "sharing of interests." The Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic also calls upon the entire Chinese populace to rise up in unison

[1] This is a telegram jointly issued in the names of Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic, and Vice-Chairmen Xiang Ying and Zhang Guotao, after the Nationalist government and representatives of the Japanese Kwantung Army signed the Tanggu Agreement on May 31.

to denounce the Nationalist government’s signing of the traitorous agreement

and to oppose the Nationalist Party’s traitorous secret pact and traitorous agreement, through resolute revolutionary struggle: strikes, school boycotts, market shutdowns, mass demonstrations, and organizing the people’s own armed forces to oppose and prevent the implementation of any single article of this secret pact and agreement. The masses of the whole nation must understand that if they do not oppose this secret pact and agreement, the 400 million people will all become oxen, horses, and slaves forever trampled underfoot by imperialism. The masses of the whole nation must understand that only by arming themselves, overthrowing the Nationalist traitorous government, directly engaging in warfare against imperialism, and driving out Japan and all imperialists from China, can they liberate themselves and escape the fate of oxen, horses, and slaves. The Provisional Central Government of the Soviet Republic declares: It is prepared to exert all its strength, spiritual, material, and armed, to assist the masses of the whole nation in opposing Japanese imperialism and opposing the traitorous Nationalist government. It further reiterates its declaration to all armed forces of the Nationalist government throughout the country: Under the three conditions of (1) immediately ceasing attacks on the Soviet areas, (2) guaranteeing the people’s freedoms of assembly, association, speech, publication, etc., and (3) immediately arming the masses and creating armed Volunteer Armies, the Provisional Central Government of the Soviet Republic is willing to conclude combat agreements with any armed forces of the Nationalist Party to fight against Japanese imperialism. At the same time, the Provisional Central Government of the Soviet Republic must also point out that all the traitorous warlords of the Nationalist Party, such as Feng Yuxiang, Cai Tingkai, Chen Jitang, and others, who now loudly clamor about resisting Japan and opposing the ceasefire agreement, are entirely playing tricks to deceive the masses. In reality, some of them have already united with Chiang Kai-shek to actively and desperately attack the Red Army and the Soviets, while the other part are completely running dogs of Japanese imperialism. Their loud cries of resisting Japan and opposing the ceasefire agreement are merely a method to deceive the masses so that they can carry out their national betrayal. Apart from colluding with imperialism to suppress the revolutionary masses and revolutionary soldiers and vigorously attacking the Soviet areas and the Red Army, they have no other intentions. The revolutionary masses and revolutionary soldiers of the whole nation must understand that only through the people’s own arms and the unity of anti-Japanese soldiers and the masses can a genuine national revolutionary war be waged to overthrow Japan and all imperialists. And overthrowing the traitorous Nationalist Party is the prerequisite for victory in this war. The Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic calls upon the masses and revolutionary soldiers of the whole nation to unite under the banner of the Soviets, join forces with the Red Army, and jointly overthrow the Nationalist rule of the arch-criminals who are selling out China, to safeguard China’s independence and territorial integrity, and to strive for the thorough liberation of the Chinese nation!

Mao Zedong, Chairman
Xiang Ying, Vice-Chairman
Zhang Guotao, Vice-Chairman
of the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic

June 10, 1933