On the Liangguang Incident[1]

(June 8, 1936)

News from Guangdong heard over the radio says that the military and political leaders of Liangguang have demanded that the Nanjing government declare war on Japan, and have established an Anti-Japanese National Salvation Government and an Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army in Guangdong. The Nanjing government has not accepted Guangdong’s demands, and therefore the Liangguang Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army has already advanced northward to crusade against the traitor Chiang Kai-shek and to go north to defend the North China region. Thus it appears that war is unavoidable.

According to our observation, because Chiang Kai-shek has consistently surrendered to Japan, abandoning the Northeast, Tianjin, and North China, the position of the Nanjing government is sinking day by day. At such a time, it is entirely possible and proper that some leaders within the Kuomintang who are willing to resist Japan and save the nation, along with factions opposing Nanjing, split away from Nanjing. There are some who are unwilling to become traitors selling out the country and slaves of a subjugated nation together with Chiang Kai-shek; they bravely and independently come forward to resist Japan and overthrow Nanjing’s humiliating diplomacy. This is a heroic act worthy of celebration.

Some say that partial resistance against Japan is the path to failure. We have yet to obtain factual proof that this statement is a truth. The Shanghai resistance of the January 28 Incident and the Great Wall resistance did not fail because of partial resistance against Japan, but because the leaders of the resistance lacked the determination to resist to the end and failed to adopt all methods to bring various anti-Japanese forces into participation, making it a nationwide resistance. The leaders’ vacillation, their lack of determination and confidence to resist to the end, compounded by the disruption of traitors and the fierce attacks of Japan, were the main reasons for the failure of the January 28

[1] This is Mao Zedong’s talk on the Liangguang Incident, given to a reporter from *Red China*. In early June 1936, Chen Jitang of Guangdong and Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi of Guangxi launched the Liangguang Incident, establishing the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Southwest Allied Army and advancing into Hunan. Chiang Kai-shek urgently dispatched troops into Hunan to block the Allied Army’s northward advance. In July, under Chiang Kai-shek’s pressure and divisive tactics, Chen Jitang was defeated. In September, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi reached a compromise with Chiang Kai-shek.

and Great Wall resistances. Let us observe the partial resistance of the Manchurian Volunteer Armies—(is it not still fragmented, guerrilla warfare)—which has not yet failed to this day. This fact is sufficient to prove that what we believe is not mistaken.

In China, a large crowd of traitors holds real power. If we wait until the whole nation uniformly and neatly implements the War of Resistance Against Japan (which would of course be excellent), I fear that such a day will ultimately never arrive.

If the leaders of the Southwest can resolve to resist to the end, can employ severe measures to deal with traitors, and can skillfully unite and mobilize the anti-Japanese forces of the entire nation to rise up together in resistance, I see no sign of their inevitable failure; on the contrary, I believe they will certainly achieve a great and glorious victory.

Now Chiang Kai-shek also uses the slogans of “stop the civil war” and “national unity against foreign aggression” before the people to oppose the Southwest, but this is Chiang Kai-shek’s shamelessness. Since the January 28 Incident, after repeatedly rejecting the Red Army’s proposals to “cease the KMT-Communist civil war and unite to resist Japan,” Chiang Kai-shek today actually uses these same slogans to cover up his traitorous face. But the people of the whole country should understand that only if Chiang Kai-shek also immediately declares war on Japan and aids the armed people of the whole country in fighting Japan, can the cessation of civil war and national unification be achieved. If Chiang Kai-shek himself cannot resist Japan, yet demands that the Southwest cancel its declaration of war against Japan and its anti-Japanese national salvation government, and demands that the Red Army renounce its propositions of resisting Japan and saving the nation, then both the leaders of the Southwest and we should declare: “We are unwilling to speak of unification with traitors.” We consider “a civil war to sanction traitors” necessary. The reason for our civil war is very simple: we are merely unwilling to become slaves of a subjugated nation and traitors selling out the country.

With Chiang Kai-shek continuing to surrender and betray the country, unification and the cessation of civil war are already impossible. The whole nation will surely follow the Southwest and everywhere raise the banner of opposing Chiang. Apart from becoming a Puyi, Chiang Kai-shek will inevitably be overthrown.

We hold that the military actions of the Southwest in resisting Japan and opposing Chiang are objectively revolutionary and progressive actions, although it is unavoidable that a few elements among them are mixed with improper motives such as seeking power, position, and territory. Therefore, we are prepared to provide the Southwest with all possible assistance in military and other respects.

We further hope that the leaders of the Southwest can thoroughly implement the program of resisting Japan and saving the nation, turn Liangguang into

a base area for resisting Japan and saving the nation, launch the War of Resistance Against Japan, arm the masses, implement extensive democratic freedoms, severely sanction traitors, confiscate the property of Japan and traitors, improve the living conditions and treatment of workers, peasants, and staff, and so on. The leaders of the Southwest must implement these thorough revolutionary programs to dispel the suspicions some people hold against you and attract the sympathy and admiration of the people of the whole nation; then victory will be assured.

We call upon the people of the whole country and all genuinely patriotic parties, groups, and armies to rise up in unison in response to the anti-Japanese national salvation actions of the Southwest, and to overthrow the traitor chieftain Chiang Kai-shek. A nationwide armed anti-Japanese national revolutionary war is right before us. Let us achieve victory in this war, drive out Japanese imperialism, eliminate all traitors, recover our lost territories, and unify China!