Declaration on the Guangdong-Guangxi Forces’ Northern Expedition to Resist Japan

(June 12, 1936)

Recently, Japanese imperialism has massively increased its troops in Hebei and Chahar in order to directly occupy North China, organized nationwide smuggling to undermine China’s tariff system and national economy, and launched the Fujian Autonomy Movement to invade South China. All this proves beyond doubt that Japanese imperialism’s predetermined plan to annihilate all of China is advancing at an unprecedented speed. Chiang Kai-shek’s Nanjing government not only has shown not the slightest sign of resistance, but everywhere acts as the jackal to Japanese imperialism’s tiger, suppressing all anti-Japanese national salvation movements of the entire Chinese people, obstructing the Chinese People’s Red Army Anti-Japanese Vanguard Army’s eastern expedition to resist Japan, signing the “Sino-Japanese Anti-Communist Pact,” inviting the wolf into the house, excluding dissidents in an attempt to establish a personal dictatorship, and enabling Japanese imperialism to push forward step by step and do whatever it pleases. All patriotic soldiers and patriotic compatriots with conscience and fervent blood, at this moment when the Japanese bandits and shameless Chinese traitors run rampant across the land of Huaxia, are filled with righteous indignation and pledge to struggle to the end for the survival of the Chinese nation!

This time, Guangdong and Guangxi have raised high the righteous banner of anti-Japanese resistance, launched a northern expedition, and demanded that the Nanjing government immediately dispatch troops for united resistance against Japan. The spread of this righteous call has inspired the people of the entire nation without exception. We hereby, on behalf of the anti-Japanese people of the entire Soviet Area and the Anti-Japanese Red Army, express our respect and support for the patriotic soldiers and patriotic compatriots of Guangdong and Guangxi, and first of all express our willingness to conclude an anti-Japanese alliance with the Guangdong-Guangxi authorities and struggle together. We further call upon all patriotic soldiers of China to volunteer bravely and dispatch troops in response, and upon all patriotic compatriots of China to make sustained and redoubled efforts to expand the anti-Japanese national salvation movement, so as to coordinate with the righteous uprising of Guangdong and Guangxi, and ensure that this anti-Japanese military initiative expands into a sacred national revolutionary war of armed resistance against Japan by the people of the whole nation. At the same time, we demand that the Nanjing government immediately repent and reform, agree to the demands of Guangdong and Guangxi, and mobilize the entire nation’s naval, land, and air forces to march north to resist Japan. The Chinese People’s

Red Army is even more willing to first concentrate all its forces in Hebei, assume the task of the anti-Japanese vanguard army, and begin direct combat with Japanese imperialism.

However, since Guangdong and Guangxi launched their righteous action, Chiang Kai-shek’s Nanjing government not only has shown no sincerity whatsoever in accepting the requests of Guangdong and Guangxi, but has repeatedly delayed, openly slandered the Guangdong-Guangxi authorities for instigating civil war and undermining unity, while secretly mobilizing large armies in an attempt to obstruct the Guangdong-Guangxi forces’ northern expedition to resist Japan, sowing discord and launching civil war to disrupt the anti-Japanese front. The people of the entire nation will never forgive such criminal acts by Chiang Kai-shek! All Chinese people unwilling to be slaves of a conquered nation should demand that Chiang Kai-shek immediately realize the call of the entire nation to “stop the civil war and unite to resist Japan,” and at the same time demand and support that the many patriotic officers with conscience and fervent blood in Chiang Kai-shek’s army immediately break away from Chiang Kai-shek’s policy of capitulation to Japan, and of their own accord lead their troops to unite with Guangdong, Guangxi, and the Red Army to march north to resist Japan!

The matter is urgent! All patriotic soldiers and patriotic compatriots of China, unite immediately and closely, concentrate your forces, and launch a concerted offensive against Japanese imperialism! The Chinese people now, more urgently than at any other time, demand a solid anti-Japanese united front. We must resolutely oppose any Second Plenary Session of the Kuomintang convened by Chiang Kai-shek for capitulation to Japan and the betrayal of the nation, or any imperial National Assembly. We advocate the immediate convening of a National Anti-Japanese National Salvation Congress, calling upon all political, social, and professional groups and armed forces throughout the nation that oppose Japan and oppose traitors who betray the nation to elect their own representatives to participate in the congress, and to immediately realize the following program:

(1) Declare the severance of diplomatic relations with Japan and a declaration of war, launch a punitive expedition against “Manchukuo,” and recover the lost territories of North China and the Northeast.

(2) Abrogate all unequal treaties and traitorous loans between China and Japan.

(3) Punish the Chinese traitors and national betrayers who have forfeited sovereignty, lost territory, and brought calamity to the nation and the people.

(4) Mobilize the entire nation’s naval, land, and air forces for direct combat against Japan.

(5) Confiscate all property of Japanese imperialism and Chinese traitors and national betrayers as funds for anti-Japanese resistance.

(6) Guarantee complete freedom of speech, publication, assembly, and association for anti-Japanese national salvation, and release

all political prisoners.

(7) Establish a National Defense Government and an Anti-Japanese Allied Army.

(8) Unite with all nations and peoples in the world that treat us on the basis of equality, and unite with all oppressed nations and oppressed masses within Japan.

This is the anti-Japanese national salvation program demanded by the entire Chinese people, and it should also be the program for the Guangdong-Guangxi forces’ northern expedition to resist Japan. We earnestly hope that the patriotic leaders of Guangdong and Guangxi will everywhere boldly initiate and support the patriotic movement of the anti-Japanese people, arm and organize the anti-Japanese people on a large scale, unite with the people of the entire nation, and struggle for the thorough realization of this program. We believe that only when the anti-Japanese armed forces and the anti-Japanese people merge into one, and only when the anti-Japanese armed forces become the armed forces of the anti-Japanese people, can the great cause of liberating the Chinese nation initiated by Guangdong and Guangxi achieve final victory.

Support the Guangdong-Guangxi forces’ northern expedition to resist Japan!

All patriotic soldiers of China, unite with Guangdong and Guangxi to fight Japan together!

Oppose Chiang Kai-shek’s obstruction of the Guangdong-Guangxi righteous forces’ northern expedition to resist Japan!

Stop the civil war and unite to resist Japan!

Oppose Chiang Kai-shek’s launching of civil war to disrupt anti-Japanese resistance!

Convene a National Anti-Japanese National Salvation Congress!

Oppose Chiang Kai-shek’s imperial Second Plenary Session of the Kuomintang and the National Assembly!

Oppose Japanese imperialism’s smuggling, confiscate all smuggled goods!

Down with Japanese imperialism!

Long live the anti-Japanese united front of the entire Chinese people!

Mao Zedong
Chairman of the Central Government of the Chinese Soviet People’s Republic

Zhu De
Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Commission of the Chinese People’s Red Army

June 12, 1936