THE CHINESE ARMY SHOULD EMULATE THE RED ARMY OF THE SOVIET UNION
16 February 1939

[Text] Written at the request of the PRAVDA on the
occasion of the 21st founding anniversary of the Soviet
Red Army
When we hear of the 21st anniversary of the founding of the Red Army of the
Soviet Union, we feel a great force standing in front of the Chinese nation
and the Chinese people. This great force extends its friendly hand, willing
to back us up in our anti-Japanese national liberation war. This great force
is the Red Army of the Soviet Union. The Red Army of the Soviet Union has
gone through 21 years of training. Its army, air force, and navy have become
an unconquerable force. Under the brilliant leadership of Comrade Stalin and
Marshal Voroshilov, the Red Army, due to its being the army of the workers
and peasants, its impregnable technical equipment, profound military training
and correct political work, not only became a bulwark for the defense of the
socialist Soviet Union a long time ago, but is also a central force for the
defense of world peace as well as a model for all the armed forces of the
world which are willing to oppose fascist aggression. In connection with
the latter point, I presume that every commanding officer and combat member
of the Soviet Red Army and every Soviet citizen knows the nature of the war
the Chinese nation and the Chinese people are fighting, under what difficult
circumstances is this war being fought, how bright the future of this war is,
and what intimate relationship this war has with the Soviet Union and the
entire world. On the China side, not only the 8th Route Army but also all
the anti-Japanese soldiers know that the Soviet Red Army is China's good
friend, and that the Soviet Union is helping China in the war of resistance
in the most realistic way. The combat experience and lessons of the Soviet
Red Army are especially valuable for the Chinese armed forces and Chinese
soldiers to adopt. Such experiences and lessons enable us to understand that
in order to defeat Japanese imperialism, the Chinese armed forces should be
correctly oriented politically. They should also be equipped with modern
technical equipment, modern military training, and political work geared to
national revolution. The Chinese armed forces have many strong points.
During the 19-month war of resistance, these strong points have gradually
caused some alarm to the enemy, and won world-wide acclaim. The Chinese armed
forces should groom themselves during the protracted war of resistance against
Japan until they become a powerful armed force in the world-wide anti-fascist
war for expelling the Japanese from China, liberating China as a nation, and

supporting the anti-fascist war of the world.
Due to historical reasons, the
Chinese armed forces still have some defects. Among the important defects
are their inadequate political quality, insufficient modern technology, insufficient modern military training, and especially insufficient political
work and lack of a correct orientation. In all these we should emulate the
Soviet Red Army. Everybody knows that our two great nations--China and the
Soviet Union--have in the past 10 years established a close relationship
built on their resistance to imperialist aggression. During 1924-1927,
the Soviet Union and its Red Army helped China's Northern Expedition. Now
they have joined hands with us in the struggle against Japanese fascist
aggression. As this war against Japan is confronted with new difficulties,
the friendly relations between China and the Soviet Union should be further
enhanced, and the spiritual link between the Chinese armed forces and the
Soviet Red Army should become more intimate. As both China and the Soviet
Union are confronted with an arch-enemy, it is high time for the two great
nations and two great armies to struggle together. No matter how the fascist
nations step up their aggression against China, prepare to attack the Soviet
Union, endanger the lives of the Spanish people, or attempt to stir up another
devastating war among the major powers of the world, the future can be predicted. The final victory will never belong to the aggressors. Instead, the
Chinese, Soviet, and Spanish people and all the victims of aggression will
win final victory. On the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the founding
of the Soviet Red Army, I, in my capacity as a Chinese and a member of the
Chinese armed forces, respectfully extend my anti-fascist friendly felicitations to the Soviet people and the Soviet Red Army.

"The Masses," (Chungking), Vol 2, Nos 17-18 combined issue, 22 March 1939