Report on the Present Situation[1]

(February 28, 1939)

1. The question of peace and war. Our understanding of the protracted nature of the war includes the situation of neither war nor peace. At present, on the question of peace and war, war is primary, because Japan’s invasion of China is resolute. The development of the war follows a curved path. The “New Order in East Asia” proposed by Japan is a fantasy of great imperialism. Recently, the bourgeoisie in Jiangsu and Zhejiang have advocated peace, and some people in the Kuomintang also approve of the “New Order in East Asia.” On the question of peace and war, there exists a dual character, but war is primary.

2. Military questions. In implementing the policy of establishing the “New Order in East Asia,” Japan, on the one hand, uses political inducement to surrender against China, and on the other hand, launches military offensives, using military actions to achieve political goals. The areas of China occupied by Japan are all key military points, aimed at pressuring China to surrender. Recently, Japan’s mopping-up operations in North China are intended to eliminate the forces of the Communist Party and prepare for an attack on the Northwest.

3. Political questions—the united front. Under conditions of war, China is bound to progress, but this progress is complex, tortuous, and uneven, manifesting a dual character of progress and non-progress. The tendencies toward compromise and friction within the Kuomintang are also complex and tortuous, not linear. Within the Kuomintang, those who advocate both alliance with the Communists and simultaneous containment of the Communists are the majority. We must increase the left wing and win over the middle forces. To prevent the development of the dangerous tendencies toward compromise and friction, our main policy is to win over the majority of the Kuomintang, win over the Central Army, develop the Eighth Route Army and guerrilla forces, and we must

[1] This is part of Mao Zedong’s report on the present situation delivered at a meeting of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

have the strength to create a situation of resistance, compelling Chiang Kai-shek to have no choice but to continue the war of resistance.

4. Conclusion: The policy remains that adopted after the Sixth Plenary Session—assisting Chiang Kai-shek in uniting the whole nation, while simultaneously developing our own strength and guarding against their vacillation. Only through struggle can we achieve the goal of carrying the war of resistance through to the end; the danger of compromise and anti-communism can be overcome and prevented. Our slogan is to fight to the Yalu River and recover all lost territories. Carry out the policy of consolidating North China. Now the enemy wants to consolidate North China, and we also want to consolidate North China; this is a major struggle. At present, the central task remains propagating the Sixth Plenary Session and, internally, intensifying education.