On the Trends of the Current Situation[1]

(September 10, 1940)

At present, the political situation both internationally and domestically is on the eve of drastic changes, and our Party must be mentally prepared for such changes. Internationally, the imperialist war is characterized by expansion, protraction, and preparation for decisive battles, and China, which is resisting Japan, will become an object of contention between both imperialist sides. Domestically, it is a period of intense struggle among three forces and three possibilities: the die-hards demand the maintenance of the status quo, the capitulationists are preparing to organize a Pétain government, while the progressives and the middle forces demand alignment with the Soviet Union, peace with the Communist Party, and political reform. The realization of the third possibility would mark an initial turn for the better in China's current situation. The general trend of both international and domestic developments will increasingly work against the die-hards and increasingly favor the progressives and the middle forces. Pessimistic assessments of the current situation and feelings of impatience within the Party are clearly incorrect. We must accelerate preparations in all conditions—ideologically, organizationally, politically, and militarily—so as to be ready on the one hand to welcome an improvement in the situation, and on the other hand to deal with sudden incidents engineered by the capitulationists.

[1] This is the main content of the directive on the trends of the current situation drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.