Speech at the Meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China[1]

(October 5, 1940)

After the conclusion of the Tripartite Alliance Treaty, the war will expand. It is possible for China to take advantage of the imperialist great war to resolve the question of victory in China’s national war. Our Party’s policy is to wage an independent and self-reliant national revolutionary war. We must exploit the contradictions among the imperialist countries to deal with the common enemy, but we must not participate in the imperialist war. At present, we should intensify propaganda opposing the Germany-Italy-Japan alliance. On the question of participating in the National Political Council, the speech pointed out that the current National Political Council is merely a matter of inviting a few more guests under the conditions of big bourgeoisie rule; it has only the power to propose, to investigate, and to inquire, but no power to pass resolutions, and the increase in personnel is very small. Our attitude remains that we advocate convening a National Assembly with full powers.

[1] This is part of a speech in which Mao Zedong analyzed the signing of the military alliance treaty by Germany, Italy, and Japan at the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.