DECLARATION OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE IN COMMEMO-
RATION OF THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR OF RESISTANCE

7 July 1941

[Text] Countrymen and resistance war officers and soldiers of the entire
nation!

The sacred war of our great nation of China to resist the Japanese bandits
and defend the nation has been fought for exactly 4 years. The arrival of
the 5th year of the resistance war coincides with the serious changes in
the international situation. Hitler, Germany's insane fascist leader, has
launched a gigantic attack on the Soviet Union, and the Soviet government
is leading its 200 million people and several-million-men Red Army in a
great war to smash the fascist aggression.

Countrymen, officers and soldiers! The nature of the antifascist war of the
Soviet Union is identical with that of our resistance war. Both are just
wars to defend independence, safeguard freedom, and resist aggression.
Meanwhile, like the Japanese fascists who are attacking China, the German
fascists are aggressive, enslaving, and unjust. Therefore, China and the
Soviet Union stand on the same front, sharing the successes and failures,
the fortunes and misfortunes.

Since the outbreak of the Soviet-German war, sympathy for the Soviet Union
has rapidly spread to the entire world, and the people of China feel an
even greater concern. Primarily, the Soviet Union is a socialist state
supporting the oppressed nations. In our 4 years of resistance war, the
one [nation] which has helped us most is the Soviet Union. Next, the war
between the Soviet Union and Germany directly affects China's resistance
war. If Hitler succeeds in the Soviet Union, China will face a serious
crisis. Therefore, all the people of China know that the war waged by the
people of the Soviet Union is in defense not only of the Soviet Union but
also of China and the freedom and independence of all nations. The success
or failure of the Soviet Union is that of China, as well as of democracy
and freedom, independence and liberty, universal principles and justice,
and science and light. Thus, Hitler is the enemy not only of the Soviet
Union but also of all free nations, especially China. For this reason,

overthrowing Hitler is the task of the people of China as well as the people
of the United States and all nations. Without doubt, fascist Hitler's insane aggression will only hasten his destruction, as the enemies of fascism
rise up throughout the world. A powerful antifascist aggression front is
forming throughout the world. This is an era of great struggle between the
fascist and antifascist fronts throughout the world, and the battle between
the two has been joined.

In order to court Japan, consolidate the fascist alliance, and resist China,
the Soviet Union, England and America, the fascist countries of Europe
openly recognize China's renegade Wang Ching-wei. The devil's claws of Hitler
and Mussolini are stretching toward the Pacific. That fascism is the public
enemy of China's 450 million people and all mankind has been completely revealed. Meanwhile, trapped in China's quagmire, fascist Japan competes with
England and America in the south. Its economy is deteriorating, and its
people are dissatisfied. If it should tear up its neutrality pact with the
Soviet Union and make the great Soviet Union an enemy, the day of its
destruction and collapse will become more imminent. However, the more
urgent the situation, the harder it is to block its reckless determination
to carry out its plans. While the dangers of war with the Soviet Union have
increased, it will never abandon its policy to destroy China, and its ambition to march south against England, America, the Netherlands and Australia
still exists. The threat of the fascist alliance in the world increases
simultaneously in the west and the east. Only a firm struggle built on the
foundation of an antifascist international united front will check the
conflagration and stem the tide. All ideas of gloating over the misfortunes
of others and hoping for a windfall are manifestations of superficiality
and ignorance. As for repeating the mistakes of Chang Po-lun or following
in the footsteps of Wang Ching-wei, the so-called appeasement policy and
surrender line are the most stupid and inferior measures and should never
be considered by China and the democratic nations of Europe and America.
The Chinese people will always firmly oppose a Far Eastern Munich.

The sacred resistance war of the great nation of China is not only for the
purpose of averting China's perdition but is also helpful to the international resistance against aggression. In the past 4 years the soldiers and
civilians of the entire country have been exerting themselves in the
resistance war, disregarding the sacrifices and difficulties, filling the
front ranks of the fallen, rallying over and over again, and paying a
tremendous price. After many difficulties they have been able to deter the
enemy bandits, win the admiration of the world, lay the foundation for
national recovery, and create the embryo of a new China. These are all the
results of our unity above and below, the joint military-civilian effort,
the cooperation of the parties and factions, and the aid of friendly nations, worthy of our joyful celebration and special notice.

Nevertheless, enemy aggression is just beginning, not ending, and those
plotting against us include the vicious fascist alliance, Nanking's puppet
regime serving as the tiger's claw, and the pro-Japanese elements inside.
Politics has not stabilized, the people's living conditions have deteriorated,

and public opinion has not been expressed. All kinds of alarming dark
shadows have the tendency of becoming more aggravated. What is even more
strange is that anticommunism has become a policy, and the term "alien
party" has appeared in writing. Military discipline and military orders
are borrowed as excuses to hit the most positive of the resistance war
troops. Thus, the southern Anhwei incident occurred, and the New 4th Army
was disbanded. Secret service agents act outrageously, and illegal arrests
are innumerable. As a result, the morale of the resistance war has been
destroyed and the new spirit of the early period of the war demolished. In
regard to all such dark sides, if they are not eliminated, the achievement
of the resistance war of 4 years may be abandoned, the soldiers and civilians
of the whole nation may feel lost, and international sympathy will have no
substance to which to attach itself. These are what should cause our countrymen deep concern and alarm.

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party feels that now, at
the beginning of the 5th year of the resistance war, when changes are occurring in the international situation, is an excellent opportunity for
us to discard the old and arrange the new. The people of the entire nation
must perform many important fighting tasks. From foreign affairs to internal
administration, there must be new reforms and innovations before we can
adapt to the current situation, refresh the senses of our countrymen, and
attain the goal of the resistance war and national construction. This party
respectfully proposes the following:

(1) Support the international antifascist front; promote the unity of China,
the Soviet Union, England, America, and all other antifascist states and
nations; resist the fascist alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan; support
the correct action of the National Government to sever relations with
Germany and Italy and to prepare new steps.

(2) Reinforce the struggle against the puppet regime of renegade Wang;
purge his remnants; consolidate the anti-Japanese camp.

(3) Intensify the reorganizing and training of all National troops;
strengthen frontline coordination of all units; supply the troops behind
enemy lines with provisions and ammunition; actively counterattack the
enemy.

(4) Strengthen the political, economic, and cultural establishments of
all resist-Japan bases with government aid, so that such bases will persevere in the enemy rear, making it impossible for the enemy to move its
troops west, north, or south.

(5) Strengthen the cooperation among the anti-Japanese parties and factions;
readjust the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party;
solve the New 4th Army issue; recognize the legitimate activities of all
anti-Japanese parties and factions; stop arresting Communist Party members
and all patriotic elements; eliminate internal frictions; cultivate the
resistance war strength.

(6) Grant freedom of speech, publication, assembly and association to all
patriotic people; activate the wisdom and strength of the people; resist
the enemy bandits.

(7) Reform the political structure; dismiss the corrupt and the greedy;
promote the enlightened people; purge the concealed pro-Japanese elements
in government organs and eliminate the enemy's fifth column.

(8) Prohibit corrupt and greedy officials from hoarding, speculating, and
manipulating the national economy; enforce grain balancing and price stabilization in order to give the people relief.

(9) Reform the conscription system; prohibit blackmail, bribery, coercion,
and abuse; replace it with political mobilization to encourage the people
to go to the frontline in order to benefit the resistance war.

(10) Readjust the relationship between the central and the local governments; rely on local talents and rally the minorities in order to consolidate the rear.

This party feels that the above points constitute the basic policy for
today's internal affairs and foreign diplomacy. If they are implemented,
there will be a brand-new atmosphere in the entire nation, all difficulties
will be surmounted, and there will be a firm foundation for the victory of
the resistance war and national construction.

The Chinese Communist Party wishes to reiterate: This party's adherence to
the policy of the Anti-Japanese National United Front never varies; it
wishes to unite with the Chinese Kuomintang, all patriotic parties and
factions, and all patriotic people to the final end and to struggle for
the common goal of the resistance war and national construction. In regard
to the three principles of democracy and the national reconstruction outline, this party is the most sincere and firmest follower. It will carry
out the declaration of 22 September 1937, without the slightest hesitation.
The 8th Route and New 4th armies are always a part of the National Army,
performing the resistance war tasks most loyally and courageously, resisting
and counterattacking more than half of the enemy forces, recovering large
areas of lost territory, and building many resistance bases in the enemy
rear. In these resistance bases we have gradually introduced the three
principles of democracy. We have implemented the three-thirds system of
a democratic government under which the parties and factions and the
classes and strata cooperate and the human, political, and property rights
of all anti-Japanese classes and strata (including the landlords and
capitalists) are guaranteed; we have implemented the rural policy, reducing rents and interest on the one hand and enforcing rent and interest
payments on the other; we have implemented the labor policy, improving the
workers' life on the one hand and strengthening labor discipline on the
other; we have implemented the economic policy, developing agriculture,
industry, and commerce and improving the people's living conditions; we

ON THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANTI-JAPANESE WAR

have implemented the culture policy, wiping out illiteracy and ignorance
and improving the national spirit. All these serve as proof that the Chinese
Communist Party is the vanguard in defending the nation, a revolutionary
political party whose words and deeds are one, the model of unity in the
resistance war, and the example of arduous struggle. Meanwhile, the enemy,
renegade Wang, and the pro-Japanese faction concentrate their aims on this
party, wishing to destroy and eliminate it, because they know that its
existence constitutes the greatest obstacle to their plan to destroy China.
If the Communist Party is not eliminated, it will be impossible to destroy
China. What is strange is that some of those in the country who are still
fighting the resistance war feel the same way as the enemy in their intent
to slander, betray, and destroy this party, calling it a bandit army and
a cabal and devoting their full effort to its destruction and suppression.
In the face of a powerful enemy, why are they so anxious to destroy their
own countrymen? Truly it is beyond understanding! We hope that such phenomena will be rapidly eliminated and the condition of the early period of
the resistance war resumed, turning hostility into harmony, changing mutual
friction into mutual aid, and all concentrating on the state and the nation.
Then the future of the resistance war will become bright, and the 5th year
of the war will bring unity, progress, and victory. This is what this party
prays for.

Countrymen, officers and soldiers! The 5th year of the resistance war is
the decisive year of the destiny of the world as well as that of China.
Everyone must become aware, unite and strive with an extraordinary effort,
adhere to the banner of China's national liberation, stand on firm ground
and struggle forward, and, in coordination with the antifascist struggles
of the people of the various nations, seek our complete victory. The Chinese
Communist Party fully believes that, as long as we persevere in our effort
and make no mistakes, our goal can be attained, and the final victory will
belong to us.

Down with Japanese imperialism!

Down with the fascist slaves!

Aid the Soviet Union!

Long live the victory of the resistance war!

Long live the antifascist front of the whole world!

Chinese Communist Party Central Committee

7 July 1941

° CHIEH-FANG JIH-PAO, 7 July 1941

* "Reference Materials on the History of the Chinese Revolution," Vol 4,
Chinese People's University, 1957

* "Reference Materials on China's New Democratic Revolution," China Book
Publishing House, April 1951