Mao [Zedong] Wang [Jiaxiang]
Speech at the Assembly of Representatives of the
Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region
(November 21, 1941)

Members of the Assembly, comrades: Today’s inauguration of the Border Region
Assembly of Representatives is of great significance. The Assembly has but one
objective, the overthrow of Japanese imperialism and the building of a China of
the Three People’s Principles.1 In the China of today there can be no other objective whatsoever, for our enemies2 are not domestic but, rather, foreign: German
and Italian fascism and Japanese imperialism.3 At present the Soviet Union, Brit-ain, and the United States are allied as one against the German and Italian fascist
invaders, and the Soviet Red Army is fighting for the destiny of the whole of
mankind.4 Our objective is the same as theirs, which is only to oppose German,
Italian, and Japanese fascism.5 Japan6 is continuing its aggression with the purpose of destroying China’s independence.7 The Chinese Communist Party stands
for uniting all forces throughout the country8 to overthrow Japanese imperialism,
and for cooperating with all parties,9 all classes, and all nationalities throughout
the country. All Chinese people, except Chinese traitors, must unite as one in the
common struggle. This has been the consistent stand of the Communist Party. For
more than four years China10 has been heroically waging the War of Resistance, a
war that has been led by Chairman Chiang and maintained through the cooperation of the Guomindang and the Communist Party and of all classes, parties, and

7. Destroying China’s independence → Subjugating China
enjoy human rights, political rights, and property rights.17 They should all have the
opportunity to voice their opinions, and they should all have clothes to wear, food
to eat, work to do, and schools to attend; some provision should be made for everyone. Chinese society is small at both ends and big in the middle, which is to say that
the proletariat [at one end] and the big landlord class and big bourgeoisie [at the
other] each constitute only a small minority, while the great majority of the people
consists of the intermediate classes.18 No political party that wants to run China's
affairs properly can do so unless its policy gives consideration to the interests of
the intermediate classes, unless some provision is made for the intermediate classes,
unless they have the right to voice their opinions, and unless they have clothes to
wear, food to eat, work to do, and schools to attend. The three-thirds system and all
other policies put forward by the Chinese Communist Party aim to unite all the
people who resist Japan and take into account the interests of all classes,19 and
especially the interests of the intermediate classes.20 The three-thirds system policies put forward by the Communist Party, which give all sections of the people the
opportunity to voice their opinions and make sure they have work to do,21 are
policies embodying the genuine Three People's Principles. In agrarian relations,
on the one hand, we carry out the policy of reducing rent and interest so that the
peasants will have clothes to wear and food to eat, and, on the other, our policies
provide for the payment of the rent and interest so that the landlords, too, have
clothes to wear and food to eat.22 In the relations between labor and capital, on the
one hand, we carry out the policy of helping the workers so that they have both
work and food, and, on the other, the capitalists may obtain some profit. Our
purpose is to unite the whole people in the common endeavor of resistance to Japan and joining together to
build the country. This policy is that of New Democracy, or the policy of the Three
People's Principles. It is neither what is called a one-party dictatorship nor the
old-style democracy as in foreign countries but, rather, embodies the thinking of
Mr. Sun Yatsen's Three People's Principles. It is the kind of policy that really suits
the conditions in China,23 and we hope that its application will not be limited to the
Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region or to the anti-Japanese base areas in the
enemy's rear, but will spread throughout the country.
  We have pursued this policy with success and have won the approval of the
people all over China. But there have also been shortcomings. Some Communists
still are not good at cooperating with non-Party people in a democratic way and
persist in the erroneous thinking24 of narrow-minded "closed-doorism" or sectarianism. They still do not understand the principle that Communists are duty-bound
to cooperate with people outside the Party25 and have no right to shut them out,
which is the principle of listening attentively to the views of the masses, keeping in
close touch with them, and not becoming alienated from them. There is an article
in the Administrative Program of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region which
stipulates that Communists should cooperate democratically with non-Party people
and must not act arbitrarily or keep everything in their own hands. It is meant
precisely to guard against those comrades who still fail to understand the Party's
policy. Communists must listen attentively to the view of people outside the Party
and give others the chance to have their say. If what they say is right, we ought to
welcome it, and we should learn from others.26 If what they say is wrong, we
should let them finish what they are saying and then patiently explain things to
them. A Communist must never be opinionated or domineering, or think that he is
good in everything while others are good in nothing; he must never shut himself

Communist Party members of the Assembly will get a very good education32 here
and overcome their “closed-doorism” and sectarianism. We are not a small opinionated sect, and we must learn how to open our doors and cooperate democratically with non-Party people. We certainly must learn the attitudes and work-style
of being good at consulting with others. Perhaps even now there are Communist
Party members who may say, “If we have to cooperate with others, then leave us
out.” But I am sure that such people are very few. I dare assure you all that the
overwhelming majority of our Party members will certainly be able to carry out
the line of the Central Committee of our Party. At the same time, I wish to ask all
non-Party comrades to endorse33 what we stand for, to understand that the Com-munist Party is not a small sect or clique pursuing private ends. No! The Commu-nist Party sincerely and honestly wishes to set the affairs of state to rights. But we
still have many failings. We are not afraid to admit them and are determined to get
rid of them. We shall purge these shortcomings by strengthening education within
the Party and by cooperating democratically with non-Party people. This is called
attacking by crossfire from within and without, to remedy our failings and really
set the affairs of state to rights.
Gentlemen members of the Assembly, you have taken the trouble to come here
for this meeting, and I am happy to greet this distinguished gathering and wish it
every success.

--- Notes

Our source for this text is Wenxian he yanjiu, 1984, p. 16 of the annual volume.

1. As indicated in a note to the text of September 29, 1941, some sources indicate that
the volume entitled Liuda yilai (Since the Sixth Congress) was published only in December
1941. Perhaps it was printed in late November and first distributed in December.


This speech was first reported in Jiefang ribao, November 23, 1941. We have translated it
from Mao Zedong ji, Vol. 8, pp. 35–39, where it is reproduced from the 1944 edition of
Mao Zedong xuanji.

1. A China of the Three People’s Principles → A China of New Democracy or, in other
words, a China of the revolutionary Three People’s Principles

2. Our enemies → Our chief enemies now

3. German and Italian fascism and . . . → Japanese and German and Italian fascism

4. The whole of mankind → The Soviet Union and the whole of mankind

5. Our objective is the same . . . fascism → We, for our part, are combating Japanese
imperialism

6. Japan → Japanese imperialism

8. All forces throughout the country → All anti-Japanese forces throughout the country

9. All parties → All anti-Japanese parties

10. China → the Chinese people
nationalities. But it is not yet won, and to win it we have to fight on and ensure that
the Three People's Principles11 are put into effect.
  Why must we put the Three People's Principles12 into effect? Because up to the
present time Mr. Sun Yatsen's Three People's Principles have not been translated
into reality in all parts of China. Why don't we put communism into effect?13 Of
course communism14 is a superior system and has long been in operation in the
Soviet Union, but in China today the conditions for it are still lacking. It is the
Three People's Principles that have been put into effect in the Shaanxi-Gansu-
Ningxia Border Region. In no construction effort and in no solution to any practical problems have we gone beyond their principles.15 Of the Three People's
Principles, the principle of nationalism means overthrowing Japanese imperialism,16 and those of democracy and the people's livelihood mean working in the
interests not of just one section but of all the people nationwide who are resisting
Japan. Throughout the country the people of all classes and nationalities should

11. The Three People's Principles → The revolutionary Three People's Principles

12. Here and in all subsequent references to the Three People's Principles, except where
    otherwise noted the Selected Works version inserts the word "revolutionary" before it.

13. Why don't we put communism into effect? → Why don't we now demand that
    socialism be put into effect?

14. Communism → Socialism

15. Beyond their principles → Beyond their scope

16. Before this clause, the Selected Works edition inserts the words "in the present
    context."

17. Human . . . and property rights → The right to freedom of the person, the right to take
    part in political activity, and the right to protection of property

18. The intermediate classes → The peasants, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and other
    intermediate classes

19. All classes → All classes that resist Japan

20. The intermediate classes → The peasants, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the other
    intermediate classes

21. Work to do → Work to do and food to eat

22. Have clothes to wear and food to eat → Can live

23. China → present-day China

24. Erroneous thinking → Work-style

25. People outside the Party → People outside the Party who resist Japan

26. Learn from others → Learn from the strong points of others
up in his little room, or brag and boast and lord it over others. Apart from the
enemy—Chinese traitors,27 and those28 who sabotage the War of Resistance and
sabotage unity, who have no right to speak—everyone is entitled to freedom of
speech. It does not matter even if what he says is wrong. Affairs of state are the
public affairs of the whole nation and not the private affairs of a single party or
group. Hence Communists have only the duty to cooperate democratically with
non-Party people and not the right to exclude others and monopolize everything.
The Communist Party is a political party which works in the interests of the nation
and people and which has absolutely no private ends to pursue. It should be supervised by the people and must never go against their will. Its members should stand
among the popular masses and certainly must not set themselves above them. Comrades,29 our principle30 of democratic cooperation with non-Party people is fixed
and eternally unalterable, and right now it31 should make a good start of beginning
to be put into practice in this Assembly. With this policy of ours, I believe that

27. The enemy, Chinese traitors → Those Chinese traitors who are in league with the
Japanese bandits

28. Those → Those reactionary diehards

29. Comrades → Gentlemen representatives, Comrades,

30. Our principle → The Communist Party’s principle

31. Right now it → So long as parties exist in society, people who join them will always
be a minority, while those outside them will always be the majority; hence Party members
must always cooperate with people outside the Party, and it

32. A very good education → Very good training

33. Endorse → Realize