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 New Democracy or, in other words, a China of the revolutionary
Three People's Principles. In the China of today there can be no other
objective. For our chief enemies now are not domestic, but are the Japanese
fascists and the German and Italian fascists. At this moment the Soviet Red
Army is fighting for the destiny of the Soviet Union and of the whole of
mankind, and we, for our part, are combating Japanese imperialism. Japanese
imperialism is continuing its aggression with the purpose of subjugating
China. The Communist Party of China stands for uniting all the anti-Japanese
forces throughout the country to overthrow Japanese imperialism, and for
co-operating with all anti-Japanese parties, classes and nationalities; everyone,
excepting traitors, must unite in the common struggle. This has been the
consistent stand of the Communist Party. For more than four years the Chinese
people have been heroically waging the War of Resistance, a war that has
been maintained through the co-operation of the Kuomintang and the Communist
Party and of all classes, parties and nationalities. But it is not yet won,
and to win it we have to fight on and ensure that the revolutionary Three
People's Principles are put into effect.

Why must we put the revolutionary Three People's Principles into effect?
Because up to the present time Dr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary Three People's
Principles have not been translated into reality in all parts of China. Why
don't we demand that socialism be put into effect now? Of course socialism
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
revolutionary Three People's Principles that have been put into effect in
our Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia Border Region. We have not gone beyond them in solving
any of our practical problems. As far as these principles are concerned,
today the Principle of Nationalism means overthrowing Japanese imperialism,
and the Principles of Democracy and People's Livelihood mean working in the
interests not of just one section but of all the people who are against Japan.
Throughout the country the people should enjoy freedom of the person, the
right to take part in political activity and the right to protection of property.
Throughout the country the people should have the opportunity of voicing
their opinions, and they should have clothes to wear, food to eat, work to
do and schools to attend; in short, some provision should be made for everyone.
Chinese society is small at both ends and big in the middle, that is, the
proletariat at one end and the landlord class and big bourgeoisie at the
other each constitute only a small minority, while the great majority of
the people consists of the peasants, the urban petty bourgeoisie and the
other intermediate classes. No political party that wants to run China's
affairs properly can do so unless its policy gives consideration to the interests
of these classes, unless some provision is made for the members of these
classes, and unless they have the right to voice their opinions. The policies
put forward by the Chinese Communist Party seek to unite all the people who
oppose Japan and take into account the interests of every class that does
so, and especially the interests of the peasants, the urban petty bourgeoisie
and the other intermediate classes. The policies of the Communist Party,
which give all sections of the people the opportunity to voice their opinions
and make sure they have work to do and food to eat, are policies embodying
the genuinely revolutionary Three People's Principles. In agrarian relations,
on the one hand we carry out reduction of rent and interest so that the peasants
will have food, and on the other we provide for the payment of the reduced
rent and interest so that the landlords, too, can live. In the relations
between labour and capital, on the one hand we help the workers so that they
have both work and food, and on the other we pursue a policy of developing
industry so that the capitalists may obtain some profit. In all this our
purpose is to unite the people of the whole country in the common endeavour
of resistance to Japan. This is what we call the policy of New Democracy.
It is the kind of policy that really suits the conditions in present-day
China, and we hope that its application will not be limited to the
Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia Border Region, or to the anti-Japanese base areas in
the rear of the enemy, 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 do not know how to co-operate with non-Party people in a democratic
way and have an exclusive, "closed-door" or sectarian style of work; they
still do not understand the basic principle that Communists are in duty bound
to co-operate with people outside the Party who are against Japan, and have
no right to shut them out. This principle means that we should listen attentively
to the views of the masses, keep in close touch with them and not become
alienated from them. There is an article in the Administrative Programme
of the Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia Border Region which stipulates that Communists
should co-operate democratically with non-Party people and must not act
arbitrarily or keep everything in their own hands. It is directed precisely
at the comrades who still fail to understand the Party's policy. Communists
must listen attentively to the views of people outside the Party and let
them have their say. If what they say is right, we ought to welcome it, and
we should learn from their strong points; if it 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
up in his little room, or brag and boast and lord it over others. Apart from
the die-hard reactionaries who are in league with the Japanese aggressors
and with the traitors and are sabotaging resistance and unity, and who of
course have no right to speak, everyone is entitled to freedom of speech,
and 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 the duty to co-operate democratically
with non-Party people and have no right to exclude them 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 be among the people and with them and must not set themselves
above them. Members of the Assembly and Comrades, this Communist Party principle
of democratic co-operation with non-Party people is fixed and unalterable.
So long as parties exist, people who join them will always be a minority
while those outside them will always be the majority; hence our Party members
must always co-operate with non-Party people, and they should make a good
start right here in the Assembly. With this policy of ours, I believe that
Communist members of the Assembly will get very good training 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 co-operate democratically with
non-Party people, and how to consult with others. Perhaps even now there
are Communists who may say, "If it is necessary to co-operate with others,
then leave me out." But I am sure there are very few. I can assure you that
the overwhelming majority of our 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 realize what we stand for, to understand
that the Communist Party is not a small sect or clique pursuing private ends.
No! The Communist 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 do so by strengthening
education within the Party and by co-operating democratically with non-Party
people. It is only by subjecting our failings to such a crossfire, both from
within and from without, that we can remedy them and really set the affairs
of state to rights.

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
success.


Transcription by the Maoist Documentation Project.