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

(July 2, 1942)

The Central Committee’s manifesto commemorating the fifth anniversary of the War of Resistance contains new content, namely the policy for national reconstruction after the war and the emphasis on unity. The national question in China is a fundamental issue. The Kuomintang has clung to the slogan of nationalism for fifty years, and therefore it has great influence among the people. Our proposal of post-war measures is of tactical significance. At present, our policy is reformist in form but revolutionary in essence. The three months of July, August and September this year are crucial for the shifting situation, mainly because of whether the Japanese-Soviet war breaks out, whether the second front is established, and whether Germany’s attack on the Caucasus succeeds. After these three months, the overall situation for this year will be decided. Relations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party will also be decided by these three months. I told the liaison staff officers that whoever attacks Xi’an is a traitor to China, and whoever attacks Yan’an is also a traitor to China. With regard to He Yingqin, we only oppose his anti-communism. If He opposes communism, I oppose He; if He does not oppose communism, I do not oppose He either. Without the past struggles, we could not have survived in the united front, and after struggle we must unite again.

In the past, all cadres of the former Fourth Front Army, except He Wei[1] and a few others, were good; the past six years have proved that these cadres are good. Some cadres from the former Fourth Front Army made mistakes, and these must be dealt with according to the nature of the mistakes. Do not label everything as the Zhang Guotao line.

[1] Part One of this text is part of Mao Zedong’s speech at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China during the discussion of the “Manifesto of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Commemorating the Fifth Anniversary of the War of Resistance” (draft) and the “Message of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to All Party Members in the Anti-Japanese Base Areas and to All Officers and Soldiers of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army” (draft). Part Two is part of Mao Zedong’s speech at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee during the discussion of the draft directive of the Central Committee on the attitude to be adopted towards cadres of the former Fourth Front Army.

[1] He Wei was the political commissar of the Red Army University of the Fourth Front Army.