Implement the Principle of Self-Defense
When the Guomindang Army Attacks1
(January 18, 1944)
Each Central Bureau and Central Subbureau, for transmission to each regional
Party Committee:
In order to maintain peace between the Guomindang and the Communist Party
and to win the final victory in the War of Resistance, please instruct all relevant
units that, in dealing with the Guomindang army, our army should strictly
defend our territory and not provoke any kind of incident. Only when the other
party attacks us should we implement the principle of self-defense. If any major
incident occurs, you should first report it and wait for orders on how to deal with
it.
Secretariat of the Central Committee
Notes
Our source for this document is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 2, p. 707, where it is reproduced from the
manuscript preserved in the Central Archives.
1. Drafted by Mao Zedong on behalf of the Secretariat.