Various issues to be discussed at the Second Session of the Second People’s Congress of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, June 24, 1944. Remarks made during talks with the Northwest Bureau on June 24.
Decision of the Joint Conference.
Decision to convene the Second Session of the Second People’s Congress:
As Japan neared its final collapse, it launched a major offensive in Henan and Hunan, causing the Nationalist front-line forces to retreat. The situation throughout the country, and especially in the Northwest, had become extremely critical. In order to unite and strengthen our forces, overcome the crisis, and prepare for a counteroffensive, it was decided to hold the Second Session of the Second People’s Congress of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region in November of this year.
At this session, the main topics for discussion will be:
Unity and democracy. The reason the anti-Japanese base area in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region has been able to develop and consolidate is precisely because of political, economic, and cultural democracy, which has united people of all social classes and political parties into a single, concerted effort. However, these achievements are still insufficient, and there remain certain shortcomings. We must carefully review both our successes and our inadequacies, solicit opinions from all sides, and imbue unity and democracy with even richer substance. It is essential that Party members, government officials, military personnel, and civilians—men and women, young and old—be mobilized together to pool their strength. Moreover, by setting an exemplary standard ourselves, we should strive to prompt the entire nation to swiftly put an end to all forms of division and anti-democratic practices.
Various issues to be discussed at the Second Session of the Second People’s Congress of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region – Issue One
The question of building up the border region. The legacy left by the old society consisted of poverty, illiteracy, and widespread disease. We have been fighting against poverty and have already made significant progress in eradicating it. Nevertheless, in order to meet the demands of textile production, armaments manufacturing, and to lead a more prosperous life, we need, within a relatively short period, to ensure that every one of the region’s 350,000 households has at least a year’s worth of surplus grain, at least one cow, and is able to successfully plant and nurture one hundred trees. Furthermore, the border region’s industrial output must achieve self-sufficiency—not only in quantity but also in quality. Although our efforts to combat illiteracy have yielded rapid results, the overall level of education remains alarmingly low. We must employ every effective means to enable men, women, and children alike to master at least one thousand characters. Our work to tackle disease, however, still falls short; problems such as high mortality rates from infectious diseases, poor infant survival rates, and schistosomiasis continue to cause immense suffering. Therefore, we must exert tremendous effort to quickly establish at least one physician in each township, one pharmacy in each district, and a health cooperative or clinic in every county seat and major town. A nationwide sanitation campaign should be launched without delay to eradicate such deeply harmful unsanitary conditions as contaminated drinking water (requiring deep well drilling and purified water distribution), overcrowded housing, and the absence of trained midwives.
The issue of arming the people. Regular armed forces require a broad popular militia as their backing; only by safeguarding our homeland can we safeguard the nation. We must further improve our militia system, ensuring widespread training and proficiency in the use of hand grenades, landmines, rifles, homemade firearms, and other weapons. Everyone should be united: engaged in production during peacetime and ready to fight when war breaks out. Support for the military should be enhanced by providing practical assistance to families of fallen soldiers in managing household chores and helping demobilized veterans and disabled servicemen establish themselves economically, thereby strengthening the bond between the military and the civilian population and significantly boosting combat effectiveness.
We are currently undertaking the above-mentioned tasks and have already achieved notable results. The people have risen up, growing increasingly bold in their aspirations and unwilling to tolerate any lingering backwardness—for example, illiteracy or poor sanitation—and innovative solutions are constantly being devised. They are calling for a clear, concrete plan of action. This joint conference hereby instructs all relevant departments to draft detailed proposals based on the foregoing points, submit them to the border region’s congress delegates, various levels of congress governments, labor heroes, and anti-Japanese organizations for discussion, gather specific experiences and methods pertaining to each task, along with information on local conditions and the time required for completion, and report back to the border region government so that the agenda items presented at the congress can be made more comprehensive.
The border region’s people’s congress is scheduled for re-election next year. To ensure that individuals truly beloved by the people are elected and that the interests of all social strata are better represented and protected, the election regulations and procedures will also be put forward for discussion at this congress.
With only a few months remaining until the congress, preparations must be stepped up immediately.
Recorded from Mao Zedong’s speech.
As Japan neared its demise, it launched a massive offensive in Henan and Hunan, leading to a retreat on the front lines. The national situation had become extremely perilous, particularly in the Northwest. However, on the rear battlefields where the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army were operating, good news kept coming: the various anti-Japanese democratic base areas were steadily consolidating and becoming the focal point of hope for the entire nation. In order to unite all forces and prepare for a general counteroffensive, it was decided to convene the Second Session of the Second People’s Congress of the Border Region this November.
At this session, the following key issues will be primarily discussed:

(1) Unity and democracy. The development and consolidation of the anti-Japanese base area in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region have been possible thanks to political, economic, and cultural democracy, which have brought together people from all social classes and political factions in a spirit of unity. This year’s congress should review both our successes and our shortcomings, incorporate diverse viewpoints, and enrich the concept of unity and democracy so that people of all ages and backgrounds can be mobilized to contribute their strength. Moreover, by serving as a model for the rest of the country, we should encourage the entire nation to join forces and swiftly eliminate all forms of division and anti-democratic behavior.

(2) Military affairs. Past efforts to support the army and organize the militia have yielded positive results, but certain deficiencies still exist. Both of these areas must be further strengthened in the future, with a focus on achieving true integration between the military and the civilian population and on organizing the entire populace into a unified fighting force to defeat Japanese imperialism. This year’s congress should thoroughly examine these matters.

(3) Economic development of the border region. The legacy inherited from the old society included poverty, illiteracy, and widespread disease. Over the past several years, under the leadership of the government, the people have been vigorously combating poverty. While this scourge has either been eradicated or significantly alleviated, resulting in substantial improvements in living standards and the gradual spread of a more comfortable way of life, such progress has not yet been universal. Furthermore, due to the urgent needs of the war effort, it is imperative to increase production. Accordingly, we must call upon the people to ensure, within two to three years, that every household has at least a year’s worth of surplus grain. To address the problem of deforestation in the region, we should also urge everyone to plant trees, aiming for each household to successfully cultivate one hundred saplings within five to ten years. Industrial output in the border region has been growing, but it still cannot achieve self-sufficiency—particularly in textiles and iron products, which should reach full self-reliance within three years and must not only meet quantitative targets but also demonstrate high quality. Regarding our ongoing struggle against illiteracy, considerable progress has indeed been made over the years; however, literacy levels remain far too low. We must employ every effective method to enable men, women, and children alike to master at least one thousand characters within a few years. As for our efforts to combat disease, even greater determination is required to overcome the persistent problem of high mortality rates. Within a few years, we should strive to establish at least one physician in each township and at least one pharmacy in each district. In essence, we must push forward with greater vigor the economic, cultural, and health campaigns that have already gained momentum or are just beginning to take shape.
The approach should involve collaboration between the public sector and private enterprises, with the latter playing the dominant role. By encouraging the formation of various types of cooperatives—public-private partnerships that balance public and private interests—we can, on a voluntary basis (without any coercion or forced participation), bring the vast majority of the population into economic, cultural, and health-related cooperative initiatives, thereby accomplishing the aforementioned objectives. This year’s congress should specifically examine these efforts.

(4) Electoral matters. Members of the border region’s people’s congress are slated for re-election next year. To ensure that the people can elect representatives they truly admire and trust, and that these new deputies will better reflect the interests of the populace and participate effectively in decisions concerning the war effort and national reconstruction, the election regulations and procedures should be put forward for discussion at this year’s congress.
The above four points constitute the principal issues that must be addressed at this year’s congress. The joint conference hereby directs all levels of government, all congress delegates, and all levels of the people’s congress, as well as various anti-Japanese organizations and labor heroes, to initiate vigorous preliminary discussions and collect opinions, so that these can be reflected in the congress and result in resolutions conducive to strengthening unity in the war effort and advancing the construction of the border region.
Xie Jueju’s Diary (Part I), People’s Publishing House, 1984, page four.