Chairman Mao was the first to declare: “The overarching goal of all our work is to defeat Japanese imperialism. Like Hitler, Japanese imperialism is on the verge of collapse; yet it still wields considerable power. The Chinese people, especially those in the liberated areas, must continue to strive unremittingly if we are to achieve the ultimate objective of annihilating the enemy. This effort consists first of warfare, then of daily life, and finally of culture. An army without production is a starving army; an army without culture is a foolish one. A foolish army cannot vanquish the Japanese aggressors, liberate the people, or build a modern new China. Therefore, we must have culture. Some comrades have previously underestimated cultural and educational work, which is a grave error. Following this conference, everyone should accord due importance to such work.”

Chairman Mao pointed out: “It should be a New Democratic culture—one that is anti-Japanese, anti-collaborationist, anti-obscurantism, and anti-feudal rule, championed by the broad masses of the people. The political and economic foundation of this culture lies in a democratic government, in rent and interest reductions, and in a system of individual economies led by factories of various scales and cooperatives of diverse forms. New Democratic culture both reflects this social formation and, at the same time, propels it forward.”

Chairman Mao said: “China’s modern industry remains very weak, and that of the liberated areas even more so; nevertheless, it holds boundless potential. China must build upon this foundation to overcome its backwardness. The economy of the liberated areas exhibits both progressive and backward elements, as does its culture. While there exists a new popular culture serving as the guiding force, vast remnants of feudalism persist. For example, in the Shaanxi–Gansu–Ningxia Border Region, there are over a million illiterates and two thousand sorcerers and spirit mediums. Feudal superstition continues to permeate all aspects of cultural life, influencing the masses. Combating this enemy within the minds of the people may prove even more difficult than resisting Japanese imperialism. The task of the Border Region Cultural and Educational Conference—whether concerning education, the arts, public health, or the press—is to urge the region’s 1.5 million inhabitants to rise up and wage battle against their own outdated habits of feudalism, superstition, illiteracy, and unsanitary practices. To carry out this arduous struggle, a broad united front is indispensable. In education, for instance, we need not only relatively centralized and formal primary and secondary schools but also widespread, decentralized, and less formal village literacy groups. We require both new-style private schools and the utilization and transformation of traditional village academies. In the arts, we need not only spoken drama but also Qinqiang opera and yangge dance; not only new forms of these traditions but also the adaptation and reformation of existing troupes, particularly the ninety percent of yangge groups that remain old-fashioned. This is especially true in medicine and public health. At present, the infant mortality rate in the Shaanxi–Gansu–Ningxia Border Region stands as high as sixty percent, while the adult mortality rate reaches three per thousand. Last year, seven thousand eight hundred cattle, four thousand donkeys, two hundred ten thousand sheep, and two thousand three hundred mules perished. Many people still widely believe in sorcerers and spirit mediums. Under such circumstances, relying solely on Western medicine practiced by a small number of organs and military units is futile. Serving these institutions is indeed important, and Western medicine is more scientific than traditional Chinese medicine. However, if Western practitioners in this context ignore the general populace, fail to train more local medical personnel, and do not unite with and assist in reforming the region’s thousand traditional physicians and antiquated veterinary practitioners, they will in effect be aiding the sorcerers and accelerating the death of both people and livestock. Thus, a united front embracing both new and old forms is absolutely necessary. The two principles of the united front apply fully here: first, unity; second, criticism—or, rather, education and transformation. Surrendering to the old forms is wrong, just as is outright rejection or contempt. Our task is to bring together every available old form and person, to win them over through persuasion and guidance, and ultimately to transform them. To effect this transformation, we must first unite with them; provided we proceed appropriately, they will welcome our assistance and reform.”

(November 1, 1944, Liberation Daily)