New China News Agency Reporter
Comments on Wang Shijie’s Talk
(March 8, 1945)
(New China News Agency, Yan’an, March 8) The Guomindang’s minister of
propaganda, Mr. Wang Shijie, when answering foreign reporters on the seventh,
said: “Now the government has decided to put the issue of convening the
National Congress to the National Political Council1 for discussion.” The New
China News Agency reporter said that Dr. Wang Shijie reportedly studied law in
Britain, but it now seems that he has not understood it. What sort of thing is the
so-called National Political Council? Isn’t it a useless organ appointed by the
autocrat Chiang Kaishek? If they submit the issue of the so-called National
Congress to such an organ for “discussion” and if the result of the “discussion”
says that it can be convened, can it really be convened according to the law of Dr.
Wang? The majority of the members of the National Political Council are
“comrades” from the same party as our autocrat and our doctor. Why not simply
hold a Guomindang congress to decide whether to convene it? Why do we need
this organ to “discuss” it? Ever since the founding of the National Political
Council and according to its organic law as well as the facts from the past, it has
not had any power to decide on issues. Now you want it to “discuss” whether a
National Congress should be convened. Based on Dr. Wang’s law, it does not
matter whether it says “yes” or “no.” If all of a sudden it begins to exercise real
power, isn’t it against the law and discipline? Aren’t the members at risk of being
indicted by Mr. Ju Juesheng’s Ministry of Justice? The most surprising thing is
that Dr. Wang Shijie’s memory is so poor: Didn’t your “leader” Chiang Kaishek
say on March 1 that “until the convening of the National Congress, we do not
have a responsible association that represents the people and compels the

government to consult public opinion”? Six days later, you forgot it. It seems that
you had a kind of “responsible association” and even dared to “discuss” the issue
of convening the National Congress. It is said that it was “decided by the
government.” To which country in this world does this government belong? It
definitely is not Chiang Kaishek’s Chinese government, because Chiang Kaishek
just said on March 1 that “until the convening of the National Congress, we do
not have a responsible association that represents the people and compels the
government to consult public opinion.” This is a suspicious case, and we need to
invite Dr. Wang to answer it.
The New China News Agency reporter says: Wang Shijie is again opposing his
“leader.” Mr. Wang said: “No matter what, I believe that the government will find
a way to let all parties and nonpartisan social leaders participate in the National
Congress.” Let us leave “nonpartisans” be. As for “all the parties,” they are
doomed not to have the good luck to attend this piglet2 convention because
according to the imperial edict of the “leader,” they do not have legal status. The
imperial edict said that before the Communist Party hands over its army and
before the Democratic League and other parties attend the National Congress,
they have no legal status. The date this imperial edict was issued was also March
1. It is hard to believe that our doctor has forgotten it. Or are you purposely
opposing your “leader?” It must be one or the other.
The New China News Agency reporter says: The group making up the antipopular clique under Chiang Kaishek has acted like a buffoon recently. It has
worsened over time. The Chinese people must bestir themselves and carry out a
thorough house cleaning of the nonsensical talk, bizarre performances, crooked
minds, and immoral behavior of these unworthy family descendants, and rectify
family affairs, the better to fight against the Japanese invaders. Rectification
entails inquiring closely into the responsibility of the autocrat Chiang Kaishek for
the loss of troops and territory and that has brought calamity to the country and
the people, resolutely opposing any sort of piglet National Congress, immediately
abolishing Chiang Kaishek’s autocratic dictatorship, and establishing a
democratic coalition government.
Notes

Our source for this document is Mao Zedong xinwen gongzuo wenxuan, pp. 243–45, where it is reproduced
from the manuscript.

--- Notes

1. On the National Political Council, see above, note to the text of September 19, 1944.

2. Mao uses the term, zhuzai, literally “piglet,” to imply illegitimacy.