Record of Conversation with the Counsellors of the National Political Council

(July 4, 1945)

The six visitors to Yan’an and the Chinese Communist Party agree on the following two points:

1. The convening of the National Assembly shall be stopped.

2. A political conference shall be convened as soon as possible.

Proposals of the Chinese Communist Party:

In order to unite the representatives of all political parties and groups and public figures without party affiliation in joint discussions on national affairs, so as to mobilize, unify and strengthen all the anti-Japanese forces of the whole Chinese people on a democratic basis, in coordination with the Allied countries to finally defeat the Japanese aggressors, and to build a new China that is independent, free, democratic, united, prosperous and strong, and on condition that the National Government stops the convening of the National Assembly which cannot represent the will of the whole nation, the Chinese Communist Party agrees to the convening of a democratic political conference by the National Government, and proposes that the following points be decided upon before its convening:

1. Composition of the Political Conference: The conference shall be composed of an equal number of representatives nominated by each of the three parties, the Chinese Kuomintang, the Chinese Communist Party and the China Democratic League, plus non-party representatives nominated in a number equal to one-third of the number nominated by each of the three parties and agreed upon by the other two parties.

2. Nature of the Political Conference:

(1) Open.

(2) Equal.

(3) Free.

public opinion, was rejected out of hand. And he was beside himself with joy over the organization of a so-called three-man committee with American participation to “reorganize” the Communist-led troops. Chiang Kai-shek had the impudence to say that the Communist Party must first hand over its troops to him and then he would grant it “legal status”. In all this, Mr. Hurley’s backing played the decisive role. On April 2, Hurley issued a statement in Washington, which, besides repeating the shopworn imperialist line of denying the status of the Chinese Communist Party, slandering its activities and proclaiming his refusal to co-operate with it, went out of its way to boost Chiang Kai-shek’s “National Assembly” and other such stinking stuff. Thus, with the common aim of victimizing the Chinese people, Hurley of the United States and Chiang Kai-shek of China struck up a duet and reached the height of a hullabaloo. After that, they seemed to have suffered a change of fortune and to be on the downgrade. Opponents are legion, both inside and outside China, inside and outside the Kuomintang, and among people with or without party affiliation. There is only one reason for this, namely, that the Hurley-Chiang Kai-shek stuff, however high and mighty it sounds, is after all meant to sacrifice the interests of the Chinese people, further destroy their unity, and lay a land-mine for a large-scale civil war in China, thereby undermining the common interests of the people of the United States and the other Allied countries in the anti-fascist war and in post-war peaceful co-existence. Today, I wonder what Hurley is busy with, but anyway he seems to have temporarily gone into hiding, while poor Chiang Kai-shek has been left to make some unseemly remarks at the People’s Political Council. On March 1, Chiang Kai-shek said, “Our country’s situation is different from that of other countries. Until the National Assembly is convened, we have no responsible body which can represent the people and enable the government to consult public opinion.” That being the case, I wonder why His Excellency our Chairman has come to “listen” to the “opinions” of the People’s Political Council. According to the Chairman, there is no “responsible body which can consult public opinion” in China, and the People’s Political Council is merely a “body” that feeds itself, so today’s “listening” has no legal basis. Nevertheless, no matter what, if the People’s Political Council says that the bogus “National” Assembly should be called off, then even if this violates the sacred edict of March 1 and is an offence against the king’s law, it will still be a good deed and a meritorious act. Of course, it is too early to pass judgment on the People’s Political Council, because after all

In July 1945, Mao Zedong welcomed six counsellors of the National Political Council to Yan’an at the airport.

In July 1945, Mao Zedong and others went to the airport to welcome the visiting counsellors of the National Political Council to Yan’an.

In July 1945, Mao Zedong and the counsellors of the National Political Council at the Yan’an airport.

In July 1945, Mao Zedong, Zhu De and the counsellors of the National Political Council in Yan’an.

In July 1945, Mao Zedong attended a banquet welcoming the counsellors of the National Political Council from various democratic parties and groups to Yan’an.

In July 1945, Mao Zedong gave a banquet in honour of the counsellors.
In July 1945, Mao Zedong gave a banquet in honour of the counsellors.

“Banquet” (Chinese painting)