Declaration of the Central Committee of the
Chinese Communist Party on the Current
Situation
(August 25, 1945)
(Xinhua News Agency, Yan’an. Telegram of the 26th. On the 25th of this month,
the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party published a declaration
on the current situation. The following is the complete text of the declaration.):
Compatriots throughout China!
With the surrender of Japan, the sacred War of Resistance Against Japan
waged perseveringly by our entire nation during the past eight years has come
to a triumphant end! The war of the entire world against fascism has also been
victorious. Across China and throughout the entire world, a brand-new era, an era
of peaceful reconstruction, has finally arrived!
The Communist Party believes that in this new historical period, the most
important tasks that our entire nation faces are to consolidate domestic unity,
guarantee domestic peace, realize democracy, and improve the people’s livelihood to provide a foundation for bringing about the unification of the whole country and building an independent, free, and prosperous new China based on peace,
democracy, and unity. We shall also cooperate with Britain, the United States, the
Soviet Union, and all the Allies to consolidate a lasting world peace.
Compatriots throughout China! Victory in the Anti-Japanese War has eliminated fascist tyranny, enslavement, and invasion and has opened prospects for
the peaceful development of mankind. This is the result of the combined efforts
of the four major Allies—Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and
China; this is the result of the concerted efforts by all the soldiers and civilians in
our country. We are convinced that our compatriots throughout the country can
certainly transfer the brave and unwavering spirit manifested in the Anti-Japanese
War to the great cause of building the country. The hundred million people in the
Liberated Areas of China have offered their utmost effort and sacrifice in the war.
Our source for this text is Mao Zedong ji, Vol. 9, pp. 321–23, where it is reproduced
from Jiefang ribao, August 27, 1945. Substantial extracts from this declaration are included
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719511-23

This has been generally recognized both domestically and internationally. In the
coming period of peaceful reconstruction, to fulfill your great duty, you should
continue to serve as models in the nation's democratic reconstruction and as the
main force of peace and unity.
The path of struggling for an independent, free, and strong new China is not,
however, without obstacles, difficulties, and obstacles. The Japanese imperialist
invaders have not yet enacted the Potsdam Declaration. They have not yet abandoned their intention to revitalize the militarism that drove them to invade. They are
still wantonly carrying out their plot to sow discord and to enslave and split China.
Their running dogs in China—those Chinese Quislings—are right now executing
their Japanese masters’ instructions. They put on camouflage to continue to instigate a civil war, sabotage unity, and obstruct democracy. These plots of theirs have
not been smashed, nor have their crimes been punished. On the contrary, they have
been encouraged and they continue to run amuck. Therefore, the various dangerous
activities conducted by the Chinese Quislings and the other reactionary elements are
greatly threatening China’s peace, democracy, and unity. The Chinese people must
seriously guard against and smash the enemy’s conspiracies.
The Communist Party believes that at present we must urge the National
Government to immediately carry out several emergency measures to lay a
foundation for peaceful reconstruction in the future. These emergency measures
include:
	 1)	 Recognizing both the elected governments and the anti-Japanese armies in
China’s Liberated Areas; withdrawing the army encircling and attacking
these Liberated Areas to bring about immediate peace and to avoid a civil
war.
	 2)	 To manifest justice and equity, designating the areas in which the Eighth
Route Army, the New Fourth Army, and the South China Anti-Japanese
Column will accept the Japanese army’s surrender and further authorizing
them to participate in all matters relating to the handling of Japan.
	 3)	 Severely punishing the Chinese traitors and dissolving the puppet army.
	 4)	 Fairly and reasonably reorganizing the army, undertaking demobilization,
providing relief for victimized countrymen, and decreasing taxation to alleviate the people’s hardships.
	 5)	 Recognizing the legal status of the various political parties and factions,
abolishing all laws and decrees that hamper the people’s freedom of assembly, association, speech, and publication, dismantling the secret police apparatus and releasing the patriotic political prisoners.
	 6)	 Immediately calling a meeting of representatives from all political parties
and unaligned personages to discuss important postwar issues, drafting
a democratic administrative program, ending the period of political tutelage, establishing a democratic coalition government for the entire country,
and preparing for a national assembly through free and unfettered general
elections.

The Chinese Communist Party declares that we are willing to seek common
ground for agreement with the Guomindang and other democratic parties to find a
speedy resolution to all urgent pending problems and to work for long-term unity
in the realization of Mr. Sun Yatsen’s Three People’s Principles.
Fellow countrymen!
The War of Resistance has been victorious! A new era of peaceful reconstructtion has begun! We must hold firmly to peace, democracy, and unity, and strive
for an independent, free, rich, and powerful new China!
The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

in Nianpu, Vol. 3, pp. 13–14, but they are not explicitly attributed to Mao.