Head of the Central Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee Lu Dingyi Refutes the Statement by the KMT Central Propaganda Department, Saying That the So-Called Peace Proposal Is Entirely a Deception

[1] (January 25, 1947)

【Yan'an, January 25, Xinhua News Agency】 Comrade Lu Dingyi, head of the Central Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, today issued the following refutation of the statement by the Central Propaganda Department of the Kuomintang on the 20th:

The entire content of the KMT Central Propaganda Department's statement is to reject the two conditions set by the CPC for resuming peace talks—namely, the abolition of Chiang Kai-shek's pseudo-constitution and the restoration of the military positions as of January 13 last year—and to put forward four so-called "peace proposals." These four proposals were already conveyed by Chiang Kai-shek through the American side to the CPC office in Nanjing on the 23rd, and are thus Chiang Kai-shek's proposals. From this action by Chiang Kai-shek alone, it can be seen that the so-called "peace talks" are entirely a deception, and the so-called four proposals are designed to reject the preconditions for genuine peace talks. Since there is no willingness to accept the preconditions that can truly guarantee peace and realize democracy, what sincerity can there be, and what peace talks can there be?

Comrade Lu pointed out that the abolition of Chiang Kai-shek's pseudo-constitution and the restoration of the military positions as of January 13 last year must and can be fully achieved. Since Chiang Kai-shek, through coercion and deception and various means, has deployed 90 percent of his troops to attack the Liberated Areas, what reason is there that, in the interests of peace, he cannot redeploy these troops back

[1] This manuscript was reviewed and revised by Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Liu Shaoqi, and disseminated by Xinhua News Agency. The text printed in Song-style font was added and revised by Mao Zedong.

to their original positions? The People's Liberation Army has captured over 300,000 of Chiang Kai-shek's invading troops, from army and division commanders down to ordinary soldiers, all of whom say they do not want to fight the civil war for Chiang Kai-shek and earnestly wish for peace and a return to their original places. What reason does Chiang Kai-shek have to force them to serve as cannon fodder in the civil war? Claims such as that "over a year has passed, and the positions of each side have changed significantly," making the restoration of the military positions as of January 13 last year practically impossible—are these not clearly lies?

Another "reason" in the KMT Central Propaganda Department's statement for rejecting the restoration of the military positions as of January 13 is that "if the government were to withdraw from areas it has already recovered, the lives and property of the people in those areas would have no protection." This is a complete lie. Chiang's troops have occupied over 160 cities and more than 179,000 square kilometers of land in the Liberated Areas, where there are over 20 million people from the Liberated Areas—equivalent to half the population of France. Before Chiang's troops invaded, the peasants there had achieved land to the tiller, democratic governments had been established, traitors had been punished, and people of all social strata lived and worked in peace and contentment, with no famines and no economic crises. After Chiang's troops invaded, the peasants' land was confiscated, fascist secret police terror replaced democratic politics, traitors and evil gentry returned and were given titles and promotions by Chiang's government, and Chiang's officials and soldiers committed murder, arson, rape, and looting, imposed exorbitant taxes and levies, forcibly conscripted labor and grain, and engaged in rampant corruption. The over 20 million people have once again been subjected to the boundless suffering of Chiang Kai-shek's dictatorship. Chiang Kai-shek has indeed "protected" traitors, secret police, evil gentry, and corrupt officials to his heart's content—has he ever protected the lives and property of the people for even a minute? Precisely in order to protect the people's lives and property, Chiang's troops must withdraw completely from all occupied areas!

In Chiang Kai-shek's "peace proposal," he proposes what is called a "ceasefire at current positions." Everyone should remember: there have been three ceasefires at current positions since the ceasefire order in January last year. The January ceasefire order was the first; the Northeast ceasefire agreement on March 27 was the second; and the in-place ceasefire negotiations in June were the third. Each time, the CPC made extreme concessions, but the results of these concessions were that Chiang Kai-shek broke the agreements three times in succession. Are the Chinese people truly a flock of fools, such that they should allow Chiang Kai-shek a fourth ceasefire at current positions, so that he can break it a fourth time and conveniently wipe out all the Liberated Areas? Who can guarantee that he will not do this? The so-called "ceasefire at current positions" now being proposed by the Kuomintang is a "ceasefire at current positions" after Chiang Kai-shek has completely torn up the ceasefire order and the resolutions of the Political Consultative Conference and recklessly launched an

unprecedented civil war. It is tantamount to demanding that the Chinese people accept the results he achieved by force in violation of agreements and his own pledges, thereby encouraging warlords in their delusion of unifying the country through force and encouraging reactionaries to wantonly tear up all faith and launch large-scale civil war. Chiang Kai-shek talks ceaselessly of a "political solution," but his actual actions are a "military solution." If the Chinese people agree to this, what hope of peace will there be in the future? If the CPC agrees to this, how can it account to the people? For the sake of domestic peace in the motherland and for the welfare of the motherland's people, the CPC absolutely cannot recognize such illegal results achieved by Chiang Kai-shek through force, and therefore absolutely cannot agree to the so-called "current positions" which in fact aim to eliminate all the Liberated Areas through a "ceasefire." The military positions as of January 13 must be completely restored, and the 90 percent of Chiang's troops that he illegally redeployed must be withdrawn one by one to their original stations. Without this, peace is absolutely not guaranteed.

As for the third and fourth items in Chiang Kai-shek's "peace proposal," such as reorganizing the army, restoring communications, and local political authority, these have been raised countless times before and discussed repeatedly, but they have either yielded no results or, if there were results, were torn up by Chiang Kai-shek. Until Chiang Kai-shek abolishes the pseudo-constitution and restores the military positions as of January 13 last year, there is no point in discussing these issues at all. Therefore, the first item in Chiang Kai-shek's "proposal," namely, "the government is willing to send personnel for discussions and even hold a roundtable conference," is entirely unnecessary before the CPC's two conditions are fulfilled. The purpose of Chiang Kai-shek putting forward these topics as a "proposal" is merely to stall with empty words, so as to deceive people.

Comrade Lu Dingyi pointed out that Chiang Kai-shek's pseudo-constitution must and can be abolished. Since the founding of the Republic, this is the third pseudo-constitution. Since the two pseudo-constitutions of Yuan Shikai and Cao Kun were both abolished, why cannot Chiang Kai-shek's pseudo-constitution be abolished? Since Chiang Kai-shek has betrayed his trust, violated the resolutions of the Political Consultative Conference, unilaterally convened the "National Assembly," and passed a pseudo-constitution, the people have every reason to order him to abolish this pseudo-constitution.

The KMT Central Propaganda Department's statement says that "the CPC truly has no reason to oppose" this Chiang-version pseudo-constitution. Then let me ask: What reason does Chiang Kai-shek have to create this pseudo-constitution? Let me ask: Did the Chinese people have reason to oppose the pseudo-constitutions of Yuan Shikai and Cao Kun in the past? Since Chiang

Kai-shek has created this pseudo-constitution, if it is not abolished, it is an acceptance of fascist dictatorship, an acceptance of warlords destroying the law and violating discipline. What political democratization and nationalization of the army can there be then? Therefore, the pseudo-constitution must be abolished.

The "National Assembly" unilaterally convened by Chiang Kai-shek has been unanimously condemned by the overwhelming majority of public opinion, both at home and abroad. The CPC and all democratic personages in China had long advised Chiang Kai-shek not to convene a one-party, illegal, and divisive "National Assembly," but Chiang Kai-shek stubbornly refused to listen. After the Chiang-version "National Assembly" opened, we again advised him to dissolve it, and he again refused to listen. Chiang Kai-shek is acting so tyrannically and without restraint—the Chinese people absolutely cannot tolerate this, and the Chinese people and all true democrats absolutely do not recognize this illegal and divisive "National Assembly" as valid.

As for the representatives to the Chiang-version "National Assembly," most of them were produced ten years ago through designation, rigged selection, bribery, and fraud, and some were "supplemented" on the spot by Chiang Kai-shek and his hangers-on. Among them are traitors—even more disgraceful than the hog-deputies in Cao Kun's time. In what way are they "representatives of all nationalities, provinces, cities, and professions across the country"? When was the draft of Chiang Kai-shek's pseudo-constitution ever finally reviewed by the Political Consultative Conference? In what way do its main principles—such as people's rights, autonomy for minority nationalities, the relationship between the legislative and executive branches, and the delegation of power to local authorities—conform to the "principles of the Political Consultative Conference agreements"? Chiang Kai-shek refuses to abolish such a vile, fascist pseudo-constitution—this is indeed "stubbornly clinging to his own views," bringing disaster to the entire country, betraying the people, betraying the nation, and showing his determination to be reactionary to the end!

Comrade Lu further pointed out that the abolition of the pseudo-constitution and the restoration of the military positions as of January 13 last year are the minimum preconditions for peace negotiations. These are the minimum conditions because Chiang Kai-shek has already thoroughly torn up his four pledges, the ceasefire agreement, the reorganization plan for the army, the Northeast ceasefire agreement, and the resolutions of the Political Consultative Conference, assassinated democrats such as Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo, convened an illegal "National Assembly," signed the traitorous Sino-American Commercial Treaty, launched a nationwide massive war, and occupied so many Liberated Areas. After committing so many outrageous acts, Chiang Kai-shek wants to negotiate peace again—there naturally must be a few preconditions to be met; otherwise, who can believe he has even a shred of sincerity? According to legal principle, all warmongering elements in the Kuomintang should be punished as war criminals, the Kuomintang reactionaries and secret agents who sabotaged the Political Consultative Conference should

be punished as fascists, the responsible Kuomintang government officials who signed the Sino-American Commercial Treaty should be punished as traitors to the nation, and they should compensate the people of the whole country and the people of the Liberated Areas for the enormous losses caused by Chiang Kai-shek's initiation of the civil war. We have not yet raised these fair and reasonable demands; we have only proposed the two conditions of abolishing the pseudo-constitution and restoring the military positions as of January 13 last year. Is this not the utmost leniency toward Chiang Kai-shek? Over the past year, Chiang Kai-shek's lawlessness—to what extent has it reached? If we do not even require him to implement these two minimum conditions and instead disregard all past crimes, agree to a "ceasefire at current positions," allow him time to rest and reorganize, consolidate the occupied areas, replenish his troops, "reorganize his government," and obtain $500 million or more in loans and military aid from the US government, then, once he has the strength to launch another massive offensive, Chiang Kai-shek will surely become even more lawless. "The lesson is not far away"—it was just last year. Therefore, unless we give up on national independence, domestic peace, and democratic freedom, we must insist that Chiang Kai-shek implement the two conditions—the abolition of the pseudo-constitution and the restoration of the military positions as of January 13 last year. We will not rest until these goals are achieved, and no deception will work. Now that Chiang Kai-shek has rejected these two conditions and brazenly put forward a deceptive "peace proposal" in opposition, all the consequences that follow will, of course, be borne by Chiang Kai-shek.