*This is the first in a series of editorials written by Comrade Mao Zedong for Xinhua News Agency, exposing how the Kuomintang was using peace negotiations to preserve its counterrevolutionary strength.

In order to safeguard China’s reactionary forces and U.S. imperialist interests in China, Chiang Kai-shek, the No. 1 war criminal and leader of the Kuomintang bandit clique, issued a peace-seeking statement on New Year’s Day this year.

War criminal Chiang Kai-shek declared: “As long as the peace talks do not jeopardize the nation’s independence and territorial integrity, but instead help the people recuperate and rebuild their lives; as long as the sacred Constitution is not violated by my actions, democratic constitutionalism is not undermined, the republican form of government is securely maintained, the legitimate succession of the Republic of China is uninterrupted, the army enjoys genuine guarantees, and the people can sustain their free way of life along with their present minimum standard of living, then I personally have no further aspirations.”

“As long as peace can indeed be achieved,” he continued, “I shall have no concerns whatsoever about my own fate—whether to stay or to leave—and will follow only the public will of the nation.”

Some may find it rather absurd that a war criminal would seek peace, while others may regard such a declaration as utterly contemptible. However, it should be understood that it is precisely because the No. 1 war criminal, the head of the Kuomintang bandits, has stepped forward to advocate for peace and made this very statement that there lies a clear benefit for the Chinese people in comprehending the conspiratorial schemes of the Kuomintang clique and U.S. imperialism. Through this, the Chinese people can now see that the so-called “peace” currently being loudly proclaimed is, in fact, what this gang of murderous criminals led by Chiang Kai-shek—and their American masters—are desperately striving for. Other related editorials include: “Why Do the Fractured Reactionaries Still Utter Empty Calls for ‘Comprehensive Peace’?”; “The Kuomintang Reactionaries Have Shifted from ‘Calling for Peace’ to Calling for War”; “A Critique of Several Kuomintang Responses to the Question of War Responsibility”; and “Where Is the Nanjing Government Headed?” among others.

What Chiang Kai-shek has confessed to is the entire plan hatched by his gang. The key points of this plan are as follows: “It must not harm the nation’s independence and territorial integrity”—this is of paramount importance. “Peace” is acceptable only if it does not undermine the “independence and territorial integrity” of the country as protected by the Four Big Families and the comprador landlord class. If “peace” were to jeopardize the Sino-U.S. Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation,⑴⑵ the Sino-U.S. Air Transport Agreement, bilateral agreements between China and the United States, and other such treaties; if it were to threaten U.S. privileges such as the stationing of U.S. naval, land, and air forces in China, the establishment of military bases, the exploitation of mineral resources, and the monopoly over trade; if it were to undermine China’s status as an American colony—in short, if “peace” were to undermine all measures that safeguard the “independence and territorial integrity” of Chiang Kai-shek’s reactionary regime, then it would be entirely unacceptable.

“Peace must contribute to the people’s recuperation”—that is, it must aid the recovery of China’s reactionary forces, which have been defeated but not yet annihilated, so that once they have regained their strength, they may launch a renewed offensive to crush the revolution. “Peace” exists solely for this purpose. After two and a half years of fighting, with the lackeys still holding firm and the Americans growing increasingly impatient, even a brief respite would be welcome.

“Ensuring that the sacred Constitution remains unviolated, that democratic constitutionalism is not destroyed, and that the republican form of government and the legitimate succession of the Republic of China are maintained”—this means securing the ruling position of China’s reactionary classes and their puppet government, and guaranteeing that the “legitimate succession” of this class and this government will not be interrupted. This “legitimate succession” must never be allowed to break; otherwise, the entire comprador landlord class would be wiped out, the Kuomintang bandit clique would collapse, and all major, medium, and minor war criminals would be apprehended and brought to justice.

“The army must have genuine guarantees”—for the comprador landlord class, the army is their lifeline. Although millions have already been annihilated by the valiant People’s Liberation Army, there remain hundreds of thousands today, and these forces must be “guaranteed” and guaranteed “genuinely.” Should the guarantees prove insubstantial, the comprador landlord class would lose its foundation, the “legitimate succession” would inevitably be disrupted, the Kuomintang clique would perish, and all major, medium, and minor war criminals would face arrest and punishment.

In the Grand View Garden, Jia Baoyu’s lifeline is a precious stone tied around his neck.⑶ For the Kuomintang, its army serves as that very lifeline. How could one possibly fail to “guarantee” it, or claim to provide “guarantees” that are ultimately “insubstantial”? “The people must be able to maintain their free way of life alongside their current minimum standard of living”—the Chinese comprador landlord class must continue to enjoy the freedom to oppress and exploit the entire nation, along with their present extravagant and indulgent lifestyle. Meanwhile, the working people of China must endure their current state of oppression and exploitation, living under conditions of hunger and cold.

This, after all, is the ultimate objective behind the war criminal’s plea for peace. What good would peace do if the war criminals and their class could not uphold their freedom to oppress and exploit, nor sustain their luxurious way of life? To achieve this, it is naturally necessary to perpetuate the current dire “free way of life and minimum standard of living” endured by workers, peasants, intellectuals, and teachers.

Once our beloved President Chiang raised this condition, tens of millions of factory workers, artisans, and freelancers, hundreds of millions of farmers, and several million intellectuals and educators could only burst into applause, prostrate themselves in reverence, and shout “Long live!” If the Communist Party were to refuse peace and fail to uphold such a wretched way of life and standard of living, it would deserve ten thousand deaths, and “all future responsibility would rest solely with the Communist Party.”

All of the above, however, does not yet encompass every hidden gem contained within the war criminal’s January 1st peace appeal. There is another treasure—the “decisive battle between Beijing and Shanghai” mentioned by Chiang Kai-shek in his New Year address.

Just where does he derive the confidence to speak of such a “decisive battle”? Chiang Kai-shek asserts: “Let it be known that today, in terms of military, political, and economic power alike, our government surpasses the Communists by several times, even dozens of times.”

Good heavens! How could such overwhelming superiority fail to strike terror into the hearts of the people? Setting aside for now the political and economic strengths, let us focus solely on the military dimension. The People’s Liberation Army currently numbers over three million troops. To double that figure would mean six million; to increase it tenfold would bring the total to more than thirty million. And if we were to multiply it by twenty—let’s make that our estimate—then the PLA would number over sixty million soldiers. No wonder President Chiang confidently claims to possess “a decisive advantage.”

But why seek peace at all? It is certainly not because they are incapable of fighting. With over sixty million troops poised to descend upon them, which communist party—or any other party—could possibly hope to survive? They would undoubtedly be crushed without exception.

Thus, it becomes abundantly clear that the real motivation behind this call for peace lies not in any ulterior motive, but purely in a desire to “appeal to the people’s wishes.”

Are things truly perfect, without a single flaw? Apparently, flaws do exist. What are they? According to President Chiang: “What we regret most is that certain members of our government have fallen victim to the Communist Party’s malicious propaganda, causing them to become mentally unsettled and nearly lose their confidence. Under the psychological threat posed by the Communists, they can only perceive the enemy’s overwhelming strength, completely failing to recognize the fact that our own forces far exceed those of the enemy by dozens of times.”

News emerges year after year, but this year’s developments stand out particularly. The Kuomintang, boasting over sixty million officers and soldiers, fails to acknowledge its own formidable strength of sixty million, instead focusing solely on the PLA’s mere three million. Isn’t this, in itself, remarkable news? One might ask: Does such news still hold any market value? Is it even worth paying attention to?

According to reports reaching us from within Beiping city: “Prices dipped slightly in the morning on New Year’s Day, only to return to their previous levels in the afternoon.” Meanwhile, foreign news agencies reported: “Shanghai’s response to Chiang Kai-shek’s New Year address was lukewarm.”

These accounts effectively answer the question regarding the viability of war criminal Chiang Kai-shek’s message. As we have long maintained, Chiang has already lost his soul—he is nothing more than a walking corpse, utterly disbelieved by anyone.

Notes:

[1] The Sino-U.S. Air Transport Agreement between the Chiang Kai-shek government and U.S. imperialism was signed on December 20, 1946. Under this agreement, Chiang ceded complete control over China’s airspace. American aircraft were granted full authority to fly, load, unload, and operate throughout China, effectively monopolizing the country’s air transport industry. Moreover, U.S. planes enjoyed the right to make “non-commercial landings,” namely military landing rights, within Chinese territory.

[2] The Sino-U.S. Bilateral Agreement, also known as the “Sino-U.S. Agreement on Economic Assistance,” was signed in Nanjing on July 3, 1948, by representatives of both the Chiang Kai-shek government and U.S. imperialism. This accord vested the United States with supreme supervisory and decision-making authority over China’s financial and economic affairs. American personnel stationed in China under direct U.S. supervision were granted extraterritorial privileges. Furthermore, the United States was permitted to procure any strategic materials it deemed necessary from China, while the Chiang Kai-shek government was obligated to promptly provide intelligence regarding these supplies. The Chiang government also pledged to facilitate the dumping of U.S. goods into the Chinese market.

[3] Jia Baoyu is a character from the 18th-century Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. The Grand View Garden is the garden belonging to Jia Baoyu’s family. Legend has it that when Jia Baoyu was born, he held a jade stone in his mouth—a talisman representing his lifeline. This stone was never removed from around his neck; losing it would result in the loss of his spirit and soul.