Declaration to All Parties and Groups on the
Preparatory Committee of the New Political
Consultative Conference for the Purpose of
Commemorating the Twelfth Anniversary
of the “July 7th” War of Resistance Against
Japan1
(July 7, 1949)
This year marks the most joyous commemoration of “July 7th” since July 7, 1937,
when our Chinese people began the great patriotic war against the Japanese invaders. Due to the victorious war for the people’s liberation, and due to the establishment of the preparatory committee of the new Political Consultative Conference,
the many demands that the people of our country were unable to meet on a nationwide scale in the midst of the War of Resistance Against Japan have already
started being met.
The three-year-long war of the people’s liberation was in fact the continued
development of the eight-year-long War of Resistance. In these twelve years, the
people of our entire country first fought along the eastern battlefront against the
aggressive forces of fascism, and then, after eight long years of struggle and the
immense suffering we experienced, we achieved ultimate victory along with the
Allied countries. However, as the world knows, after the conclusion of the war,
the Chinese people who had already suffered so much did not attain the objective
of the war, but rather they were subjected to new and excruciating suffering. The
War of Resistance Against Japan was fought for the independence of our people, but the American and Guomindang governments forced us to become slaves
of American colonialism. The War of Resistance Against Japan was fought for
democratic reform, but the American and Guomindang governments forced us
to accept the fascist terror of Chiang Kaishek. The War of Resistance Against
Japan was fought so that the end of the war would bring domestic peace that
would allow the resumption and further development of the construction of our


country. However, the American government threw its full support behind the
Guomindang government, which tore up the agreement to cease hostilities and to
resolve the issue of the Political Consultative Conference and launched a large-scale civil war against the people. The loss of life and property has been immeasurably greater than that during the period of Japanese aggression. The reason why
the American imperialists and the Guomindang reactionaries dared to go against
the historical trend in this manner is because they believed that their strength was
greater than that of the people. But they miscalculated. The Chinese people, who
needed eight years of cooperation with the powers of various other countries to
defeat the Japanese invaders, managed to achieve victory over the Guomindang
reactionaries mainly supported by the American government in just three years.
Although the remnant forces of the Guomindang reactionaries are still seeking
to put up a last-ditch struggle, they will be annihilated in a short time. The preparatory committee of the Political Consultative Conference, which represents
the will of the Chinese people, has been established, and we will soon be able to
convene the new Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, produce a
democratic coalition government, and set about constructing a new China.
While the Chinese people are constructing our own new country, we will, of
course, establish diplomatic relations with all foreign governments that are willing to treat us with equality and friendship; this is in line with the interests of our
country and people. At the same time, we will oppose all methods of threat and
aggression, as these are not in line with the interests of our country and people.
When opposing various threats and aggression, we cannot but put forward the
problem of Japan. China is the country that is geographically closest to Japan; it
has had the closest relationship with Japan and is the country that resisted Japan
first and for the longest time, and the country that suffered the greatest losses. It
is therefore necessary to solicit China’s opinion regarding the problem of how to
deal with Japan, and we will not allow the American government to obstinately
follow its own course and make decisions arbitrarily. Although China has suffered
from the aggression of Japanese imperialism, the people of these two countries
are nevertheless willing to peacefully coexist and to establish economic and cultural cooperation under the conditions of Japan’s demilitarization and democratization agreed upon in the Potsdam Agreement. However, this shared desire of
the people of the two countries of China and Japan is currently being thwarted,
as the American imperialists who invaded China are now controlling Japan. The
policy that the American government and the American supreme command carry
out in Japan is not in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement, but, instead, repudiates the Potsdam Agreement; it does not work toward Japan’s demilitarization
and democratization, but rather it causes Japan to oppose democratization and to
continue its militarism. The American government is not willing to swiftly sign an
agreement regarding Japan, and it seeks to indefinitely delay an agreement regarding Japan so it can occupy Japan indefinitely, prevent Japan from establishing
peaceful relations with China and other foreign countries, and ensure that Japan

remains America’s colony and military base. It is evident that this sort of reactionary policy by the American government directly threatens the Chinese people,
directly threatens the Japanese people, and severely exploits the Japanese people.
When we commemorate the twelfth anniversary of the great War of Resistance
Against Japan, all of the democratic parties, civilian groups, and democratic class
forces in China believe this must be brought to the attention of the whole world:
In order to finally achieve the goal of the War of the Resistance Against Japan, we
need to sign an agreement quickly and unanimously regarding Japan. We unanimously advocate that when we prepare an agreement regarding Japan, we need
to strictly follow the process stipulated by the Potsdam Agreement, which states
that the agreement needs to be prepared in a meeting with the foreign ministers
of the four countries. In addition, this preparation needs to include the Chinese
plenipotentiary, who will be dispatched by the democratic government formed by
the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
It is not that there will be no difficulties along the road for China’s people from
now on, but no difficulties will prevent our advancement. Our struggle has never
been alone or unassisted. We have strong allies within the international democratic camp. First of these is the Soviet Union. Second are the new democratic
countries, the peoples of colonies and semi-colonies who struggle for independence, and the peoples who strive for peace and democracy throughout the world.
The forces in the international democratic camp are growing larger and larger,
and they exceed those in the imperialist camp. Although the imperialist camp
fully backs the Guomindang reactionaries, it does not have the strength to prevent
the victory of the Chinese people. Although the imperialist camp has signed the
North Atlantic Treaty in preparation for a new war of aggression, it does not have
the strength to prevent the victory of the Soviet Union’s peaceful diplomacy. For
instance, the recent four-party foreign ministers meeting reached a consensus concerning the principle of unifying Germany and an agreement regarding Austria.
Although the imperialist camp loudly agitated to carry out the so-called Marshall
Plan, it is unable to prevent an economic crisis from breaking out in America,
England, and other countries, and the time of this outbreak is already approaching. The direction in which the world develops will be decided by the strength
of the anti-imperialist, peaceful, and democratic forces, and will not be decided
by the imperialists and reactionaries in various countries. The imperialists and
reactionaries in various countries have already lost their advantage and are now
in a disadvantaged position; they are now digging their own graves. May all of
China’s people unite; may the people of the world unite! We must work toward
overthrowing the aggressors of imperialism and attaining peace and democracy
throughout the world.
Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong
Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Guomindang, Li Jishen
China Democratic League, Shen Junru, Zhang Bojun
Democratic Foundation Committee, Huang Yanpei

Unaligned democratic personages, Guo Moruo
Chinese Committee to Promote Democratization, Ma Xulun
Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, Peng Zemin
Chinese People’s National Salvation Country Committee, Shi Liang [f.]
United Comrades of the Three People’s Principles, Tan Pingshan
Committee to Promote Democracy of the Chinese Guomindang, Cai Tingkai
China Zhi Gong Party, Chen Qiyou
Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Zhu De
Chinese Federation of Labor Unions, Li Lisan
Peasants’ Union of the Liberated Regions, Liu Yuhou
Democratic personages in the industrial sector, Chen Shutong
Democratic personages in the cultural sector, Shen Yanbing [aka Mao Dun]
Democratic professor, Zhang Xiruo
Chinese Democratic Youth Federation, Liao Chengzhi
Chinese Democratic Women’s Federation, Cai Chang [f]
Chinese Students’ Federation, Xie Bangding
Shanghai Federation of People’s Organizations, Zhou Jianren
Chinese national minorities, Ulanfu
Democratic personages among overseas Chinese, Chen Jiageng [aka Tan Kah
Yee]