(August 11, 1954)
I would like to say a few words about the liberation of Taiwan. We are different from the Soviet Union: after the latter’s founding, it experienced no domestic warfare for several decades. After our own civil war ended, we fought in the Korean War, and now there remains the Taiwan issue. Is liberating Taiwan a good thing? If we say it is, then we would have to be at war every day; if we say it is not, it is still better than doing nothing. War can train the army, raise the people’s consciousness, and strengthen unity. Of course, this policy was not proposed only today; it has been put forward long ago. We are bringing it up again now simply to emphasize its importance. During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, we spoke of “fighting while building.” Does that mean we should now cease fighting altogether and focus solely on construction? The correct approach remains “fighting while building,” though at present the emphasis should indeed be on building. As for whether this policy needs to be announced in the newspapers, I believe it is unnecessary.


The process of liberating Taiwan will not be brief. This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of Taiwan’s separation from the motherland. It would be ideal if we could reunify this year; if not, we will try again next year, and if that fails, yet another year will follow. The policy of “fighting while building” is by no means disadvantageous to us; on the contrary, it benefits our armed forces, the people at home, and the solidarity among all social classes. Can we liberate Taiwan? Is it really such an insurmountable challenge? Our adversary is Chiang Kai-shek. There are two kinds of Chiang Kai-shek: one was based on the mainland in Nanjing, while the other lurks in the waters. We have ample experience in land battles, but our experience in naval warfare is relatively limited. Chiang Kai-shek has chosen to hide beneath the sea. Therefore, we must develop our navy and air force. Will Taiwan be recovered? I believe it can be. Once our naval and air forces are sufficiently strengthened, we will be able to reclaim Taiwan. This endeavor involves military, diplomatic, propaganda, and political work. Political work primarily focuses on fostering unity, especially among the coastal provinces. Propaganda also plays a crucial role, requiring participation from all democratic parties. Moreover, the recovery of Taiwan is an economic undertaking as well, such as constructing railways. At present, Fujian’s economic development and its foreign trade are severely hampered by the presence of Chiang Kai-shek. Following this meeting of the Central People’s Government Committee, we will convene an expanded meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, with representatives from major cities in attendance. At that meeting, a joint declaration will be adopted [I]. This is no trivial matter; it is highly complex, encompassing military, political, and economic issues, and constitutes a formidable task. Ultimately, however, we remain optimistic about the prospect of reunifying Taiwan, since Taiwan is rightfully ours, and the United States finds itself increasingly isolated on this issue.
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The 58th session of the Standing Committee of the First National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, held from August 20 to 22, 1954, adopted the “Joint Declaration of All Democratic Parties and People’s Organizations of the People’s Republic of China for the Liberation of Taiwan.”
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