Telegram from Mao Zedong et al. Congratulating the People of Czechoslovakia on the Tenth Anniversary of Their Victory (February 24, 1958)

To Comrade Antonín Novotný, President of the Czechoslovak Republic; to Comrade Zdeněk Fierlinger, Chairman of the National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic; and to Comrade Viliam Široký, Prime Minister of the Czechoslovak Republic:  On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the victory of the working people of Czechoslovakia, please allow us, on behalf of the Government and the people of the People’s Republic of China, to extend our warmest congratulations to you and, through you, to the Government and the people of the Czechoslovak Republic.

In the days of the February events of 1948, the working people of Czechoslovakia rallied closely around the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, thoroughly crushing the conspiratorial machinations of domestic and foreign reactionaries aimed at overthrowing the people’s democratic system and restoring capitalist rule. As a result, Czechoslovakia resolutely embarked upon the glorious path of socialism.

Over the past ten years, under the leadership of the Communist Party and the government of Czechoslovakia, the Czechoslovak people have achieved tremendous successes in socialist construction and have made significant contributions to strengthening the solidarity among the countries of the socialist camp led by the Soviet Union and to the cause of safeguarding world peace.

The Chinese people are deeply delighted by these great achievements of our fraternal Czechoslovak brothers and sisters, and they will continue to work tirelessly alongside the Czechoslovak people for the common cause of building socialism and upholding peace.

We wish the people of Czechoslovakia new and even greater successes in their endeavors to build socialism and to defend world peace. May the unbreakable friendship between the peoples of China and Czechoslovakia be continuously consolidated and developed.

Mao Zedong, President of the People’s Republic of China  Liu Shaoqi, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China  Zhou Enlai, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

February 24, 1958  Printed according to the edition in the People’s Daily of February 25, 1958.