Do Away With Superstition About Imperialist "Civilization"

Welcome to you. Very few African friends have come to China. We are
all Asian-African countries, participants in the Bandung Conference.* The
three regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America used to suffer from imperialist
oppression. Africa is very near Asia, with only a strip of water between them
—the Suez Canal—which can be crossed at a stride.
The world belongs to the oppressed people, and there is no future for
oppressors. The Western imperialists are oppressors of the people, and in
countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America there are local oppressors. For
instance, the Turkish government is not so good, nor is the Lebanese govern
ment. China has Chiang Kai-shek, who is not a good man either; Japan also
has bad people. However, oppressors are a minority, while good people are
still in the majority. This is a question of nine fingers versus one finger; even
in Western countries good people are a majority. In France, likewise, good
people constitute the majority, and oppressors the minority. The minority
oppressors are afraid of the opposition of the good people, just as one finger,
that is, the bad fellow, is afraid of the opposition of the other nine fingers,
the good people.
The people are distinct from the rulers and this is very important. It
requires an observation of decades or even 100 years before a clear distinction
is achieved. We came to understand this after being subjected to imperialist
oppression for over 100 years. In past decades the Chinese people used to think
that all foreigners were wicked. It is not easy for you to understand this point,
only with which can victory be won. Now that you understand this point you
are close to victory. Most nations are the oppressed, only a minority are
oppressors.
Western imperialists consider themselves to be civilized and call the
oppressed barbarous. However, we have not occupied other people's territory,
nor has Africa occupied Europe. It is Europe that has occupied Africa. Can
this be called civilized? Europe is inferior to Africa; it occupies other people's
territory. Isn't this rather barbarous? Imperialists occupied China, and this was
very barbarous. China has never in the past or at present occupied other
countries, nor will it in the future occupy the United States or Britain as
colonies. Therefore, we have always been civilized, and so have you. After
liberation you won't occupy France, the United States, Britain or Germany.
The imperialists are prone to castigate us as being dirty, unclean and unhy
gienic. I don't think this is necessarily correct. We are cleaner. We must have
self-confidence and despise European and American imperialism. They count
for nothing.
Over a long period of time imperialists have spread the lie that they are
civilized, noble-minded and hygienic. Its influence remains in the world, like
the existence of a slavish mentality. We used to be slaves of imperialism, and
our mentality was affected in the long run. Such mental influence still exists
among some of our people. That's why we have done extensive work among
the whole people to do away with this superstition. There used to be a
U.S.-phobia among the Chinese people, and its influence must be done away
with. Are there people in your country who suffer from France-phobia? Most
probably there are, because the French have all along disseminated that kind
of stuff and they must have some followers. We should gradually rid the people
of such mentality.
(From the verbatim record)