Telegram of Congratulations from Mao Zedong et al. on the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Liberation of Czechoslovakia (May 8, 1960)  To Comrade Antonín Novotný, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and 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 Government of the Czechoslovak Republic:  On the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the liberation of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Armed Forces, on behalf of the Communist Party of China, the Government of the People’s Republic of China, and the Chinese people, we hereby extend to you, and through you to the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, the Government of the Czechoslovak Republic, and its people, our warm fraternal congratulations.
Over the past fifteen years, the industrious and wise people of Czechoslovakia, under the leadership of the glorious Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, have achieved brilliant successes in consolidating the dictatorship of the proletariat, carrying out socialist transformation, developing socialist construction, and raising the material and cultural standards of living of the people.
The Czechoslovak Republic has now become one of the most highly industrialized countries in the world.
At present, the Czechoslovak people, imbued with high political enthusiasm and a spirit of initiative, are advancing victoriously toward the realization of the program for completing socialist construction laid down by the Eleventh Congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, as well as the Party’s recent task of bringing agriculture up to the level of industry within ten years.
The Chinese people are deeply delighted by the great achievements attained by our fraternal Czechoslovak people.
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia has consistently upheld the great unity of the socialist camp led by the Soviet Union and, together with fraternal parties of all countries, has waged a resolute struggle against modern revisionism in Yugoslavia.
The Government of the Czechoslovak Republic has steadfastly pursued a policy of peaceful diplomacy, actively supporting all peace initiatives of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, opposing the aggressive and war-mongering policies of imperialism, and vigorously combating the revival of West German militarism fostered by U.S. imperialism, thereby making a positive contribution to the maintenance of European security and world peace.
It gives the Chinese people great pleasure to note that, with the rapid upsurge in the socialist construction of both our countries, the friendly relations of cooperation between China and Czechoslovakia in the political, economic, cultural, and scientific-technological fields have been comprehensively developed.
We are convinced that the continued consolidation and development of the solidarity, friendship, and mutually beneficial cooperative ties between China and Czechoslovakia will greatly promote the common prosperity of our two countries and strengthen the unity of the socialist camp led by the Soviet Union.
We sincerely congratulate the Czechoslovak people, under the correct leadership of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, on achieving new and even greater successes in the noble cause of building socialism, striving for lasting peace, and advancing human progress.
We wish that the unbreakable friendship between the peoples of China and Czechoslovakia may be further consolidated and developed.

Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China  Liu Shaoqi, President of the People’s Republic of China  Zhu De, 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  May 8, 1960  Printed according to the edition in the People’s Daily of May 9, 1960.