Conversation with Asian and African Foreign Guests (April 27, 1961)

Chairman Mao expressed his deep sympathy and support for the struggle of the peoples of Africa and Arab countries against imperialism. He pointed out that the current international situation is highly favorable to the anti-imperialist struggle of the peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Chairman Mao said that in the course of fighting imperialism, by adopting the correct line—relying on the workers and peasants, uniting the broad ranks of revolutionary intellectuals, the petty bourgeoisie, the national bourgeoisie opposed to imperialism, and all patriotic anti-imperialist forces—and by maintaining close ties with the masses, it is possible to achieve victory. Chairman Mao noted that revolutionary parties and forces are initially in a minority position, yet they possess the greatest future. He severely condemned U.S. imperialism’s aggression against Cuba, pointing out that the United States’ impatience to attack Cuba has once again exposed its true nature before the eyes of the world, demonstrating that the Kennedy administration can only be worse than, not better than, the Eisenhower administration. The crime of U.S. imperialism in using the United Nations as an instrument to invade the Congo[2] and assassinate Lumumba[3] has further heightened the African peoples’ understanding of U.S. imperialism. Chairman Mao stated that the aspiration expressed at the recent Bandung Conference on Asian-African Solidarity[4] for closer unity between the peoples of Asia and Africa and those of Latin America is a good one and beneficial to the common cause of the world’s peoples in their anti-imperialist struggle. Chairman Mao said that the Chinese people regard the victories of the anti-imperialist struggles of the peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America as their own victories and extend warm sympathy and support to all their anti-imperialist and anti-colonial struggles.

According to the news report published in the People’s Daily on April 29, 1961. Notes [1] The Asian and African foreign guests whom Mao Zedong received in Hangzhou included: Abdoulaye Diallo, Secretary-General of the All-Africa Peoples’ Congress; Kamara Bengali, Member of the Political Bureau of the Guinean Democratic Party; So Mamadou, Deputy Director of the Planning Department of the Government of the Republic of Guinea; Keita Koumandian, General Secretary of the Guinean Teachers’ Union; Shafiq al-Irshidat, Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Socialist Party; Tannison Makivani, Member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress of South Africa; E.O. Ogwalagul, Secretary of the Ugandan Teachers’ Union; Charles Garel, First Secretary of the Senegalese Branch of the African Independence Party; A.F. Banda, Chairman of the Eastern Province of the United National Independence Party of Northern Rhodesia; and Paul Nabut Mwok, a delegate of the Kenyan African National Union to the World Peace Council meeting in New Delhi, among others. The audience took place from 11 p.m. on April 27, 1961, until 12:30 a.m. the following day. [2] Here, “the Congo” refers to the then Congo (Leopoldville), now known as Zaire. [3] Lumumba was the first Prime Minister of the Congo (Leopoldville). He was placed under house arrest by UN forces in October 1960 and was assassinated in January 1961. [4] This refers to the Fourth Session of the Council of the Organization of Solidarity among Asian and African Peoples, held in Bandung, Indonesia, from April 10 to 13, 1961.