Looking At The Prospect Of The People'S Struggle In Asia, Africa And Latin America From A Historical Perspective


LOOKING AT THE PROSPECT OF THE PEOPLE'S
STRUGGLE IN ASIA, AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA
FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE*
(July 9, 1964)
The prospect of the people's struggle in Asia, Africa and Latin America
is a question of common concern. If we are to see its prospect, we must
look back at history. By looking at the more than a decade of history
since the Second World War in Asia, Africa and Latin America we will
be able to see the prospect. Take China, for example. Nineteen years ago
Japanese militarists occupied over half our country, and we were at war
for eight years. After we won the War of Resistance Against Japan, the
Americans came. They supported Chiang Kai-shek to launch the civil war.
Before liberation the enemies we had to counter included Japanese militarists, American imperialists, their stooges Wang Jingwei,^'^ Emperor Kangde
of "Manchoukuo"2'^ and Chiang Kai-shek. After we won liberation, a
Japanese capitalist named Minamigo Saburo^®” had a talk with me. He said,
"I'm very sorry for what we did to you. Japan invaded you." I said, "No,
if Japanese imperialism had not committed large-scale aggression and occupied over half of China, it would have been impossible for people all over
China to unite against imperialism and for the Communist Party of China
to win victory." As a matter of fact, Japanese imperialism acted as our
good teacher. First, it weakened Chiang Kai-shek; second, we developed
the Communist-led bases and armed forces. Prior to the War of Resistance,
our army once numbered 300,000. Because we committed mistakes ourselves, our army was reduced to little more than 20,000. During the
eight-year War of Resistance, our army increased to 1.2 million. So you
see, Japan helped us a lot, didn't it? This help was not given by the

Japanese Communist Party, but by Japanese militarism, because the Japanese
Communist Party never invaded us; it was Japanese monopoly capital and
its militarist government that invaded us. Our second teacher, who also
helped us, was American imperialism. The third teacher who gave us help
was Chiang Kai-shek. At that time Chiang Kai-shek attacked us with a
four-million-strong army. After four years of war with him our army grew
from the previous 1.2 million to over three million. Over 95 percent of
Chiang Kai-shek's army was put out of action, and the fewer than five
percent remaining fled to Taiwan.
The lesson China acquired was; Where there is oppression, there is
resistance; where there is exploitation, there is resistance. Imperialism,
whether Japanese, American or other, can be overthrown. Reactionaries
within the country, like Chiang Kai-shek, however strong they seem, can
be overthrown too. So much for the Chinese history.
Now the Japanese people are highly conscious. They initiated a mass
movement against American imperialism and domestic monopoly capital.
What made them rise up? It was the oppression and exploitation by
American imperialism and Japanese monopoly capital that taught them; the
Chinese Communist Party never taught them to do so. In my view Japanese
monopoly capital does not fully approve Japan's being occupied by American imperialism. Some Japanese monopoly capitalists are not happy with
the occupation, because under the occupation of American imperialists Japan
not only lost its colonies, but is itself subject to American control. Today
not only the Japanese people, but some Japanese monopoly capitalists are
beginning to oppose American imperialism.
Talking about the history of Asia, Africa and Latin America, great
changes have taken place in recent decades. In Africa alone more than 30
countries have won independence. Before 1958 I seldom saw Africans, but
in the seven years from 1958 to 1964 I have met with African friends on
many occasions. There is a great anti-imperialist and anticolonialist storm
in Africa. In Egypt, for instance, the Suez Canal Incident"" took place in
1956. Who were more powerful, the Anglo-French allies or the Egyptian
troops? The British and French were so powerful, but they were sent on
the run at the first blow. Now is the Suez Canal in the hands of Egyptians
or of the British and French imperialists? Let's take a look at Algeria,
where the National Liberation Army fought for eight years. In the later
stage of the fighting France dispatched 800,000 troops. The National
Liberation Army had only 30,000 to 40,000 men. Who were stronger, the
Algerian people or the French imperialists? Let's take another look, at Cuba.
Are American imperialism and its lackey Batista^^' stronger or is Castro^^^
stronger? Over 80 of Castro's troops disembarked in Cuba from overseas
and after fierce fighting only 12 were left. They hid themselves in the
homes of peasants and later rose again in guerrilla warfare. After two years
or more they won. We openly supported Vietnam and Algeria in their
struggle against French aggression. Did we offend the French government
by so doing? No, Ho Chi Minh^'^ won; Ben Bella^”' won; France, however,
recognized China. So things in the world are changing. Now the French
are teaching the Americans that America should draw a lesson from France
and stop fighting in southern Vietnam. "We French failed; if you Americans continue to fight, like us you will fail." The United States will
probably take the lesson of France. Having fought for three years, but
unable to win, it cannot win if it fights on, so it must go. You may see
that in three years' time or even longer the U.S. is bound to get out of
Vietnam. It will leave places such as Thailand, Laos, the Philippines, South
Korea and Japan; it will also leave Taiwan. I cannot figure out an exact
time when it will go, but it will certainly go. So long as people unite and
strengthen their struggle, all the imperialists and colonialists who oppress
Asia, Africa and Latin America will go sooner or later. They may go in
a decent way, but what should we do if they refuse to go when we ask
them to? Then let's learn from the ways of Castro, Ben Bella, Ho Chi
Minh, and even China. When we look back at history, we can know the
future.
Talking about people, not reactionaries, no people in any country
oppress and exploit people of other countries. Take you, representatives of
Asian and African countries, for example; do you oppress the Chinese
people? Do you exploit the Chinese people? We don't feel that way. Can
the Chinese people oppress you? Can they exploit you? If the Chinese
government did so, it is wrong, it would be imperialist, not socialist. If any Chinese
show no respect, think themselves superior to you or make trouble in your
country, just drive them out. This is the most fundamental principle for
the unity of people in Asia, Africa and Latin America against imperialism.
Our mutual relations are those of brothers, not father and sons. We should
consolidate unity and build a broad united front. Whoever they are, whether
black, white or yellow; whatever religion they believe in, whether Catholics,
Protestants, Muslims or Buddhists; even some national bourgeois—we should
unite with them all, so long as they are against imperialism and its stooges.
This does not include stooges who helped imperialism in their countries.
As for the question of how to defeat reactionaries within the country.

I believe we can either adopt peaceful means or resort to force. Some
countries called on the broad masses of the people to use force against
reactionaries, because those reactionaries had weapons in their hands. This
is making use of appropriate opportunities in light of the actual conditions
of different countries. If he wants to go to war, I just follow. This method
comes from the reactionaries; we learned this from Chiang Kai-shek. If he
could strike me, why couldn't I strike back?
Some put weapons first and human beings second. Let's put it the
other way round: human beings first and weapons second. Similar to
machines, weapons are just extensions of human hands. Are human beings
in the hands of weapons or weapons in the hands of human beings? Of
course the latter, because weapons have no hands. What weapon has hands?
I was at war for 25 years, including the three-year Korean War. Previously
I did not know how to fight; I knew nothing about war. I learned how to
fight in the course of the 25-year war. I've never seen any weapons with
hands; I see only people have hands and use weapons with their hands.
Our "reputation" is very bad. American imperialists labeled us "aggressors."
They alleged that we invaded China, which was actually true; we invaded
Chiang Kai-shek, but Chiang Kai-shek invaded us first. They said we
invaded Korea, but that was because the American imperialists had pushed
to the Yalu River and we had to send troops to resist U.S. aggression and
assist Korea. They also alleged that we invaded India, but that was because
India intruded tens of kilometers into China. After it had been there several
years on our territory, we launched a counteroffensive in self-defense,
pushing the Indians back to the old border. Along the old border line,
which runs for several thousand kilometers, the Indians were all gone; there
were no troops left. Then we pulled back to the so-called new border line"?
drawn by imperialism. "We do not recognize this line. We withdrew 20
kilometers from there and set up a buffer zone. Imperialists allege that we
are "bellicose elements" because we helped Ho Chi Minh in the past and
now support southern Vietnam against the Americans. We also supported
Ben Bella against the French. We'll give our support wherever it is needed.
For this reason our "reputation" is bad and we become "bellicose elements."
The friend from Angola asked what illusions and dangers should be
prevented while establishing the national economy. Angola has not been
liberated, so armed struggle is still needed. All you can do now is to carry
out revolution and develop the economy in the base areas. Portugal will
never help you. U.S. help has ulterior motives. To prevent illusions, I think
you should guard against illusions about the U.S. As to what dangers might
emerge in the course of construction, it is hard to predict as of now. To
prevent dangers while establishing the national economy, you need to
prevent those coming from imperialism. As to making mistakes in actual
work, this is hardly avoidable. All parties make mistakes. The Communist
Party of China made many mistakes, some major ones. If mistakes are
made, just correct them. Mistakes help people remain sober-minded.
(From the verbatim record)