What about Shenyang? We must prepare for the Soviet Union to occupy Shenyang. We
should give them Shenyang, Harbin, and Changchun. We are prepared to live in the
countryside. They won't come unless we give them some respect. They're fighting simply to
save face. We must be prepared. We have too many standing troops in peacetime, and not
enough in times of war. Every county in Northeast China should have one, two, or even three
battalions. In times of war, these battalions can be transformed into independent divisions.
Small counties should have one battalion, medium-sized counties should have two
battalions, and large counties should have one regiment and three battalions. With over
2,000 counties nationwide, at an average of two battalions per county, that's over 4,000
battalions. Even if we fight a major war, we still need to continue to increase production, so
we shouldn't have too many troops; too many are useless. Our country is so vast that the
Soviet Union and the United States can't swallow it all in one go. We should give them some
respect and let them occupy some territory. If they reach us, pushing in hundreds or
thousands of kilometers, we'll give them Northeast, North China, and Northwest China, and
let them occupy them all. Give them some face, let them come in a little more, occupy more
territory. Once they come in, it will be easier to fight them, and then we can slowly devour
them.
Local armed forces should be cultivated like leeks. One battalion in a small county, two in a
medium-sized county, and three in a large county. This will allow us to continuously grow our
strength and our main force. Their entry demonstrates their territorial ambitions. You've
come to my place, and I haven't gone to yours. People all over the world know this. This is
politically and militarily advantageous, and there's ample reason for it. This is formal logic.
Our method of cultural struggle is to convince people with reason, to fight with reason. To
prevent them from entering and occupying our major cities is insufficient. I haven't captured
your Vladivostok, I haven't captured your Khabarovsk and Chita, but you've captured my
Shenyang, Changchun, and Harbin. You're not paying attention to me. You occupy yours, I
fight mine. The earth keeps turning. Whether you come in or not, it keeps turning. Humans
cannot be completely eliminated or annihilated. You can't invade from one side of the earth
and then break through it. The Soviet Union's current occupation of Zhenbao Island is driven
by domestic needs. Demonstrations are permitted throughout the country. If they really
wanted to attack you, they wouldn't be holding a parade. Their artillery fire has penetrated
seven kilometres into our territory, so why should we fire back seven kilometres? Give them
some face!



If we don't seize the opportunity to prepare, what will happen if a war breaks out? It
depends on where we're going. Some areas can be developed first. Don't expand the
military too much, as this will hinder production. First, develop Northeast China.
All southern provinces must prepare for both scenarios. Northeast, North China, and
Northwest China must prepare for war. Northeast, North China, and Northwest China must
prepare for the Soviet Union's arrival, while the southern provinces must prepare for the
United States' arrival. If they don't come, we're prepared; if they do come, we won't suffer
any loss. Failure to prepare means loss.
The US and the Soviet Union colluded, expanding their military and preparing for war,
hoping to redivide the world. It's been over twenty-three years since World War II, and
twenty-two years between World War I and World War II.
As soon as Nixon [2] came to power in 1911, he went to Europe, essentially expanding his
military and preparing for war. They always felt the need for war.
The US defense budget this year is $85.4 billion, the highest ever, accounting for 10 percent
of its GDP. The Soviet Union's defense budget this year is 17.7 billion rubles (compared to
16.7 billion last year), also the highest ever. Why spend so much on the military? It's simply
because they always feel the need for war. And what about Japan? They've taken advantage
of this by not expanding their active military, so their defense budget is only one, two, or
three percent—a tiny fraction. The US is putting pressure on them, hoping they'll become a
war partner.
Nixon now went further, saying that because China was strong, anti-missile bases against
China and the Soviet Union were necessary. Nixon went to Europe to pressure West
Germany and sent people to Japan to pressure Japan, facilitating US-Soviet collusion in
military expansion and war preparations, allowing them to direct everything. We see that
such military expansion and war preparations must have a purpose.
The revolutionary movement is flourishing worldwide, not only in the West but also in Asia,
Africa, and Latin America, from students to workers, and even in parts of the countryside,
such as Italy.
There are two possible outcomes before us. Either the world revolutionary movement will
rise, leading to a direct revolutionary situation and burying the rule of imperialism and
revisionism; or they will launch a Third World War, resulting in the defeat of imperialism and
the subsequent overthrow of their own rule, just as the First and Second World Wars did.
These are the two possible outcomes. We support the world revolutionary movement, but
more importantly, we must prepare for war. The Third Five-Year Plan, and even the Fourth



Five-Year Plan, must be based on preparing for war, preparing for famine, and serving the
people.
As for the Soviet Union's current provocations on the Ussuri River, they can't yet be linked to
a major war; they're merely the beginning. But seeing this action, we can see the future, its
social-imperialist ambitions. It even wants to destroy China's atomic bases first.
The Soviet Union has never lost face in a border conflict like this. Now we are a socialist new
China; how can we allow it to succeed? Yet, it always seeks provocations, to save face, not
just this year, but for several years now.
Facing a formidable enemy is the best way to mobilize.

[1] Sections 1 through 4 of this item are part of Mao Zedong's conversation with Zhou Enlai
and others when he was reporting on the Zhenbao Island self-defense counterattack.
[2] Nixon, then President of the United States.