Railways;and also to cut up the Peiping-Liaoning,Peiping-Hankow,Tientsin-Pukow,Tsingtao- Tsinan,Lunghai and Shanghai-Nanking Railways.We should gain control of whatever we can, even though temporarily.At the same time,the necessary forces should be employed to take as many villages,county and higher administrative centres and small towns as possible.For example, a highly favourable situation has been created because the New Fourth Army has occupied Nanking, Taihu Lake and the Tienmu Mountains and between the Yangtse and the Huai Rivers,because our forces in Shantung have occupied the whole of the Eastern Shantung Peninsula and because our forces in the Shansi-Suiyuan Border Region have occupied many cities and towns north and south of the Peiping-Suiynan Railway.After another period of offensive operations,it will be possible for our Party to control most of the areas north of the lower Yangtse River and the Huai River,most of Shantung,Hopei,Shansi and Suiyuan Provinces,all of Jehol and Chahar Provinces and a part of Liaoning Province. At present the Soviet Union,the United States and Britain all disapprove of civil war in China;[1lat the same time our Party has put forward the three great slogans of peace,democracy and unity [2] and is sending Comrades Mao Tse-tung,Chou En-lai and Wang Jo-fei to Chungking to discuss with Chiang Kai-shek the great issues of unity and national reconstruction,thus it is possible that the civil war plot of the Chinese reactionaries may be frustrated.The Kuomintang has now strengthened its position by recovering Shanghai,Nanking and other places,reopening sea communications,taking over the arms of the enemy and incorporating the puppet troops into its own forces.Nevertheless,it is riddled with a thousand gaping wounds,torn by innumerable inner contradictions and beset with great difficulties.It is possible that after the negotiations the Kuomintang,under domestic and foreign pressure,may conditionally recognize our Party's status. Our Party too may conditionally recognize the status of the Kuomintang.This would bring about a new stage of cooperation between the two parties (plus the Democratic League,[3]etc.)and of peaceful development.In that event,our Party should strive to master all methods of legal struggle and intensify in the Kuomintang areas in the three main spheres,the cities,the villages and the army (all weak points in our work there).During the negotiations,the Kuomintang is sure to demand that we drastically reduce the size of the Liberated Areas,cut down the strength of the Liberation Army and stop issuing currency.We on our side are prepared to make such concessions as are necessary and as do not damage the fundamental interests of the people.Without such concessions,we cannot explode the Kuomintang's civil war plot,cannot gain the political initiative, cannot win the sympathy of world public opinion and the middle-of-the-roaders within the country and cannot obtain in exchange legal status for our Party and a state of peace.But there are limits to such concessions;the principle is that they must not damage the fundamental interests of the people If the Kuomintang still wants to launch civil war after our Party has taken the above steps,it will put itself in the wrong in the eyes of the whole nation and the whole world,and our Party will be justified in waging a war of self-defence to crush its attacks.Moreover,our Party is powerful,and if anyone attacks us and if the conditions are favourable for battle,we will certainly act in self- defence to wipe him out resolutely,thoroughly,wholly and completely (we do not strike rashly,but when we do strike,we must win).We must never be cowed by the bluster of reactionaries.But we must at all times firmly adhere to,and never forget,these principles:unity,struggle,unity through struggle;to wage struggles with good reason,with advantage and with restraint;and to make use of contradictions,win over the many,oppose the few and crush our enemies one by one.[4]
Railways; and also to cut up the Peiping-Liaoning, Peiping-Hankow, Tientsin-Pukow, TsingtaoTsinan, Lunghai and Shanghai-Nanking Railways. We should gain control of whatever we can, even though temporarily. At the same time, the necessary forces should be employed to take as many villages, county and higher administrative centres and small towns as possible. For example, a highly favourable situation has been created because the New Fourth Army has occupied Nanking, Taihu Lake and the Tienmu Mountains and between the Yangtse and the Huai Rivers, because our forces in Shantung have occupied the whole of the Eastern Shantung Peninsula and because our forces in the Shansi-Suiyuan Border Region have occupied many cities and towns north and south of the Peiping-Suiynan Railway. After another period of offensive operations, it will be possible for our Party to control most of the areas north of the lower Yangtse River and the Huai River, most of Shantung, Hopei, Shansi and Suiyuan Provinces, all of Jehol and Chahar Provinces and a part of Liaoning Province. At present the Soviet Union, the United States and Britain all disapprove of civil war in China; [1]at the same time our Party has put forward the three great slogans of peace, democracy and unity [2] and is sending Comrades Mao Tse-tung, Chou En-lai and Wang Jo-fei to Chungking to discuss with Chiang Kai-shek the great issues of unity and national reconstruction, thus it is possible that the civil war plot of the Chinese reactionaries may be frustrated. The Kuomintang has now strengthened its position by recovering Shanghai, Nanking and other places, reopening sea communications, taking over the arms of the enemy and incorporating the puppet troops into its own forces. Nevertheless, it is riddled with a thousand gaping wounds, torn by innumerable inner contradictions and beset with great difficulties. It is possible that after the negotiations the Kuomintang, under domestic and foreign pressure, may conditionally recognize our Party's status. Our Party too may conditionally recognize the status of the Kuomintang. This would bring about a new stage of cooperation between the two parties (plus the Democratic League, [3] etc.) and of peaceful development. In that event, our Party should strive to master all methods of legal struggle and intensify in the Kuomintang areas in the three main spheres, the cities, the villages and the army (all weak points in our work there). During the negotiations, the Kuomintang is sure to demand that we drastically reduce the size of the Liberated Areas, cut down the strength of the Liberation Army and stop issuing currency. We on our side are prepared to make such concessions as are necessary and as do not damage the fundamental interests of the people. Without such concessions, we cannot explode the Kuomintang's civil war plot, cannot gain the political initiative, cannot win the sympathy of world public opinion and the middle-of-the-roaders within the country and cannot obtain in exchange legal status for our Party and a state of peace. But there are limits to such concessions; the principle is that they must not damage the fundamental interests of the people. If the Kuomintang still wants to launch civil war after our Party has taken the above steps, it will put itself in the wrong in the eyes of the whole nation and the whole world, and our Party will be justified in waging a war of self-defence to crush its attacks. Moreover, our Party is powerful, and if anyone attacks us and if the conditions are favourable for battle, we will certainly act in selfdefence to wipe him out resolutely, thoroughly, wholly and completely (we do not strike rashly, but when we do strike, we must win). We must never be cowed by the bluster of reactionaries. But we must at all times firmly adhere to, and never forget, these principles: unity, struggle, unity through struggle; to wage struggles with good reason, with advantage and with restraint; and to make use of contradictions, win over the many, oppose the few and crush our enemies one by one. [4]
In Kwangtung,Hunan,Hupeh,Honan and some other provinces our Party forces are in a more difficult position than in northern China and the area between the Yangtse and the Huai Rivers.The comrades in those places are much in the thoughts of the Central Committee.But the Kuomintang has many weak spots and its areas are vast;our comrades will be fully able to deal with the situation,provided they make no big mistakes in military policy(movements and operations)and in the policy of uniting with the people,and provided they are modest and prudent,not conceited or rash.Besides receiving the necessary directives from the Central Committee,the comrades in these areas must use their own judgement to analyse the situation,solve their problems,surmount difficulties,maintain themselves and expand their forces.When the Kuomintang becomes unable to do anything with you,it may be compelled in the negotiations between the two parties to give your forces recognition and agree to arrangements advantageous to both sides.But you must definitely not rely on the negotiations,must definitely not hope that the Kuomintang will be kind-hearted, because it will never be kind-hearted.You must rely on your own strength,on correct guidance of activities,on brotherly unity within the Party and good relations with the people.Firmly rely on the people,that is your way out. To sum up,our Party is confronted with many difficulties which must not be ignored,and all Party comrades must be well prepared mentally.But the general trend of the international and internal situation is favourable to our Party and to the people.So long as the whole Party is united as one, we shall be able to overcome all difficulties step by step. NOTES 1.Around the time of Japan's surrender,the Soviet Union,the United States and Britain for a period all expressed disapproval of civil war in China.Events soon demonstrated,however,that the U.S. statement about its so-called disapproval of civil war in China was only a screen for actively helping the reactionary Kuomintang government prepare for a counter-revolutionary civil war. 2.The three great slogans of peace,democracy and unity were put forward in the "Declaration on the Current Situation"by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on August 25, 1945.The declaration pointed out that after the surrender of Japanese imperialism,"the important task confronting the whole nation is to consolidate unity in the country,safeguard domestic peace, bring about democracy and improve the people's livelihood so as,on the basis of peace,democracy and unity,to achieve national unification and build a new China,independent,free,prosperous and powerful" 3.The Democratic League was formed in 1941 under the name of the China Federation of Democratic Political Groups.It was reorganized under the name of the China Democratic League in1944 4.See "Problems of Tactics in the Present Anti-Japanese United Front"and "On Policy",Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung,Vol.II
In Kwangtung, Hunan, Hupeh, Honan and some other provinces our Party forces are in a more difficult position than in northern China and the area between the Yangtse and the Huai Rivers. The comrades in those places are much in the thoughts of the Central Committee. But the Kuomintang has many weak spots and its areas are vast; our comrades will be fully able to deal with the situation, provided they make no big mistakes in military policy (movements and operations) and in the policy of uniting with the people, and provided they are modest and prudent, not conceited or rash. Besides receiving the necessary directives from the Central Committee, the comrades in these areas must use their own judgement to analyse the situation, solve their problems, surmount difficulties, maintain themselves and expand their forces. When the Kuomintang becomes unable to do anything with you, it may be compelled in the negotiations between the two parties to give your forces recognition and agree to arrangements advantageous to both sides. But you must definitely not rely on the negotiations, must definitely not hope that the Kuomintang will be kind-hearted, because it will never be kind-hearted. You must rely on your own strength, on correct guidance of activities, on brotherly unity within the Party and good relations with the people. Firmly rely on the people, that is your way out. To sum up, our Party is confronted with many difficulties which must not be ignored, and all Party comrades must be well prepared mentally. But the general trend of the international and internal situation is favourable to our Party and to the people. So long as the whole Party is united as one, we shall be able to overcome all difficulties step by step. NOTES 1. Around the time of Japan's surrender, the Soviet Union, the United States and Britain for a period all expressed disapproval of civil war in China. Events soon demonstrated, however, that the U.S. statement about its so-called disapproval of civil war in China was only a screen for actively helping the reactionary Kuomintang government prepare for a counter-revolutionary civil war. 2. The three great slogans of peace, democracy and unity were put forward in the "Declaration on the Current Situation" by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on August 25, 1945. The declaration pointed out that after the surrender of Japanese imperialism, "the important task confronting the whole nation is to consolidate unity in the country, safeguard domestic peace, bring about democracy and improve the people's livelihood so as, on the basis of peace, democracy and unity, to achieve national unification and build a new China, independent, free, prosperous and powerful". 3. The Democratic League was formed in 1941 under the name of the China Federation of Democratic Political Groups. It was reorganized under the name of the China Democratic League in 1944. 4. See "Problems of Tactics in the Present Anti-Japanese United Front" and "On Policy", Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung,Vol. II
Transcription by the Maoist Documentation Project. HTML revised 2004 by Marxists.org Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung ON THE CHUNGKING NEGOTIATIONS October 17,1945 [This report was made by Comrade Mao Tse-tung to a meeting of cadres in Yenan after his return from Chungking.] Let us talk about the present situation.That is what our comrades are interested in.This time the negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party at Chungking have lasted forty- three days.The results have already been published in the newspapers.[1]The representatives of the two parties are continuing to negotiate.The negotiations have borne fruit.The Kuomintang has accepted the principles of peace and unity,recognized certain democratic rights of the people and agreed that civil war should be averted and that the two parties should co-operate in peace to build a new China.On these points agreement has been reached.There are other points on which there is no agreement.The question of the Liberated Areas has not been solved,and that of the armed forces has not really been solved either.The agreements reached are still only on paper.Words on paper are not equivalent to reality.Facts have shown that a very great effort must still be made before they can be turned into reality. The Kuomintang is negotiating with us on the one hand,and is vigorously attacking the Liberated Areas on the other hand.Not counting the forces surrounding the Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia Border Region,800,000 Kuomintang troops are already directly engaged in these attacks.Wherever there are Liberated Areas,fighting is going on or being prepared.The very first article of the "October 10th Agreement"is on"peace and national reconstruction";don't these words on paper contradict reality?Yes,they do.That is why we say it still requires effort on our part to tumn what is on paper into reality.Why does the Kuomintang mobilize so many troops to attack us?Because long ago it made up its mind to wipe out the people's forces,to wipe us out.Best of all,it would like to wipe us out quickly or,failing that,to worsen our situation and improve its own.Peace,though written into the agreement,has not in fact been realized.In places like the Shangtang area in Shansi Province there is fighting on a fairly large scale.The Shangtang area,rimmed by the Taihang,Taiyueh and Chungtiao Mountains,is like a tub.This tub contains fish and meat,and Yen Hsi-shan sent thirteen divisions to grab it.Our policy also was set long ago-to give tit for tat,to fight for every inch of land.This time we gave tit for tat,fought and made a very good job of it.In other words,we wiped out all thirteen divisions.Their attacking forces had 38,000 men,and we employed 31,000 men.Of their 38,000 men,35,000 were destroyed,2,000 fled and 1,000 scattered.[2]Such fighting will
Transcription by the Maoist Documentation Project. HTML revised 2004 by Marxists.org Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung ON THE CHUNGKING NEGOTIATIONS October 17, 1945 [This report was made by Comrade Mao Tse-tung to a meeting of cadres in Yenan after his return from Chungking.] Let us talk about the present situation. That is what our comrades are interested in. This time the negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party at Chungking have lasted fortythree days. The results have already been published in the newspapers.[1] The representatives of the two parties are continuing to negotiate. The negotiations have borne fruit. The Kuomintang has accepted the principles of peace and unity, recognized certain democratic rights of the people and agreed that civil war should be averted and that the two parties should co-operate in peace to build a new China. On these points agreement has been reached. There are other points on which there is no agreement. The question of the Liberated Areas has not been solved, and that of the armed forces has not really been solved either. The agreements reached are still only on paper. Words on paper are not equivalent to reality. Facts have shown that a very great effort must still be made before they can be turned into reality. The Kuomintang is negotiating with us on the one hand, and is vigorously attacking the Liberated Areas on the other hand. Not counting the forces surrounding the Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia Border Region, 800,000 Kuomintang troops are already directly engaged in these attacks. Wherever there are Liberated Areas, fighting is going on or being prepared. The very first article of the "October 10th Agreement" is on "peace and national reconstruction"; don't these words on paper contradict reality? Yes, they do. That is why we say it still requires effort on our part to turn what is on paper into reality. Why does the Kuomintang mobilize so many troops to attack us? Because long ago it made up its mind to wipe out the people's forces, to wipe us out. Best of all, it would like to wipe us out quickly or, failing that, to worsen our situation and improve its own. Peace, though written into the agreement, has not in fact been realized. In places like the Shangtang area in Shansi Province there is fighting on a fairly large scale. The Shangtang area, rimmed by the Taihang, Taiyueh and Chungtiao Mountains, is like a tub. This tub contains fish and meat, and Yen Hsi-shan sent thirteen divisions to grab it. Our policy also was set long ago - to give tit for tat, to fight for every inch of land. This time we gave tit for tat, fought and made a very good job of it. In other words, we wiped out all thirteen divisions. Their attacking forces had 38,000 men, and we employed 31,000 men. Of their 38,000 men, 35,000 were destroyed, 2,000 fled and 1,000 scattered.[2] Such fighting will
continue.They want desperately to grab our Liberated Areas.This seems hard to explain.Why are they so anxious to grab?Isn't it good for the Liberated Areas to be in our hands,in the hands of the people?Yes,but that is only what we think,what the people think.If they thought so too,there would be unity and we would all be "comrades".But they won't think this way;they will oppose us stubbornly.They can't see why they shouldn't oppose us.It is quite natural that they should attack us. For our part,we can't see why we should let them seize our Liberated Areas.It is also quite natural that we should counter-attack.When two "can't-see-whys"come together,they fight.Since there are two can't-see-whys,why have they negotiated?And why have they concluded the "October 10th Agreement"?In this world,things are complicated and are decided by many factors.We should look at problems from different aspects,not from just one.In Chungking,some people think that Chiang Kai-shek is unreliable and deceitful and that negotiations with him can lead nowhere. So I was told by many people I met,including some members of the Kuomintang.I told them that what they said was justified and well-founded and that we were firmly convinced by eighteen years of experience [3]that this would be the case.The Kuomintang and the Communist Party are sure to fail in their negotiations,sure to start fighting and sure to break with each other,but that is only one aspect of the matter.Another aspect is that many other factors are bound to make Chiang Kai-shek have misgivings.Among these factors,the three main ones are the might of the Liberated Areas. the opposition to civil war by the people in the Great Rear Area and the international situation.In our Liberated Areas there are 100 million people,one million troops and two million people's militia,a force no one dares to belittle.Our Party's place in the nation's political life is no longer what it was in 1927.nor what it was in 1937.The Kuomintang.which has always refused to recognize the equal status of the Communist Party,is now forced to do so.Our work in the Liberated Areas has already influenced all China and the whole world.The people in the Great Rear Area desire peace and need democracy.When in Chungking,I had a profound sense of the warm support given us by the broad masses of the people.They are dissatisfied with the Kuomintang government and place their hopes on us.I also met many foreigners,including Americans,who sympathize with us.The broad masses of the people in foreign countries are dissatisfied with the reactionary forces in China and sympathize with the Chinese people's forces.They also disapprove of Chiang Kai-shek's policies.We have many friends in all parts of the country and of the world; we are not isolated.Those who oppose civil war in China and stand for peace and democracy include not only the people in our Liberated Areas but also the masses in the Great Rear Area and throughout the world.The subjective desire of Chiang Kai-shek is to maintain his dictatorship and destroy the Communist Party.but many objective difficulties stand in his way.Therefore,he has to be a little realistic.He is being realistic,and we are realistic too.He was realistic in inviting us and we were realistic in going to negotiate with him.We arrived in Chungking on August 28.On the evening of the 28th,I told the Kuomintang representatives that the country had needed peace and unity ever since the September 18th Incident in 1931.[4]We had asked for peace and unity,but they had not materialized.Peace and unity materialized only after the Sian Incident of 1936[5]before the outbreak of the War of Resistance on July 7.1937.During the eight years of that war we fought together against Japan.But civil war never stopped;there were continuous frictions,big and small. To say that there was no civil war is deception and does not square with facts.In the past eight years we repeatedly expressed our willingness to negotiate.At the Seventh Congress of our Party we declared that "we are willing to resume negotiations with the Kuomintang authorities as soon as they are willing to renounce their present erroneous policies and agree to democratic reforms".[
continue. They want desperately to grab our Liberated Areas. This seems hard to explain. Why are they so anxious to grab? Isn't it good for the Liberated Areas to be in our hands, in the hands of the people? Yes, but that is only what we think, what the people think. If they thought so too, there would be unity and we would all be "comrades". But they won't think this way; they will oppose us stubbornly. They can't see why they shouldn't oppose us. It is quite natural that they should attack us. For our part, we can't see why we should let them seize our Liberated Areas. It is also quite natural that we should counter-attack. When two "can't-see-whys" come together, they fight. Since there are two can't-see-whys, why have they negotiated? And why have they concluded the "October 10th Agreement"? In this world, things are complicated and are decided by many factors. We should look at problems from different aspects, not from just one. In Chungking, some people think that Chiang Kai-shek is unreliable and deceitful and that negotiations with him can lead nowhere. So I was told by many people I met, including some members of the Kuomintang. I told them that what they said was justified and well-founded and that we were firmly convinced by eighteen years of experience [3] that this would be the case. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party are sure to fail in their negotiations, sure to start fighting and sure to break with each other, but that is only one aspect of the matter. Another aspect is that many other factors are bound to make Chiang Kai-shek have misgivings. Among these factors, the three main ones are the might of the Liberated Areas, the opposition to civil war by the people in the Great Rear Area and the international situation. In our Liberated Areas there are 100 million people, one million troops and two million people's militia, a force no one dares to belittle. Our Party's place in the nation's political life is no longer what it was in 1927, nor what it was in 1937. The Kuomintang, which has always refused to recognize the equal status of the Communist Party, is now forced to do so. Our work in the Liberated Areas has already influenced all China and the whole world. The people in the Great Rear Area desire peace and need democracy. When in Chungking, I had a profound sense of the warm support given us by the broad masses of the people. They are dissatisfied with the Kuomintang government and place their hopes on us. I also met many foreigners, including Americans, who sympathize with us. The broad masses of the people in foreign countries are dissatisfied with the reactionary forces in China and sympathize with the Chinese people's forces. They also disapprove of Chiang Kai-shek's policies. We have many friends in all parts of the country and of the world; we are not isolated. Those who oppose civil war in China and stand for peace and democracy include not only the people in our Liberated Areas but also the masses in the Great Rear Area and throughout the world. The subjective desire of Chiang Kai-shek is to maintain his dictatorship and destroy the Communist Party, but many objective difficulties stand in his way. Therefore, he has to be a little realistic. He is being realistic, and we are realistic too. He was realistic in inviting us and we were realistic in going to negotiate with him. We arrived in Chungking on August 28. On the evening of the 28th, I told the Kuomintang representatives that the country had needed peace and unity ever since the September 18th Incident in 1931.[4] We had asked for peace and unity, but they had not materialized. Peace and unity materialized only after the Sian Incident of 1936[5] before the outbreak of the War of Resistance on July 7, 1937. During the eight years of that war we fought together against Japan. But civil war never stopped; there were continuous frictions, big and small. To say that there was no civil war is deception and does not square with facts. In the past eight years we repeatedly expressed our willingness to negotiate. At the Seventh Congress of our Party we declared that "we are willing to resume negotiations with the Kuomintang authorities as soon as they are willing to renounce their present erroneous policies and agree to democratic reforms".[6]
In the negotiations we declared that,first,China needs peace and,second,China needs democracy. Chiang Kai-shek could find no reason to object and had to agree.On the one hand,the policy of peace and the agreements on democracy published in the "Summary of Conversations"are words on paper and not yet reality;on the other hand,they have been determined by a variety of forces. The forces of the people in the Liberated Areas,the forces of the people in the Great Rear Area,the international situation-the general trend has forced the Kuomintang to accept these things How to give"tit for tat"depends on the situation.Sometimes,not going to negotiations is tit-for-tat, and sometimes,going to negotiations is also tit-for-tat.We were right not to go before,and also right to go this time;in both cases we have given tit for tat.We did well to go this time,for we exploded the rumour spread by the Kuomintang that the Communist Party did not want peace and unity.They sent three successive telegrams to invite us,and we went.But they were totally unprepared,and we had to make all the proposals.As a result of the negotiations,the Kuomintang has accepted the general policy of peace and unity.That's fine.If the Kuomintang launches civil war again,it will put itself in the wrong in the eyes of the whole nation and the whole world,and we shall have all the more reason to smash its attacks by a war of self-defence.Now that the "October 10th Agreement"has been concluded,our task is to uphold the agreement,to demand that the Kuomintang honour it and to continue to strive for peace.If they fight,we will wipe them out completely.This is the way things are:if they attack and we wipe them out,they will have that satisfaction;wipe out some,some satisfaction;wipe out more,more satisfaction;wipe out the whole lot,complete satisfaction.China's problems are complicated,and our brains must also be a little complicated.If they start fighting,we fight back,fight to win peace.Peace will not come unless we strike hard blows at the reactionaries who dare to attack the Liberated Areas. Some comrades have asked why we should concede eight Liberated Areas.[71 It is a great pity to concede these eight areas,but it is better to do so.Why is it a pity?Because these Liberated Areas have been created and arduously built up by the people,with sweat and blood.Therefore,we must explain matters clearly to the people and make appropriate arrangements in the areas we are going to concede.Why should we concede those areas?Because otherwise the Kuomintang will not feel easy.They are going back to Nanking,but some Liberated Areas in the south are right by their beds or in their corridor.So long as we are there,they will not be able to sleep easily and will therefore fight for those places at all costs.Our concession on this point will help frustrate the Kuomintang's plot for civil war and win us the sympathy of the numerous middle elements at home and abroad. All the means of propaganda in China,except the Hsinhua News Agency,are now controlled by the Kuomintang.They are all rumour factories.Concerning the current negotiations,they have spread the rumour that the Communist Party just wants territory and will make no concessions.Our policy is to protect the fundamental interests of the people.Subject to the principle of not damaging the fundamental interests of the people,it is permissible to make certain concessions in exchange for peace and democracy,which the people of the whole country need.In our past dealings with Chiang Kai-shek we also made concessions,and even larger ones.In 1937,to bring about the nation-wide War of Resistance,we voluntarily dropped the name,"Workers'and Peasants' Revolutionary Government",changed the name of our Red Army to "National Revolutionary Army"and altered our policy of confiscating the land of the landlords to one of reducing rent and interest.This time,by conceding certain areas in the south,we have completely exploded the Kuomintang's rumours before the people of all China and the whole world.It is the same with the
In the negotiations we declared that, first, China needs peace and, second, China needs democracy. Chiang Kai-shek could find no reason to object and had to agree. On the one hand, the policy of peace and the agreements on democracy published in the "Summary of Conversations" are words on paper and not yet reality; on the other hand, they have been determined by a variety of forces. The forces of the people in the Liberated Areas, the forces of the people in the Great Rear Area, the international situation - the general trend has forced the Kuomintang to accept these things. How to give "tit for tat" depends on the situation. Sometimes, not going to negotiations is tit-for-tat; and sometimes, going to negotiations is also tit-for-tat. We were right not to go before, and also right to go this time; in both cases we have given tit for tat. We did well to go this time, for we exploded the rumour spread by the Kuomintang that the Communist Party did not want peace and unity. They sent three successive telegrams to invite us, and we went. But they were totally unprepared, and we had to make all the proposals. As a result of the negotiations, the Kuomintang has accepted the general policy of peace and unity. That's fine. If the Kuomintang launches civil war again, it will put itself in the wrong in the eyes of the whole nation and the whole world, and we shall have all the more reason to smash its attacks by a war of self-defence. Now that the "October 10th Agreement" has been concluded, our task is to uphold the agreement, to demand that the Kuomintang honour it and to continue to strive for peace. If they fight, we will wipe them out completely. This is the way things are: if they attack and we wipe them out, they will have that satisfaction; wipe out some, some satisfaction; wipe out more, more satisfaction; wipe out the whole lot, complete satisfaction. China's problems are complicated, and our brains must also be a little complicated. If they start fighting, we fight back, fight to win peace. Peace will not come unless we strike hard blows at the reactionaries who dare to attack the Liberated Areas. Some comrades have asked why we should concede eight Liberated Areas.[7] It is a great pity to concede these eight areas, but it is better to do so. Why is it a pity? Because these Liberated Areas have been created and arduously built up by the people, with sweat and blood. Therefore, we must explain matters clearly to the people and make appropriate arrangements in the areas we are going to concede. Why should we concede those areas? Because otherwise the Kuomintang will not feel easy. They are going back to Nanking, but some Liberated Areas in the south are right by their beds or in their corridor. So long as we are there, they will not be able to sleep easily and will therefore fight for those places at all costs. Our concession on this point will help frustrate the Kuomintang's plot for civil war and win us the sympathy of the numerous middle elements at home and abroad. All the means of propaganda in China, except the Hsinhua News Agency, are now controlled by the Kuomintang. They are all rumour factories. Concerning the current negotiations, they have spread the rumour that the Communist Party just wants territory and will make no concessions. Our policy is to protect the fundamental interests of the people. Subject to the principle of not damaging the fundamental interests of the people, it is permissible to make certain concessions in exchange for peace and democracy, which the people of the whole country need. In our past dealings with Chiang Kai-shek we also made concessions, and even larger ones. In 1937, to bring about the nation-wide War of Resistance, we voluntarily dropped the name, "Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Government", changed the name of our Red Army to "National Revolutionary Army" and altered our policy of confiscating the land of the landlords to one of reducing rent and interest. This time, by conceding certain areas in the south, we have completely exploded the Kuomintang's rumours before the people of all China and the whole world. It is the same with the