Mao Zedong's Notice Speech at the Yan'an Symposium of the CPC Conference

From May 2 to 14, 1937, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a national conference of the Party in Yan'an with representatives of the Soviet area, the White area and the Red Army. The meeting approved the party's political line since the Zunyi Conference and made important preparations for the arrival of the National War of Resistance against Japan. In his opening speech, Zhang Wentian pointed out: the urgent task of the party at present should be to consolidate peace, strive for democratic rights, and realize the war of resistance against Japan. The consolidation of our party has now become the core of all work, and obtaining the leadership of the Communist Party in the national revolutionary movement is the center of all work at present.
 

At the three-day and four-day meetings, Mao Zedong made a report on the current political situation and the party's tasks. The report pointed out: As the Sino-Japanese contradiction has become the main contradiction, the domestic contradiction has been reduced to a secondary and subordinate position, forming a new development stage of the current situation. At present, the struggle for political democracy and freedom has become a central part of the guarantee of victory in the War of Resistance. China must immediately begin to implement democratic reforms in the following two aspects: first, to change the reactionary dictatorship of the Kuomintang in the political system into a democratic system in which all parties and classes cooperate; second, to protect the people's speech and assembly, Freedom of association, including the release of political prisoners and the opening of party ban. Regarding the importance of the leadership of the proletariat in the anti-Japanese national united front, the report pointed out: This is a question of the leadership responsibility of the Chinese revolution and the key to the success or failure of the revolution. Without the political leadership of the proletariat and its political parties, the anti-Japanese national united front cannot be established, and the goals of peace, democracy, and resistance cannot be achieved. On the question of how the Communist Party of China can achieve political leadership, the report points out: first, according to the historical development schedule, put forward basic political slogans and mobilization slogans for the realization of political slogans as the specific objectives of the concerted action of the people of the whole country; second, the proletariat and its political parties give full play to their unlimited enthusiasm and become models for realizing the tasks set forth in the political slogans; third, on the principle of not losing the determined political goals, establish, consolidate and develop the relationship with the allies; fourth, the development of the Communist Party team, the unity of thought, and the strictness of discipline.
At the meeting on the 8th, Mao Zedong made the conclusion of "Struggle for Millions of People to Enter the Anti-Japanese National United Front. The conclusion points out: when we say that peace has been achieved, we do not mean that peace has been consolidated; on the contrary, we say that it has not been consolidated. In this case, our conclusion is not to return to the old slogan of "stop the civil war" or "strive for peace", but to take a step forward and put forward a new slogan of "strive for democracy". Only in this way can peace be consolidated and the war of resistance can be realized. We put forward the trinity slogan of "consolidating peace", "striving for democracy" and "realizing the war of resistance" in order to push the wheel of revolution further. On the issue of democracy, it is pointed out that the view that it is wrong to emphasize democracy and that only anti-Japanese resistance should be emphasized is incorrect. Democracy is the most essential thing in the new stage, and to be democratic is to resist Japan. Anti-Japanese and democracy are conditions for each other, democracy is the guarantee of anti-Japanese, anti-Japanese can give favorable conditions for the development of the democratic movement. On the issue of the future of the revolution, it is pointed out that the two articles, the first and the second, can be done well only if the first article is done well. Resolute leadership of the democratic revolution is a condition for the victory of socialism, and we are fighting for socialism. We are revolutionary transformationists who advocate the transformation of the democratic revolution into the direction of socialism, who advocate passing through all the necessary stages of the democratic republic and reaching socialism, and who oppose both tailism and adventurism and acute diseases. Bloodless transformation is what we hope for and strive. on the issue of cadres pointed out: to fulfill the party's central task in the new period, there should be many best cadres. If our party organization wants to develop towards the whole country, we should consciously bring up tens of thousands of cadres and hundreds of the best mass leaders. These cadres and leaders must understand Marxism-Leninism, have political foresight, have the ability to work, be full of sacrifice, be able to solve problems independently, unswervingly in the face of difficulties, and work faithfully for the nation, the class, and the party. On the issue of winning over millions of people, it is pointed out that to turn the party's policy into the policy of the masses, we still need our long-term, indomitable, arduous, patient and fearless efforts. If, as a result of such efforts, we win over millions of people under our leadership, our revolutionary tasks will be speedily accomplished. Mao Zedong's report and conclusions were included in Volume I of Selected Works of Mao Zedong.

 

Reprinted from: CPC Central Committee Party History and Literature Research Institute website