Chapter 118 Conversation with the British Labor Party Delegation

(August 24, 1954) The Chinese People's Government, all democratic parties and people's organizations welcome you to visit and regard you as their friends.Please feel like you are at home here.It is very good for you to come to China to have a look. There must be a lot we don't know about each other.But since the beginning of the Second World War, Sino-British relations have changed fundamentally, although it does not mean that there are no disputes and disagreements between us, nor does it mean that there are no differences in the systems of our two countries.Japan ruled China in the past, and this was several years ago; after the victory in the war against Japan, the United States replaced Japan and helped Chiang Kai-shek bully us.In both stages, Britain changed its attitude towards China.Between us and you, the basic debate is not much, is it? This is the basic question.The same is true of our relationship with France.

What used to be a Japanese problem is now an American problem.There is also an ocean between us and the United States, called the Pacific Ocean, but the Pacific Ocean is not peaceful.There are some issues we don't understand.For example: Australia and the United States signed a treaty [1], which stated that it was to oppose the Communist Party and that we would invade Australia. Therefore, it is necessary to sign this treaty with the United States and New Zealand to oppose the Communist Party together.Anti-Communist voices are quite high in the world, especially in the previous period.It is said that the Chinese committed a great crime, the main one being to drive away a very good man named Chiang Kai-shek.We did this one "bad thing".I have read an article by Mr. Biwan [2], he said that the Americans invented a new logic, saying that the Chinese invaded themselves.

The United States says that we have committed a great crime, and the issue is not over yet.There are two kinds of arguments about whether Chiang Kai-shek is a good guy or a bad guy.In the eyes of the United States, Chiang Kai-shek is better than us.Your views are somewhat different, because you have long since disapproved of Chiang Kai-shek, so I say that I have no fundamental differences with you.We have no fundamental differences with each other on the Japanese issue, because Britain cannot control the Japanese issue today.So we are glad to see you. I have a point to discuss.The so-called anti-communism is not entirely true.As far as I can see, the U.S. anti-communism is making a fuss about it as a topic in order to achieve their other goals, first of all occupying the middle ground from Japan to Britain.The United States is on one side of this middle ground in North America, and the Soviet Union and China are on this side.The goal of the United States is to occupy the countries in this vast middle zone, bully them, control their economies, and build military bases on their territories. It is best to weaken these countries, including Japan and Germany.

You ask, can we coexist peacefully with the socialism you represent? I think we can coexist peacefully.A question arises here, can we only live with this kind of socialism, and not with other things? Can we live with non-socialist things, like capitalism, imperialism, feudal kingdoms, etc.? I think the answer is also For sure, only one condition is needed, that is, both parties are willing to coexist.Why? Because we believe that different systems can coexist peacefully. We can also cooperate with you.There will be no war between us in the first place.Why go to war? Not only will we not start a war with Labour, we will not start a war with the Conservatives either.

You ask, how might the international situation develop? I think the current international situation is good, and there have been some changes since the Geneva Conference[3].Some people criticize that you will be fooled when you come to China, mainly the United States said so.I think it would be better for you not to listen to them.History is calculated in units of several years, and we should not take the momentary discussion as the criterion, and we should not listen to so much.China is a backward country that is beginning to change its appearance. It is economically and culturally backward compared to Western countries.But now the face is beginning to change, and the possibility of change has been achieved.China is an agricultural country, and it will take decades to become an industrial country. It needs help from all sides, and first of all, it needs a peaceful environment.It is not easy to do things well in frequent wars, and raising many soldiers will hinder economic development.If you agree, we will continue to create a peaceful international environment.I think this is also what Britain and France need.Our country is poor now, and it would be great if we could get decades of peace.Do you agree? If yes, let us make a treaty, not this afternoon, of course, a treaty where there will be no war for decades.Whoever wants to fight, oppose him.We have no capital other than the common people.A large number of people and a large land are our two capitals.As for building a modern country, it takes a lot of time and energy.Countries like ours, like China and the Soviet Union, rely primarily on domestic markets, not foreign markets.That's not to say no foreign contacts, no business.No, connection is needed, business is needed, not isolated.There are two basic conditions for us to cooperate completely: first, we must be peaceful and do not want war;Peace, commerce, that can always be agreed, right?

In my opinion, the knowledge of the USSR by the friends of the British Labor Party is inappropriate.Britain is a big country, and the Soviet Union is also a big country. If the relationship between these two countries is not good, world peace will become a problem.The question was not that China should leave the Soviet Union, but that Britain should move closer to the Soviet Union.I advise you to move closer to the Soviet Union, this is our suggestion.Why do you dislike the USSR so much? If China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and other countries move closer to each other, and their views do not remain static, the situation can improve.How? Again, this includes the United States, and I hope that the United States will also adopt a policy of peaceful coexistence.If a big country like the United States does not want peace, we will have no peace, and neither will everyone.It's an easy job for the British because we and the Americans scold each other so much.I think it is not the majority of Americans who oppose China, but only a minority.The Treaty of Southeast Asia[4], why does the United States not want China to participate? We want to participate, but they don't want us.What's wrong with China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France all participating?

What the Americans have done is too shameful. They support Chiang Kai-shek and harass the mainland almost every day.So you'd better persuade the Americans to take the Seventh Fleet away.A few boats are easy to handle, and they will leave as soon as they are taken.They violated the international situation and history.They are only a small number of people in the United States, such as Dulles[5] and his ilk.We want our friends in the Labor Party to exhort Americans to: 1. Take the Seventh Fleet away and leave Taiwan alone, because Taiwan belongs to China; 2. Don't engage in the Southeast Asian Treaty, which is also against history. If you want to implement it, implement a collective peace treaty;

3. Do not arm Japan. The purpose of arming Japan is to oppose China and the Soviet Union. In the end, it will harm itself and the countries in the Southwest Pacific. Fourth, don't arm West Germany. The result of arming is not a good thing, and it will also be shooting yourself in the foot. Let us all disarm, even a few of our own soldiers.Let us, the Asian and European countries such as China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France, take the initiative and make this proposal to the United States. According to the "Mao Zedong Diplomatic Selected Works" published in 1994 by Central Literature Publishing House and World Knowledge Publishing House.The original title was "On the Middle Zone, Peaceful Coexistence and Sino-British Sino-US Relations".

-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] Refers to the "US-Australia-New Zealand Security Treaty" signed by the United States, Australia, and New Zealand in San Francisco on September 1, 1951.This is a military alliance treaty.It entered into force on April 29, 1952 and is valid indefinitely.The main content is: the contracting parties will maintain and develop individual and collective military capabilities individually and jointly by means of self-help and mutual assistance; when any of the contracting parties is "threatened", they should conduct consultations, and when they are "armed attack", they should take joint action.

[2] Bevan, leader of the British Labor Party.At that time, he was a member of the delegation of the British Labor Party to China, and Mao Zedong was present at the meeting. [3] Geneva Conference, see note [6] on page 336 of this volume. [4] The Southeast Asia Treaty, the full name is the "Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty", also known as the "Manila Treaty". The military alliance treaty signed by the capital Manila.The treaty says to use "self-help and mutual assistance" to "resist armed attack".The treaty was accompanied by an "understanding" proposed by the United States, which interpreted the "meaning of aggression and armed attack" as "only applicable to the aggression of the Communist Party".The treaty also designated Cambodia, Laos and South Vietnam as its "protected areas" in the form of protocols.The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was established when the treaty entered into force on 19 February 1955.The "Declaration on the Neutrality of Laos" adopted at the Geneva Conference in July 1962 did not recognize its so-called protection for Laos.Since 1967, France has refused to send a formal delegation to the organization's ministerial council.On November 8, 1972, Pakistan announced its withdrawal.In June 1977 the organization announced its dissolution.

[5] Dulles, then US Secretary of State.In his international activities, he advocated the "Cold War", pursued the "marginal war" policy, threatened to implement "large-scale nuclear retaliation" and "peaceful evolution" strategies against socialist countries.In 1950, he participated in planning for the US government to use the opportunity of the Korean War to occupy the Chinese territory of Taiwan by force.In 1954, he planned for the U.S. government to sign the "U.S.-Taiwan Mutual Defense Treaty" with the Taiwan authorities in an attempt to legitimize the occupation of Taiwan and make Taiwan a long-term U.S. military base.