Chapter 35 The Communist Party is committed to China's industrialization[1]

(May 22, 1944) Now both China and foreign countries are fighting for the same goal, which is to overthrow fascism.The purpose of our industrial construction in the Shensi-Kansu-Ningxia Border Region, like all other work, is to overthrow Japanese imperialism.The Border Region really started to have a little industry five years ago. At that time, there were only 700 industrial workers. In 1942, there were 4,000 workers, and this year there are 12,000 workers.Therefore, the progress of the industries in the border areas is very fast. Although the number of them is small, the significance it contains is very far-reaching.Whoever does not know this most developed, most vital force, capable of all change, has a mind of confusion and ignorance.The goal of this conference is to strive to achieve complete self-sufficiency in industrial products, first of all self-sufficiency in cloth and iron, within two years.If we achieve full self-sufficiency, the number of our workers will increase greatly.All engineers, factory directors, and workers must work hard in this direction, and both Communist Party members and non-Communist members must work hard in this direction.Comrades like Shen Hong[2] and Chen Zhenxia[3] are not members of the Communist Party, but their hearts are the same as those of the Communist Party members, and they all struggled hard to overthrow Japanese imperialism.To overthrow Japanese imperialism, there must be industry; to have a solid guarantee for China's national independence, industrialization is necessary.Our Communist Party is committed to China's industrialization.

The main reason for China's backwardness is the lack of new industries.The reason why Japanese imperialism dares to bully China in this way is because China does not have a strong industry and it bullies our backwardness.Therefore, it is the task of our whole nation to eradicate this backwardness.The common people support the Communist Party because we represent the demands of the nation and the people.However, if we cannot solve economic problems, if we cannot establish new industries, if we cannot develop productive forces, the common people may not support us.In the War of Resistance Against Japan, the army led by the Communist Party fought against 58 percent of the Japanese army and 90 percent of the puppet army. We have experience and achievements in this regard.However, we still don't know much about economics, especially industry, and yet this field determines everything, including military affairs, politics, culture, ideology, morality, and religion, and it determines social changes.Therefore, all Communists should study economic work, and many of them should study industrial technology.Our border area is a big school, and there is a subject called industry. This workers' congress is a short-term training course for industry.If we Communists don't care about industry, don't care about the economy, and don't know any other useful work, and we know nothing about these things, we can do nothing, and we can only do a kind of abstract "revolutionary work". " is worthless.We should oppose such empty "revolutionaries" and learn all kinds of technical knowledge to industrialize China.

According to the "Liberation Daily" published on May 26, 1944. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This is a summary of Mao Zedong's speech at the reception held by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for the meeting of factory directors and worker representatives in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region. [2] Shen Hong, born in 1906, is from Haining, Zhejiang.In the early years, he partnered with others in Shanghai to run the Shanghai Yongyong Hardware Factory.In 1938, he went to Yan'an with machine tools.He used to be an engineer at the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Machine Factory and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Ordnance Bureau.Joined the Communist Party of China in 1947.

[3] Chen Zhenxia (1904-1981), born in Chongming, Jiangsu (now part of Shanghai).He went to Yan'an in 1937 and later served as the director of Yanchang Oil Refinery.Joined the Communist Party of China in 1945.