Chapter 38 Meeting with Chinese and Foreign Journalists Speech by the Northwest Visiting Group[1]

(June 12, 1944) unanimous speech I very much welcome all journalists to Yan'an.Our goal is the same, which is to overthrow the Japanese warlords and all fascists. The whole of China and the whole world are united on this common basis. When everyone arrived in Yan'an, Europe opened up a second front [2], and we expressed our great celebration.The opening of the Second Front will not only affect Europe, but also the Pacific Ocean and China.China must advance, the world must advance, and we must win the final victory. The opening of the second front is the result of long-term development, developed through the Moscow and Tehran conferences[3], at which it was decided to attack the enemy from the east, west and south.The second front has now been realized, and the plan to attack Hitler on three fronts has been realized. We would like to wish the health of President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and Marshal Stalin!

All the people in the war of resistance in China should concentrate on their goals, work hard, and cooperate with the decisive battle in Europe to defeat the Japanese warlords.The timing is good now. You gentlemen are very concerned about China's domestic situation, so I must say a few words here.With regard to the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, the attitude of the Chinese Communist Party to this issue has long been seen in the previous proclamations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and its newspapers.Today, taking advantage of Mr. Zhu's arrival, I would like to reiterate the following statement: Support Chairman Chiang, adhere to the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and the cooperation of the people of the whole country, and strive to overthrow Japanese imperialism and establish an independent and democratic China.This policy of the Chinese Communist Party has remained unchanged, it was true in the early period of the War of Resistance, it was true in the middle of the War of Resistance, and it is still true today, because it is what the entire Chinese people hope.

However, China has shortcomings, and they are serious shortcomings. This shortcoming, in a word, is the lack of democracy.The Chinese people need democracy very much, because only with democracy can the War of Resistance be powerful, China’s internal and external relations can be on track, can the War of Resistance be won, and a good country can be built, and only democracy can keep China united after the war .The lack of democracy in China is well known to all of you here.Only with the addition of democracy can China move forward.There are changes.But the opening of the second front has some of the same meaning as the Stalingrad counteroffensive[5].Before November 1942, the flames of fascism were in full swing, and the anti-fascist forces were defeated and retreated. Thanks to the Soviet Union's offensive, the past stage was ended and a new stage was opened.Then there were attacks in North Africa and the Pacific.This was a big shift for the Allies from defense to offense.The opening of the second front was another big step forward in the offensive, without which Hitler could not have been brought down.Europe has now entered the decisive stage, and in this sense it is a new stage, especially in the military field.I have already said that the opening of the Second Front will have a wide-ranging impact, directly affecting Europe, and will also affect the Pacific Ocean and China in the future.But for now, the impact on China does not seem to be very big. You can see that although the external situation is very good, the problems in China still depend on the efforts of the Chinese people themselves. The improvement of the foreign situation alone cannot solve the problem. .

The third question is about the hope of the CCP and its own work.In order to defeat the common enemy and to establish good and peaceful domestic relations and good and peaceful international relations, what we hope for the Nationalist Government, the Kuomintang and all parties is to practice democracy in all aspects.The whole world is in the war of resistance, Europe has entered the stage of decisive battle, and the decisive battle in the Far East is coming soon, but China lacks a democratic system necessary to advance the war.Only with democracy can the War of Resistance be powerful. This has been proved by the experience of the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The experience of China over the past few decades and the past seven years of the War of Resistance has also proved this point.Democracy must be in all aspects, political, military, economic, cultural, party affairs, and international relations, all of which require democracy.Undoubtedly, everything needs unity and must be unified.However, this unity should be based on democracy.Politics requires unity, but only powerful politics is based on freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, and democratically elected governments.Unification is especially needed in the military, but military unity should also be built on a democratic basis. If there is no democratic life and democratic relationship between officers and soldiers, between the army and the people, and between various parts of the army, Such an army cannot fight in unison.Economic democracy means that if the economic system does not impede the development of production, exchange and consumption of the broad masses of the people, but promotes their development.Cultural democracy, such as education, academic thought, newspapers and art, etc., can only be promoted by democracy.Democracy in party affairs means that both the internal relationship of the political party and the mutual relationship between the parties should be a democratic relationship.In terms of international relations, all countries should be democratic countries and have democratic mutual relations. We hope that foreign countries and foreign friends will treat us with a democratic attitude, and we should also treat foreign countries and foreign friends with a democratic attitude.Let me repeat, we need unity very much, but only unity built on the basis of democracy is true unity.As it is at home, so it will be in the new League of Nations.Only the unity of democracy can defeat fascism and build a new China and a new world.Our approval of the Atlantic Charter[6] and the resolutions of the Moscow, Cairo[7], and Tehran conferences is based on this point of view.These are the main things we hope for from the Nationalist Government, the Kuomintang, all parties and people's organizations.This is what the Chinese Communist Party has done and will do.The gentlemen have been in the border region for more than ten days, and will stay in the border region for a certain period of time in the future.You can see that the spirit of democratic unity or democratic centralism has been implemented in all the work our Communist Party has done to overthrow Japanese imperialism.If there are deficiencies, it must continue to be done.If there is a shortcoming, it must be overcome.We believe that only a democratic system and a democratic style of work in China can defeat the enemy now and establish a good and peaceful domestic and international relationship in the future.The same is true of what we hope for fascist countries such as Germany, Italy, and Japan after fascism is overthrown.Looking at many issues from this point of view, there is nothing that cannot be said and done.It is too late today, and we can exchange views with each other in the future.That's all I have to say.

According to the publication of "Liberation Daily" on June 13, 1944. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] The delegation of Chinese and foreign journalists to the Northwest includes foreign journalists from the Associated Press, United Press, Reuters, TASS, etc., and Chinese journalists from Ta Kung Pao, Central Daily, Sweeping News, Xinmin Evening News, etc. There were more than 20 journalists and KMT officials.The delegation arrived in Yan'an on June 9, 1944, and visited Yan'an for about a month.On July 12, the Chinese journalists left Yan'an for Chongqing, while the foreign journalists stayed for further visits.

[2] For the second battlefield, see note [3] on page 7 of this volume. [3] Moscow Conference, see note [21] on page 102 of this volume.Tehran Conference, see note [5] on page 79 of this volume. [4] Allies refer to China, the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, France and other countries that jointly fought against the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II. [5] See note [2] on page 33 of this volume. [6] The Atlantic Charter, also known as the Roosevelt-Churchill Joint Declaration, was formally issued on the 14th after Roosevelt and Churchill held talks in the Newfoundland waters of the Atlantic from August 9th to 12th, 1941.The Declaration pointed out that the two countries do not pursue territorial or other expansion, respect the right of all nations to freely choose their form of government, and agree to destroy the Nazi tyranny in Germany and disarm aggressive countries.

[7] Cairo Conference, see note [4] on page 79 of this volume.