Chapter 70 Regarding the election of the seventh alternate members of the Central Committee [1]

(June 10, 1945) 1. The election of alternate members of the Central Committee is going on today. Comrades, don’t think that you are being elected as alternate members of the Central Committee, so you can be careless.The significance of this election is also very important, because the number of alternate members of the Central Committee to be elected by our congress is quite a number, 34; they also participate in the work of the Central Committee, participate in the meetings of the Central Committee, have the right to speak, and can express opinions; When there are vacancies in the official Central Committee, they must fill in.If the Eighth National Congress is postponed and cannot be held as scheduled, then the role of alternate members of the Central Committee will be even greater.Therefore, I hope everyone will pay attention to this election.

After the election of full-fledged members of the Central Committee yesterday, a comrade wrote to the presidium saying that he hoped to pay attention to the election and to elect comrades who can carry out the line of the congress to the Central Committee.This guideline has been proposed by the Bureau, and I have made a report here on behalf of the Bureau, and various delegations have been discussing and deliberating for several days. The comrades who elected the official Central Committee members yesterday were elected according to this guideline.Why, then, does this comrade still make this point after yesterday's election? He means that some candidates are not well-known, and even have some shortcomings and mistakes in certain respects, but he has proved to be a good candidate for a long time. Those who can implement the conference line, we should not choose him because he is not well-known or even has some shortcomings and mistakes.I think this comrade's opinion is very good and represents the opinion of the majority of comrades.

2. In yesterday's election, Comrade Wang Jiaxiang[2] got 204 votes, less than half, and was not elected.On this subject, I would like to say a few words here. Comrade Wang Jiaxiang made mistakes. He made mistakes in line before and after the Fourth Plenary Session of the Central Committee[3], and he has also made several mistakes since then.However, he is credited.His main achievements are as follows: First, after the Fourth Plenary Session of the Central Committee, the Central Committee sent a delegation to the Central Soviet Area.There are three members of the delegation, Comrade Ren Bishi[4], Comrade Wang Jiaxiang and Comrade Gu Zuolin[5].They came after the first counter-campaign against "encirclement and suppression".Comrade Wang Jiaxiang participated in the second, third, and fourth campaigns against "encirclement and suppression".At that time, we felt that without the support of the delegation, especially comrades Ren Bishi and Wang Jiaxiang, the opposition to the idea of ​​"cutting carrots" would not have gone so smoothly.The so-called "peeling radish" means not to beat it, but to walk, and to peel a "little radish" wherever you go.At that time, we advocated fighting with the enemy, getting among the enemy, finding the enemy's weak point, and attacking the enemy.Those who advocate "cutting carrots" oppose us, saying that our method is "cutting corners".At that time, it would have been quite difficult without a delegation, especially Comrade Wang Jiaxiang, who sponsored us and trusted us—me and the commander-in-chief[6].Although Comrade Wang Jiaxiang made mistakes at the two conferences in the Soviet area, that is, the Party Congress of the Central Soviet Area and the First Soviet Congress, the point mentioned above is his credit.Comrade Wang Jiaxiang was wounded at the end of the fourth campaign against "encirclement and suppression".

Second, everyone studies party history, learns the line, and knows that there are two important and key meetings in the history of the Communist Party of China.One was the Zunyi Conference[7] in January 1935, and the other was the Sixth Plenary Session[8] of the 1938 Central Committee. The Zunyi Conference is a key point and has a great influence on the Chinese revolution.However, everyone should know that if the two comrades Luo Fu[9] and Wang Jiaxiang had not split from the third "Left" line, it would have been impossible to successfully hold the Zunyi Conference.Comrades put good accounts in my name, but they must not be forgotten.Of course, there were many other comrades who participated in the Zunyi Conference, and it had been in the works for a long time. Without the participation and support of those comrades, the two of them alone would not do. However, the two of them were separated from the third "left" line, It works great.From the beginning of the Long March, Comrade Wang Jiaxiang began to oppose the third "Left" line.

After the Zunyi Conference, the leadership line of the central government was correct, but there were twists and turns in the middle.In the early days of the Anti-Japanese War, the December meeting[10] was a setback.If the situation at the December meeting continues, what will happen? Some people say that he returned to China under the order of the Communist International, and that the country is not doing well, and a new policy is needed.The so-called new policy is mainly concerned with two issues, namely, the issue of the united front and the issue of war.On the issue of the united front, whether to be independent or not or to weaken it; on the issue of war, whether it is independent mountain guerrilla warfare or mobile warfare.The Sixth Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China will decide the fate of China.Although there were some works before the Sixth Plenary Session, such as "On Protracted War", if there is no instruction from the Communist International, the Sixth Plenary Session will still be difficult to solve the problem.The Comintern's instructions were brought back by Comrade Wang Jiaxiang after he recuperated in the Soviet Union and conveyed by Comrade Wang Jiaxiang.

Third, since then, Comrade Wang Jiaxiang has been working in the central government.Although he also has shortcomings in his work, such as in political work, he has done a lot of good things, such as the 1939 decision on strengthening the party, the 1941 decision on strengthening party spirit, He drafted the 1942 decision on the unification of party leadership, the directive on the attitude of the former Fourth Army cadres, and the No. 4 directive on army building.The decision to strengthen party spirit was drafted by him in cooperation with Comrade Wang Ruofei[11] and under his leadership; the No. 4 Instruction on Army Construction was drafted by him in cooperation with Comrade Ye Jianying[12] and under his leadership.

As for his shortcomings, such as his relationship with cadres, everyone knows this.But the above-mentioned things are not well known to everyone, and they are internal affairs of the Central Committee. I have to talk about them here today. Although he has made mistakes in line and has shortcomings, he has made meritorious deeds.He is currently ill, and his illness was also caused by injuries during the fourth counter-campaign against "encirclement and suppression".The letter [13] he wrote to me this time has been printed and distributed for everyone to read. Some comrades said that it was too simple, but he really thought about it for a long time before making up his mind to write it.

I think he is able to carry out the line of the congress, and from the past, when the "left" line was on the rise for the third time after the Fourth Plenary Session, this can also be proved at the Zunyi Conference and the Sixth Plenary Session. He was not elected as a full-fledged member of the Central Committee yesterday, so the presidium made him the first candidate for an alternate member of the Central Committee and hoped that everyone would elect him. 3. Regarding the Northeast issue, I think it would be good if comrades from the Northeast region were elected this time.The Northeast is very important. From the perspective of our Party and the immediate future of the Chinese revolution, the Northeast is especially important.If we lose all our existing base areas, as long as we have the Northeast, then the Chinese revolution will have a solid foundation.Of course, the other base areas have not been lost, and we have the Northeast, and the foundation of the Chinese revolution has been further consolidated.Now our foundation is not solid, so don't think that it is very solid.Why not consolidate it? Because our current base areas are still handicraft economically, there is no large-scale industry, no heavy industry, and they are not geographically contiguous.Therefore, I think it would be better if comrades from the Northeast should be elected this time.Of course, this is just a suggestion, please consider it, comrades.

Published based on the transcript of the speech kept by the Central Archives. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This is Mao Zedong's speech at the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China. [2] Wang Jiaxiang (1906-1974), born in Jing County, Anhui.In the spring of 1931, he entered the Jiangxi Revolutionary Base as a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.In January 1934, at the Fifth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he was co-opted as a member of the Central Committee and an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee.In January 1935, at the Zunyi Conference, he supported and supported Mao Zedong's correct ideas. After the meeting, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai formed a three-member military leading group of the Central Committee.During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he served as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, director of the General Political Department and director of the Political Department of the Eighth Route Army.In 1944, he resigned to recuperate due to the recurrence of injury.In 1945, he was elected as an alternate member of the Central Committee at the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

[3] Fourth Plenary Session, see Note [12] on page 76 of this volume. [4] Ren Bishi (1904-1950), born in Xiangyin, Hunan.In the spring of 1931, he led the delegation of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China into the Jiangxi Revolutionary Base and served as a member of the Central Bureau of the Soviet Area of ​​the Communist Party of China and head of the Organization Department. [5] Gu Zuolin (1907-1934), born in Jiading, Jiangsu (now part of Shanghai).In the spring of 1931, he entered the Jiangxi Revolutionary Base as a member of the delegation of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and served as a member of the Central Bureau of the Soviet Area of ​​the Communist Party of China.

[6] Refers to Zhu De. [7] Zunyi Conference, see note [14] on page 102 of this volume. [8] The Sixth Plenary Session, see note [4] on page 143 of this volume. [9] Luo Fu, namely Zhang Wentian, served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Provisional Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in September 1931.In January 1933, he entered the Central Revolutionary Base. In January 1934, he was elected as a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee at the Fifth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. In February, he was elected as the chairman of the People's Committee of the Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic.In January 1935, he supported and supported Mao Zedong's correct proposition at the Zunyi Conference, and drafted the resolution of the Zunyi Conference for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.After the meeting, according to the division of labor of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, he replaced Bogu in the central government. [10] December meeting, see note [3] on page 278 of this volume. [11] Wang Ruofei (1896-1946), a native of Anshun, Guizhou.In 1941, he served as Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Central Party Affairs Research Office. [12] Ye Jianying (1897-1986), a native of Meixian, Guangdong.At that time, he was the chief of staff of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China. [13] During the Seventh Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Seventh National Congress, Wang Jiaxiang was unable to attend the meeting due to illness.He wrote two letters to Mao Zedong on April 17 and 22, 1945, talking about taking a serious attitude towards criticism from the party and his own mistakes.The letter said: "The Party seriously reviews the historical issues of the past, and everyone should also take themselves seriously." It is a pity for me to make up for my past mistakes with a new job, but there is nothing I can do about it. If my body can recover in the future, I will go to this job again." The front and back are not continuous, so the writing is messy. Whether it is appropriate or not, I still beg for instructions." Mao Zedong had ordered the printing and distribution of these two letters to the representatives of the Seventh Congress.