China's Two Possible Destinies
#PUBLICATION NOTE
This edition of China's Two Possible Destinies has been prepared and revised for digital publication by the Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism under the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Switzerland on the basis of the following editions:
- China's Two Possible Destinies, in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, First English Edition, Vol. 3, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 1965.
- Comrade Mao Zedong's Opening Speech at the Seventh National Congress, in Mao's Road to Power, First English Edition, Vol. 8, Routledge, New York and London, 2015.
#INTRODUCTION NOTE
This is the opening address delivered by Comrade Mao Zedong at the First Session of the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Yan'an, Shaanxi, China on the 23rd of April, 1945. It was first published in the Jiefang Ribao (1st of May, 1945).
#Workers and oppressed people of the world, unite!
#CHINA'S TWO POSSIBLE DESTINIES
#OPENING ADDRESS AT THE SEVENTH NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA
#Mao Zedong
#23rd of April, 1945
#★
Comrades!
The Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China opens today.
What is the significance of our Congress? It is a congress, it should be said, that affects the destiny of China's 450'000'000 people. China can have one of two destinies. Someone has written a book about one of them;1 our Congress represents China's other destiny, and we, too, shall write a book about it.2 The aim of our congress is the overthrow of Japanese imperialism and the liberation of all the people of China. Ours is a congress for the defeat of the Japanese aggressors and the building of a New China, for final victory through the unity of all the Chinese people and of the peoples of the whole world.
The times are very favourable. In Europe, Hitler will soon be overthrown. The chief theatre of the Anti-Fascist World War is in Europe, where the fighting will soon end in victory, thanks to the efforts of the Soviet Red Army. The guns of the Red Army can already be heard in Berlin, which will probably fall before long. In Asia, too, victory in the war to overthrow Japanese imperialism is nigh. Our Congress is meeting on the eve of final victory in the Anti-Fascist War.
Two roads lie before the Chinese people, the road of light and the road of darkness. Two possible destinies await China, a destiny of light and a destiny of darkness. Japanese imperialism has not yet been defeated. But even after its defeat, the two prospects will still confront us. Either a China which is independent, free, democratic, united, prosperous, and strong, that is, a China full of light, a New China, whose people have won liberation, or a China which is semi-colonial, semi-feudal, divided, poor, and weak, that is, Old China. New China or Old China — these are the two prospects facing the Chinese people, the Communist Party of China, and our present Congress.
Since Japan is not yet defeated and since the two prospects will still face us even after its defeat, how should we set about our work? What is our task? Our sole task is boldly to mobilize the masses, expand the people's forces, and unite all the forces of the nation capable of being united in order to struggle under our Party's leadership to defeat the Japanese aggressors and build a bright New China, a China that is independent, free, democratic, united, prosperous, and strong. We must strive with all our might for a bright future, a destiny of light, and against a dark future, a destiny of darkness. This is our one and only task! Indeed, it is the task of our Congress, of our whole Party, and of all the people of China.
Is it possible for our hopes to be realized? We believe it is. The possibility exists, because we already enjoy the following conditions:
- First, China not only has more than one political party, it also has a powerful Communist Party with rich experience and a membership of 1'210'000.
- Second, China not only has more than one type of area, but also has powerful Liberated Areas with a population of 95'500'000, an army of 910'000, and a militia of 2'200'000.
- Third, the support of the masses throughout the country.
- Fourth, the support of the people of all countries, and especially of the Council Union.
With these conditions — a powerful Communist Party, powerful Liberated Areas, the support of the masses throughout the country, and the support of the people of the world — can our hopes be realized? We believe they can. China has never enjoyed these conditions before. Some have been present for a number of years, but never so fully as today. Our Communist Party has never been so powerful, the revolutionary base areas have never had so large a population and so large an army, the prestige of the Communist Party is higher than ever among the people both in the Japanese-occupied and in the Nationalist areas, and the revolutionary forces of the Council Union and the people of all countries are stronger than ever before. One must say that, with these conditions, it is entirely possible to defeat the aggressors and build a New China.
We must have a correct policy. The fundamental point of our policy is boldly to mobilize the masses and expand the people's forces, so that, under the leadership of our Party, they will defeat the aggressors and build a New China.
In the 24 years of its existence since its birth in 1921, the Communist Party of China has gone through three historical periods of heroic struggle — the Northern Expedition, the Agrarian Revolutionary War, and the War of Resistance Against Japan — and has accumulated a wealth of experience. Now, our Party has become the centre of gravity of the Chinese people's struggle to resist Japan and save the nation, the centre of gravity of their struggle for liberation and of their struggle to defeat the aggressors and build a New China. China's centre of gravity lies right here where we are and nowhere else.
We should be modest and prudent, guard against arrogance and rashness, and serve the Chinese people heart and soul, in order to unite them for defeating the Japanese aggressors in the present and for building a new-democratic State in the future. Provided we do so, provided we have the correct policy, and provided we make a united effort, we can definitely fulfil our task.