Principal Contradiction of the Modern Chinese Society

Among all kinds of contradictions in Chinese society, the contradiction which was dominant and played a role in determining or influencing other contradictions in Chinese society, was the most important aspect of China's national conditions. A clear understanding of China's national conditions was the most basic issue for solving the questions of the Chinese revolution.

In December 1939, Mao Zedong pointed out in his article "The Chinese Revolution and the Communist Party of China” that the contradiction between imperialism and the Chinese nation and the contradiction between feudalism and the broad masses of the people were the fundamental contradictions in modern Chinese society. Of course, there were others, such as the contradiction between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat and the contradictions within the reactionary ruling classes themselves. But the contradiction between imperialism and the Chinese nation was the principal one. In the semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, these contradictions and their intensification must have inevitably resulted in the incessant growth of revolutionary movements in China. The main reason why the contradiction between imperialism and the Chinese nation was the contradiction among all kinds of contradictions lies in: Firstly, the oppression of imperialist powers directly hindered China's economic development and social progress, and caused serious disasters to the Chinese people.

Secondly, the imperialist powers "made the feudal landlord class as well as the comprador class the main props of their rule in China.” To this end, everywhere imperialism attempts to preserve and to perpetuate all those pre-capitalist forms of exploitation (especially in the villages) which serve as “the basis for the existence of its reactionary allies.”

Thirdly, in semi-colonial China, the imperialist powers exercised indirect domination over the Chinese people mainly through missionary work in China, namely, the reactionary ruling classes in China. Because of the sharp opposition between China's reactionary ruling classes and the Chinese people, their rule could only be maintained by means of naked violence and feudal autocracy. Thus, foreign imperialists' support for them became a support for China's dictatorship and a serious direct obstacle to the democratization of Chinese politics.

Fourthly, due to the imperialist powers supplied the reactionary government in order to keep the warlords fighting among themselves and to suppress the Chinese people, the war in China was still frequent and the people were unable to live and work in peace and contentment, thus seriously hampering the development of China's economic and cultural undertakings.