On Tactics Against Japanese Imperialism

A report by Mao Zedong delivered on December 27, 1935, at the conference of Party activists, in accordance with the spirit of the resolution adopted by the Political Bureau conference held by the CPC Central Committee in Wayaobu, (i.e., the Wayaobu Conference).

Included in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 1.

The report fully explained in detail the possibility and the importance of re-establishing an Anti-Japanese National United Front, and stressed the decisive significance of the leading role to be played by the Communist Party and the Red Army in this United Front. The report is divided into four parts: the main characteristics of the current political situation, the National United Front, the People's Republic and the international support.

(1) The analysis of the main characteristics of the current situation and the tactics of the Party. He pointed out that the main feature of the current situation is that Japanese imperialism wants to turn China into its colony. For nearly a hundred years, modern China was a semi-colonial country jointly dominated by several imperialist countries. Today, Japanese imperialists want to convert the whole of China from a semi-colony shared by several imperialist powers into a colony monopolized by Japan. When the revolutionary situation changes, revolutionary tactics and methods of leadership must change accordingly. "The Japanese imperialists have decided to turn China into its colony, and there are still serious weaknesses in the current strength of the Chinese revolution". Based on these two basic facts, the report put forward the tactics and policies of the Anti-Japanese National United Front. Mao Zedong said: “In order to attack the forces of the counter-revolution, what the revolutionary forces need today is to organize millions upon millions of the masses and move a mighty revolutionary army into action. The plain truth is that only a force of such magnitude can crush the Japanese imperialists and the traitors and collaborators.”

(2) The report analyzes the great changes in the domestic class relations of China caused by the intensifying of national contradiction between China and Japan—which became the main contradictions—and on this basis it illustrates the possibility of establishing an Anti-Japanese National United Front. It pointed out that the workers and the peasants are all demanding resistance which is the most resolute force of the Chinese revolution. The petty bourgeoisie is also demanding resistance, and there is no alternative for them except resistance. At the same time, the national bourgeoisie also has the possibility of participating in the Anti-Japanese War, at a certain stage of the struggle, one section (the left-wing) may join in, while another section may vacillate towards neutrality, and even the KMT camp may also split. The report correctly estimated the power of contrast between revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces and pointed out that the forces of Japanese imperialism and domestic counter-revolutionaries are still far more powerful than those of revolutionary forces, therefore, it is necessary to unite and accumulate all Anti-Japanese forces and form a broad Anti-Japanese National United Front.

(3) The report seriously criticized the long-standing “Left” closed-doorism mistake in the Party. The report pointed out that the closed-doorists cannot estimate the new situation which could change the alignment of revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces in China resulting from the attempt of Japanese imperialism to turn China into a colony, thus they deny the necessity of organizing a broad National United Front; they cannot see that China's revolutionary forces still have serious weaknesses. Without a proper estimate of the strong and weak points of the Japanese and Chinese counter-revolutionary forces and of the Chinese revolutionary forces, we shall be unable fully to understand the necessity of organizing a broad revolutionary national united front.

Consequently, closed-doorists reject to use the united front as a means of organizing and rallying millions of people and all the armies that are potentially friendly to the revolution for the purpose of advancing to strike at our main target, namely, Japanese imperialism and its running dogs; but instead they advocate to hit a variety of targets so that our bullets will hit not the principal enemy but our lesser enemies or even our allies. Of course such tactic will win the applause of the enemy. It can be seen that adherents of closed-doorism talk about the "pure" and the "straight" “which should be condemned by Marxist-Leninists and commended by the Japanese imperialists”. We definitely want no closed-doorism.

(4) According to the new situation and changing circumstances, the slogan of Workers’ and Peasants’ Republic was changed to the People’s Republic. The report elaborated on the nature of the People's Republic and emphasized the need to change all policies concerning the rich peasants, policy towards national bourgeoisie's industrial and commercial enterprises, policy towards overseas Chinese and also the foreign diplomacy so as to meet the needs of the situation and strive to win more classes and strata to the Anti-Japanese National United Front.

(5) The report emphasized that the leading position of the Party in the Anti-Japanese National United Front must be upheld. We must resolutely seek unity towards the United Front, on the other hand fight against all tendencies of vacillation, compromise, surrender and confrontation within the United Front. “Our Party's task is contending for leadership”.

Mao Zedong's report and the resolution of the Wayaobu Conference made a comprehensive and profound exposition on the Party's Anti-Japanese National United Front policy, which laid the theoretical foundation for the anti-Japanese national united front policy, and also marked the formal establishment of the Party's Anti-Japanese National United Front policy.