Both Revolution and Construction Depend on Self-reliance

Part of a talk between Mao Zedong and a delegation of the Communist Party of Indonesia led by Dipa Nusantara Aidit, chairman of the Central Committee, on September 3, 1963. It was included in the Collected Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 8.

Mao Zedong summed up the positive and negative historical experiences and lessons of China's New-Democratic Revolution and socialist construction and expounded that both revolution and construction must adhere to the principle of independence and autonomy and adhere to the combination of the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism with China's specific practice.

He pointed out, "There are both advantages and disadvantages of having a teacher. Without a teacher, you read by yourself, write by yourself, think by yourself. This is the truth. The speech broke the superstition of the Soviet experience and stressed that socialist construction must treat foreign experience correctly and never copy it, and that "foreign experience, no matter which country it is, can only be used for reference". These thoughts still have practical guiding significance for the independent exploration of the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics.