National Contradictions

Contradictions arise among nations due to distinctions and interests. National contradictions go hand in hand with national differences and are closely related to national interests as well as class contradictions, and there are national contradictions of different nature and manifestations in different historical periods. In class society, there are antagonisms and conflicts between the ruling nation and the ruled nations within the country. In the imperialist period, there are intense contradictions between the imperialist powers and the colonial and semi-colonial nations at the international level.

Nations did not always exist, nor did national contradictions. National contradictions are a historical category, a product of the development of productive forces of society to a certain stage. The relationship between nations depends on the degree of development of each nation’s productive forces, division of labor and internal intercourse. This principle is widely recognized. However, not only the relations of a nation with other nations, but also the whole internal structure of this nation itself depends on the degree of development of its own production and its own internal and external intercourse. National contradictions are also contradictions among nations due to different interests.

In a society dominated by exploiting classes, there is a close relationship between national contradictions and class contradictions. National oppression and exploitation are an inevitable product of class oppression and the system of exploitation. Marx pointed out that it is quite natural that the important dignitaries and the ruling classes of the old society who can only maintain their own power and the exploitation of the productive masses of the people by national conflicts and- antagonisms, recognize their common adversary in the International Working Men’s Association. Engels also pointed out that all hitherto existing rulers and their diplomats have employed their skill and efforts to set one nation against another and use one nation to suppress another, and in this manner to perpetuate absolute rule. Germany has distinguished herself in this respect. Lenin said that private property is the source of the exploitation of the many by the few, the source of mass poverty, the source of predatory wars between nations, wars that enrich only the capitalists. Domestically, the contradiction between oppression and exploitation and opposition to oppression and exploitation has always existed between the oppressing and the oppressed nations. Of course, the exploiting class’s solely profit-seeking and insatiable nature determines that it is not satisfied with the oppression and exploitation of the working people of its own nation, but whenever possible, they have to expand abroad, establish a system of national oppression and exploitation and colonial system, and impose oppression and exploitation on the working people of other nations. National oppression and exploitation are an extension and continuation of class oppression and exploitation, the oppression and exploitation of the working people of the oppressed nation by the ruling class of the oppressing nation. In the oppressed nation, the broad masses of working people also suffer from class oppression, because the ruling class of an oppressing nation, in oppressing other nations, must inevitably strengthen its rule over the working people of its own nation. The system of class oppression and exploitation causes national oppression and exploitation, and national oppression and exploitation inevitably causes national struggle. Mao Zedong said that in a struggle that is national in character, the class struggle takes the form of national struggle. He held that, in the final analysis, the national struggle is a matter of class struggle. So long as there is national oppression and exploitation, there can be no common interests or solidarity among nations. For the interests of all nations to coincide and to truly unite, the existing property relations and the system of class oppression and exploitation must be done away with. In proportion as the exploitation of one individual by another will also be put an end to, the exploitation of one nation by another will also be put an end to. In proportion as the antagonism between classes within the nation vanishes, the hostility of one nation to another will come to an end. And the task of abolishing the present property relations can be accomplished only in the process of the victory of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie. The victory of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie is, at the same time, victory over the national and industrial conflicts which today range the peoples of the various countries against one another in hostility and enmity. Therefore, the victory of the proletariat over the bourgeoisie is also a signal for the liberation of all oppressed nations.

Due to the protracted nature of the existence of national differences and the part played by multiple natural and social factors, the resolution of national contradictions will be a protracted historical task. Even after the proletariat has conquered the political power, established a socialist state, established political equality among all nationalities, eliminated antagonistic national contradictions, and the fundamental interests of people of all nations coincided, national contradictions would still exist to a certain extent and in a certain scope because in the process of mutual intercourse of members of different nationalities contradictions will always occur due to differences in language, conditions of life, customs and habits, modes of life, religious faith, psychological make-up, etc. Therefore, when formulating policies, the proletarian parties must take into account the objective fact that national distinctions will exist for a long time. Lenin pointed out that as long as national and state distinctions exist among peoples and countries—and these will continue to exist for a very long time to come, even after the dictatorship of the proletariat has been established on a world-wide scale—the unity of the international tactics of the communist working-class movement in all countries demands, not the elimination of variety or the suppression of national distinctions (which is a pipe dream at present), but an application of the fundamental principles of communism (Soviet power and the dictatorship of the proletariat), which will correctly modify these principles in certain particulars, correctly adapt and apply them to national and national-state distinctions. These contradictions have their roots in national distinctions, national characteristics and actual inequality between nations. However, such contradictions are non-antagonistic and are internal to the people of each nation. If not handled properly, they may also develop into antagonistic contradictions.

China is a multi-national state, and in the primary stage of socialism, national contradictions still exist due to the level of development of the productive forces of society and the differences among nations. To resolve the national contradictions existing in China at this phase, it is necessary to resolutely implement the Party’s nationalities policy and implement the regional ethnic autonomy system, and to guarantee the full exercise of the right of autonomy in each ethnic autonomous region under the unified leadership of the Party and the State. At the same time, a series of special policies should be formulated and adopted according to the actual situation in ethnic autonomous regions, so as to continuously consolidate and develop the great unity of all nationalities and promote the common development and prosperity of all nationalities. We must resolutely oppose Han chauvinism and narrow local nationalism.