Selected Works of Mao Zedong on Diplomacy: English

Author: Mao Zedong
Editor-in-Chief: Wu Canfei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-01-01
Features:
Excerpt:
ADOPT ANTI-JAPANESE FOREIGN POLICY (July 1937 - May 1941)
Adopt an anti-Japanese foreign policy. Accord the Japanese imperialists no advantages or facilities, but on the contrary confiscate their property, repudiate their loans, weed out their lackeys and expel their spies. Immediately conclude a military and political alliance with the Soviet Union and closely unite with the Soviet Union, the country which is most reliable, most powerful and most capable of helping China resist Japan. Enlist the sympathy of Britain, the United States and France for our resistance to Japan, and secure their help provided that it entails no loss of our territory or our sovereign rights. We should rely mainly on our own strength to defeat the Japanese aggressors; but foreign aid cannot be dispensed with, and an isolationist policy will only play into the enemy's hands. (July 23, 1937) (From Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Vol. 11)
Overthrow Japanese Imperialism
Sever diplomatic relations with Japan, expel Japanese officials, arrest Japanese agents, confiscate Japanese property in China, repudiate debts to Japan, abrogate treaties signed with Japan and take back all Japanese Concessions. These are excerpts from five articles written by Mao Zedong: "Policies, Measures and Perspectives for Resisting the Japanese Invasion," "For the Mobilization of All the Nation's Forces for Victory in the War of Resistance," "The Identity of Interests Between the Soviet Union and All Mankind," "On Policy" and "Administrative Program for the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region."
Fight to the finish in defense of northern China and the sea coast. Fight to the finish for the recovery of Beiping, Tianjin and northeastern China. Drive the Japanese imperialists out of China. Oppose all vacillation and compromise. Adopt an Anti-Japanese Foreign Policy. Conclude anti-aggression alliances and anti-Japanese pacts for mutual military aid with all countries that are opposed to Japanese aggression, provided that this entails no loss of our territory or of our sovereign rights. Support the international peace front and oppose the front of aggression of Germany, Japan and Italy. Unite with the worker and peasant masses of Korea and Japan against Japanese imperialism. (August 25, 1937) (From Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Vol. 11)
It is obvious that China's foreign policy must be one of resistance to Japanese aggression. This policy means primarily relying on our own efforts, while not ignoring any possibility of securing help from abroad. Now that the imperialist world war has broken out, foreign help is coming mainly from three sources: (1) the socialist Soviet Union, (2) the people of the capitalist countries, and (3) the oppressed nations in the colonies and semi-colonies. These are our only reliable sources of help. Anything else that might be called foreign help, even if it might become available, can only be regarded as supplementary and temporary. Of course, China should try to obtain such supplementary and temporary foreign help, but must never depend too much on it or consider it reliable. China should maintain strict neutrality toward the belligerents in the imperialist war and not join either side. To maintain that China should join the Anglo-French imperialist war front is a capitulator's view, which is harmful to the War of Resistance as well as to the independence and liberation of the Chinese nation, and it should be flatly rejected. (September 18, 1939) (From Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Vol. 11)