Exchange of Telegrams Between Mao Tse-tung and G. Dimitrov on the Situation in the Communist Party of China

Letter of G. Dimitrov to Mao Zedong on the situation in the Communist Party of China

22nd December, 1943

Mao Zedong (personally only)

1. About your son. He is settled in the Military-Political Academy. On completion he will acquire a solid knowledge in the fields of Marxism-Leninism and contemporary military matters. The youth is able and I do not doubt that in his person you will receive a reliable and good assistant.

He sends you warm greetings.

2. About matters of a political character. We ourselves understand that after the disbandment of the Comintern no one of the former leaders can intervene in the internal matters of a Communist Party. But in an honest and friendly way I cannot but speak to you of the anxiety which has been aroused in me by the condition of the Communist Party. You know that from the beginning of 1935 I was closely and frequently concerned with Chinese affairs. On the basis of all that which is known to me I consider that a politically mistaken course is being undertaken to curtail the struggles against the foreign occupiers of China, and that a deviation from the policies of the United National Front is becoming apparent. In the period of the national war of the Chinese people such a course threatens to place the party in isolation from the state of the mass of the people, and has the capacity to bring about a perilous sharpening of the civil war which can only be in the interest of the occupiers and their agents in the Kuomintang. I consider the conducting of the campaign against Zhou Enlai and Wang Ming to be politically incorrect. It incriminates the recommendation of the Comintern policy on the a National Front as a result of which they supposedly lead the party to a split. Such people as Zhou Enlai and Wang Ming need not be severed from the party, but retained and utilised to the utmost for the work of the party. I am troubled by the circumstance that a section of the party cadres have unhealthy attitudes with relation to the Soviet Union. Doubts arise in my mind also concerning the role of Kang Sheng. The carrying out of such correct party measures as the cleansing of the party of enemies and building its unity, is being accomplished by Kang Sheng and his apparatus in such abnormal forms, that it has the capacity only to sow mutual distrust and to provoke deep indignation in the ordinary masses of the party membership and to help the enemy and its efforts to demoralise the party. Even in August of this year we received from Chongqing thoroughly trustworthy information that the Kuomintangists decided to despatch their agents provocateurs to Yan'an with the purpose of making mischief between you, Wang Ming and other party activists, and also to create a hostile frame of mind against all those who lived and studied in Moscow. I forewarned you in good time of this insidious design of the Kuomintangists. The secret desire of the Kuomintangists is to corrupt the Communist Party from within as it is easier in this way to bring about its destruction. For me it is beyond doubt that Kang Sheng in his activities is playing into the hands of these provocateurs. Pardon me for this fraternal plain-speaking. But only my deep respect for you and the firm conviction that you, the generally acknowledged leader of the Party, are interested to see things in their genuine light, allows me to speak so candidly. I request you to reply to me about the channel by means of which I may send you the current correspondence. I strongly press your hands--D [imitrov].

(2)

From the Dimitrov Diary:

10th January 1944

One of these days received Mao Zedong's answer (through Ilichov line) to my letter (coded) of 22 December 1943.

'To Com. Dimitrov,

1) We are not lessening the anti-Japanese struggle. On the other hand, during 1943 parts of the 8th Army carried out tens of active operations against the Japanese. As a result of these actions a part of the regions lost in 1940 and 1942 have returned. The 8th army forces now number 500,000. The fight against the Japanese in 1943 was viciously fought.

2) Our line on the question of co-operation with the Kuomintang remains unchanged. During July 1943 a tense and dangerous situation emerged. The Kuomintang was preparing to carry out an armed attack against the Special Region. As a result of the all-out measures taken by us, we were able to avoid a clash. There is a possibility of a similar tense situation being created (even) in 1944. Our efforts, our measures would be to avoid armed clashes.

3) Our relations with Zhou Enlai are very good. We are taking absolutely no steps to throw him out of the Party. Zhou Enlai has achieved great success and progress.

4) Wang Ming was carrying out various anti-party activities. All this has been brought to the knowledge of all party members. But we do not plan to make it public knowledge for the entire mass of the party, what is more, we are not preparing to publish it for the consumption of the non-party masses. The result of the criticism of all the mistakes of Wang Ming among the higher party members is that these cadres got even more united and well knit.

5) I wish to assure you and can guarantee that Com. Stalin and the Soviet Union are treated with love and all possible respect in the Communist Party of China.

6) From my point of view Wang Ming is a hopeless person. Wang Ming was earlier arrested in Shanghai. Some people said that in the prison he had admitted his being in the Communist Party. Later he was freed. They also talked of his suspicious links with Mif. Wang Ming has carried out large anti-party activities.

There is hope for Kang Sheng. Verification of members is not carried out by his apparatus. They deal only with exposing a part of the spies. We carried out a full and total verification of members.

Mao Zedong'

On 7th January Mao Zedong sent the second telegram:

'To Com. Dimitrov,

Besides the telegram of 2nd January, in which I explained my point of view, now once again I wish to inform you of the following on the questions concerned: I greatly and sincerely thank you for directions given to me. I am deeply obliged to study them, to pay attention to them and to act upon them. Regarding the mutual understanding with the Kuomintang the politics pursued by us is the politics of co-operation.

I expect that in this area the situation in 1944 will be better. Inner-party questions: Politics in this area is directed towards bringing together, towards strengthening of unity. In relation to Wang Ming, precisely such a politics would be carried out. As a result of the work carried out in the second half of 1943 the situation in the party, and the unity of the party improved significantly.

I request you to be relaxed. All your thoughts, all that you are going through is close to my heart, since my own thoughts and feelings basically are the same.

With greetings
Mao Zedong'

(G. Dimitrov: Dnevnik, Sofia, 1997, pp. 402-403). Translated from the Bulgarian by Nirmal Kumar.

(4)

From the Dimitrov Diary:

(25th February 1944)

Sent the following telegram to Mao Zedong:

'Dear Comrade Mao!

Received both your telegrams. Your second telegram pleased me specially. I never doubted that you will give the necessary serious thought to my friendly remarks and would take relevant measures, dictated by the interests of the Party and our common task. I will be grateful to you, if you let me know what practical results have accrued from the measures taken by you.

Fraternal greetings. I shake your hands warmly'.

(G. Dimitrov: Dnevnik, p.407).Translated from the Bulgarian by Nirmal Kumar.

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