Stalin, Friend of the Chinese People

#PUBLICATION NOTE

This edition of Stalin, Friend of the Chinese People has been prepared and revised for digital publication by the Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism under the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Switzerland on the basis of the following editions:

• Stalin, Friend of the Chinese People, in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, First English Edition, Vol. 2, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 1965.
• Stalin Is the Friend of the Chinese People, in Mao's Road to Power, First English Edition, Vol. 7, M.E. Sharpe, Armonk and London, 2005.

#INTRODUCTION NOTE

This is an article written by Comrade Mao Zedong in Yan'an, Shaanxi, China. It was first published in the Xin Zhonghua Bao (20th of December, 1939).

#Workers and oppressed people of the world, unite!

#STALIN, FRIEND OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE

#Mao Zedong

#Before the 20th of December, 1939

#★

On the 21st of December, Comrade Stalin will be 60 years old. We can be sure that his birthday will evoke warm and affectionate congratulations from the hearts of all revolutionary people throughout the world who know of the occasion.

Congratulating Stalin is not a formality. Congratulating Stalin means supporting him and his cause, supporting the cause of the Council Union, supporting the victory of socialism, and the way forward for humanity which he points out, it means supporting a dear friend. For the great majority of humanity today are suffering, and humanity can free itself from suffering only by the road pointed out by Stalin and with his help.

Living in a period of the bitterest suffering in our history, we Chinese people most urgently need help from others. The Book of Odes says: «A bird sings out to draw a friend's response.» This aptly describes our present situation.

But who are our friends?

There are so-called friends, self-styled friends of the Chinese people, whom even some Chinese unthinkingly accept as friends. But such friends can only be classed with Li Linfu,¹ the prime minister in the Tang Dynasty who was notorious as a person with «honey on his lips and murder in his heart». They are indeed «friends» with «honey on their lips and murder in their hearts». Who are these people? They are the imperialists who profess sympathy with China.

However, there are friends of another kind, friends who have real sympathy with us and regard us as siblings. Who are they? They are the Soviet people and Stalin.

No other country has renounced its privileges in China; the Council Union alone has done so.

All the imperialists opposed us during our First Great Revolution; the Council Union alone helped us.

No government of any imperialist country has given us real help since the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan; the Council Union alone has helped China with its aviation and supplies.

Is not the point clear enough?

Only the land of socialism, its leaders and people, and socialist thinkers, statespersons, and workers can give real help to the cause of liberation of the Chinese nation and the Chinese people, and without their help, our cause cannot win final victory.

Stalin is the true friend of the Chinese nation and of the cause of liberation of the Chinese people. No attempt to sow dissension, no lies and calumnies, can affect the Chinese people's wholehearted love and respect for Stalin and our genuine friendship for the Council Union.