There Is No Such Thing as Maoism at Present

#PUBLICATION NOTE

This edition of There Is No Such Thing as Maoism at Present 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:

  • Quotation in How to Define Mao Zedong Thought, in the Beijing Review, Vol. 24, No. 9 (2nd of March, 1981).
  • I Do Not Agree With the Formulation of Mao Zedongism, in Mao's Road to Power, First English Edition, Vol. 10, Routledge, New York and London, 2023.

#INTRODUCTION NOTE

This is a telegram from Comrade Mao Zedong dated the 15th of August, 1948 in response to a telegram from Comrade Wu Yuzhang to Zhou Enlai dated the 13th of August, 1948.

Wu Yuzhang was to deliver a speech at the opening of the North China University, in which he contemplated referring to Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong's Thought as «Marxism-Leninism-Maoism».


#Workers and oppressed people of the world, unite!

#THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MAOISM AT PRESENT

#TELEGRAM TO WU YUZHANG

#Mao Zedong
#15th of August, 1948

#

#To Comrade Wu Yuzhang

We have received your telegram dated the 13th of August. This expression is most inappropriate. There is no such thing as Maoism at present, and consequently, we cannot refer to Maoism. The issue is not one of «mainly studying Maoism», but of it being necessary to call on students to study the theories of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin and the experience of the Chinese revolution. This experience of the Chinese revolution includes some small pamphlets based on the theories of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin composed by Chinese Communists (including Mao Zedong), and all kinds of documents laying down the line and policies of the Party's Central Committee. In addition, some comrades have juxtaposed my name with those of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin in periodicals, and have spoken of «Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao Zedong». This is also incorrect. Both your formulation and these latter statements do not correspond to reality. They are harmful and not beneficial. We must resolutely oppose such formulations.

#Mao Zedong