[Expert Talk] Why did the democratic parties choose to go with communist party？

　　This year marks the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). As Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s participating parties that have cooperated with the Communist Party of China (CPC), why do the democratic parties consciously insist on accepting the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s leadership? This needs to start from history. History shows that the democratic parties concerned with the future and destiny of the country and the nation gradually realized that only the Communist Party of China (CPC) can truly save the people in from the mire, and finally chose to cooperate with the Communist Party of China (CPC) historically. In view of the past, I have the resources to govern the road. Looking back on history and looking forward to the future, we firmly believe that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will surely come true.

　　Most of the major democratic parties in China were founded during War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation. Their relationship with the Communist Party of China (CPC) has experienced repeated trade-offs and long-term ideological games, and even paid the price of blood. From the initial mutual exclusion and opposition to gradual understanding and trust, from initial conservative cooperation to comprehensive unity and cooperation, from sympathy, support and closeness to communist party, to consciously accepting the leadership of communist party, they solemnly chose multi-party cooperation and achieved a historic leap in politics.

　　The choice of democratic parties to follow communist party depends on the development and changes of China’s social history and the development of communist party and democratic parties.

　　1. Li Zongren once said to Li Jishen, Shen Junru and Tao Xingzhi: "Chiang Kai-shek did not have the heart to save the country and the people, but communist party did.".

　　After modern times, in the face of the rise and fall of the nation and national security, many people with lofty ideals made unremitting efforts to seek ways to save the nation from extinction, put forward and practice their own political opinions, set up different political parties, and followed the example of the West to implement the parliamentary system and multi-party system, which broke away from the historical theme, consumed the progressive power and lost the correct direction.

　　As the survival of more than 300 political parties in China after the Revolution of 1911, the Kuomintang initiated the first cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party under the guidance of Sun Yat-sen’s democratic revolutionary line, which gave birth to the left-wing faction of the Kuomintang in that year and accumulated strength for the democratic parties in the future. However, after Chiang Kai-shek usurped the victory of the Northern Expedition, the Kuomintang changed from an alliance of the bourgeoisie, the petty bourgeoisie, the working class and the peasant class to a reactionary group representing the interests of the landlord class and the comprador bourgeoisie, forming a situation of "one political party, one doctrine and one leader".

　　Counting from the League founded by Sun Yat-sen, although the Communist Party of China (CPC) was founded 16 years later than the Kuomintang, it represented the fundamental interests of the working class and the people of the whole country, grasped the trend of the times, the historical trend and the aspirations of the people, and gradually became a political party opposed to the Kuomintang after the 1920s.

　　Many founders of democratic parties, such as Zhang Lan, Shen Junru, Huang Yanpei, Ma Xulun, Xu Deheng, etc., experienced great changes in the times since the Revolution of 1911, pursued the truth of saving the country and the people, determined to help the country and joined the democratic revolution. As witnesses of this period of history, their experiences, introspection, anxiety and hope laid an ideological foundation for the emergence and development of democratic parties.

　　The democratic parties were gradually bred and produced under this background. Some of them were separated from the political parties and groups that emerged after the failure of the Great Revolution, some were produced from the progressive forces of the Kuomintang, some were brewed and organized during the Anti-Japanese War, and some were established during the War of Liberation. They are different from political parties in some western countries and are not the product of the struggle between different political factions in parliament.

　　The social foundations of democratic parties are mainly the national bourgeoisie, the urban petty bourgeoisie and their intellectuals and patriotic Democrats. Because of historical opportunities and class limitations, there are obstacles and pressures everywhere in backward China.

　　Because imperialism simply doesn’t want to support China’s national bourgeoisie to monopolize the chaotic and complicated political stage, the Kuomintang implements one-party dictatorship and restricts and oppresses all democratic forces. The democratic parties lack revolutionary ideas and courage and are unable to assume the leadership responsibility of the China revolution.

　　Due to the weakness of the national bourgeoisie and the laxity of the petty bourgeoisie, although there are many "social elites", the democratic parties lack efficient organizations, and can only form some parties that are basically composed of representative figures, scattered in strength and few in personnel, and appear as moderate reformist parties from the very beginning.

　　Because it is impossible for the democratic parties to form a powerful independent political force outside the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, in order to achieve their own goals, in the limited political space, they are bound to follow a political party that recognizes each other, has the ability and courage, and can support, unite and lead themselves forward.

　　The democratic parties in the mid-20th century were close to communist party? Still close to the Kuomintang? To survive and develop, we can only choose one.

　　Being concerned about the future and destiny of the country and the nation is always the unchanging feeling and goal of the democratic parties, which determines the inherent progress. It is precisely because of this progressiveness that the democratic parties, with the ambition of saving the country and the people, traveled around the world to seek a panacea for governing the country, put forward and implemented various ideas such as "saving the country through education", "saving the country through science" and "saving the country through industry", and gradually saw with progressive eyes that communist party was not only the vanguard of the working class, but also the vanguard of the Chinese nation and the people of China. With a progressive attitude, I gradually realized that only communist party can turn the tide and save the people in from the mire.

　　In a sense, the democratic parties chose to follow communist party, which is determined by their genes and doomed historical arrangement.

　　Second, Soong Ching Ling attacked the Kuomintang’s argument that "anti-Japanese must first suppress the Communist Party": "How ridiculous this is! Should we break an arm before going to fight against Japan? "

　　Because of China’s vast territory, large population, complex situation and subtle politics, the democratic parties have extensive contacts with people from all walks of life with their unique social features, and their weight is not small; It has a position in the upper classes of the Kuomintang and local power groups, cultural and educational circles, political and economic circles, scientific circles, patriotic young students and overseas Chinese, and has a great influence; Many newspapers and periodicals have been founded to guide public opinion to influence the political trend, and they are very active in politics, with basically the same pace and great strength. The democratic parties are well aware that the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party determines the political direction of China. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party also know very well that whoever the democratic parties support will have a political advantage.

　　At the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, when the democratic parties and communist party made initial contact, they still had some opposition and rejection to each other’s roads and propositions, and they were puzzled and confused about each other’s revolutionary goals and paths. However, they were committed to the prosperity of the country, the rejuvenation of the nation and the happiness of the people, and they shared the same feelings about the dissatisfaction of the Kuomintang, which made psychological preparations for future cooperation.

　　The democratic parties are constantly exploring the point of convergence with communist party. At the beginning of the establishment of the democratic parties, the political program was mainly anti-imperialism, patriotism and striving for democracy, which was basically consistent with communist party’s anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism struggle program; Democratic parties once praised western liberalism, and communist party believed in Marxism, and they had similar views on state power and people’s rights. Democratic parties must seek the support of workers, peasants and revolutionary intellectuals in order to save the country and the people.

　　It was the Japanese imperialism’s invasion of China and the tragic situation of national chaos and family worries that strengthened the belief of the democratic party revolution; It is the great national cohesion and centripetal force of patriotism that unites the proletariat, the national bourgeoisie and the petty bourgeoisie.

　　After the "September 18th Incident" broke out, Chiang Kai-shek was afraid of foreign countries and was cruel at home. Proceeding from the overall interests of the Chinese nation, communist party took the lead in proposing that the Red Army is willing to unite with the people of the whole country and all armed forces to fight against Japan. The democratic parties shared the awakening of communist party’s national spirit and democratic consciousness, enthusiastically supported communist party’s ideas, and exerted great political pressure on Chiang Kai-shek. Communist party published the "August 1st Declaration" on the Long March, and put forward the strategic thinking of the anti-Japanese national united front. The National Salvation Association praised "this policy will have a great influence on China’s politics in the future". However, the Kuomintang never stopped its encirclement and suppression of the Red Army for a moment, and killed Deng Yanda, Yang Xingfo and other Kuomintang leftists, creating internal divisions within the Kuomintang.

　　The democratic parties made a fair judgment on the Kuomintang and the Communist Party: "Only the most determined anti-Japanese can be the natural leaders of China." Resolutely oppose the reactionary policy of "settling in first when you are busy outside", resolutely oppose compromise, division and retrogression, and speak out for unity against aggression, resistance to Japan and national salvation.

　　Chen Mingshu, leader of the Chinese National Revolutionary League, called Chiang Kai-shek to stop the civil war; The Chinese National Liberation Action Committee, the predecessor of the Agricultural Workers’ Party, gradually embarked on the road of cooperation with communist party; More than 280 people, including Shen Junru, Ma Xiangbo, Zhang Naiqi and Zou Taofen, issued declarations, expressing their deep worries about the national peril and their determination to rise up and save the country.

　　At the critical juncture of national peril, unity in the war of resistance is the substantive consensus of cooperation between communist party and the democratic parties. This consensus is the historical source of communist party’s cooperation with democratic parties.

　　After the Zunyi Meeting, communist party realized from the test of life and death that in order to support the development of China’s revolution and modernization, it is necessary to unite all kinds of positive social and political forces and give full play to the role of core forces on the basis of consolidating leadership. Communist party corrected the proposition that "the middle is the most dangerous enemy" and established the policy of winning over and uniting the democratic parties.

　　At the Wayaobao Conference in December 1935, communist party determined the general policy of establishing the anti-Japanese national united front. In the report "On Strategies against Japanese Imperialism", Mao Zedong correctly estimated the political situation at that time, theoretically demonstrated the "related issues of cooperation among all parties in resisting Japan", made clear the organizational form of multi-party cooperation, incisively analyzed the "duality" of the national bourgeoisie’s revolutionary and compromise, and pointed out that the revolution needed not only the main force but also the allied forces. From February to August, 1936, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China successively called for the immediate convening of a national congress to resist Japanese aggression and save the nation, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China put forward six common action programs to the Kuomintang and all parties and factions, and communist party publicly included the Kuomintang in the anti-Japanese national United front for the first time, taking the initiative to change the opposition between the two regimes in the face of national disaster; On the establishment of the anti-Japanese national United front, Mao Zedong personally wrote to more than 70 parties, Democrats, academic teachers and friends, and social dignitaries; The "Xi ‘an Incident" that happened on December 12th was finally settled peacefully, which led to the second cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and the formal formation of the anti-Japanese national united front. Communist party also established a "three-thirds system" regime, taking into account all parties and classes, and handled the relations among various political forces within the anti-Japanese national United front through consultation and democratic coordination, thus uniting all forces to the maximum extent to jointly resist Japan.Mao Zedong stated in his report "the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s Tasks during the Anti-Japanese War" in 1937: "What are the components of the new democratic republic? It includes the proletariat, the peasants, the urban petty bourgeoisie, the bourgeoisie and all domestic elements who agree with the national and democratic revolution. It is the alliance of these classes. " During Liang Shuming’s visit to Yan ‘an in January, 1938, he was deeply impressed by Mao Zedong’s argument that "Japan will lose and China will win" and changed his prejudice against communist party. He published an article saying that "Chiang Kai-shek didn’t have such a great work and article, and no one else did. I think this is a fact".

　　The democratic parties deeply felt that Mao Zedong and his communist party people, regardless of the suspicion and hatred before the Kuomintang’s "April 12th coup" and "July 15th coup" ten years ago, promoted the establishment of an anti-Japanese national united front with great political feelings and social responsibilities, which was a concession of communist party and should be actively cooperated with actions. Democratic parties can only go hand in hand with communist party if they want to survive, develop and realize their political ideals. On January 6th, 1941, the "Southern Anhui Incident" broke out, and the democratic parties were greatly disappointed with the Kuomintang die-hards’ actions of "those who are close to them are painful, while those who are enemies are quick". Chiang Kai-shek did not expect to be strongly condemned by public opinion at home and abroad and to be in an extremely isolated situation, and even less did he expect that the democratic parties would fully sympathize with and stand on communist party’s side.

　　During the whole period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the democratic parties placed high hopes on the Kuomintang from the beginning of the all-round anti-Japanese war to reposing their hopes for national liberation on communist party, and supported each other morally and politically, and formed a tradition of mutual consultation and a de facto alliance. The democratic parties, together with communist party, persisted in the war of resistance, maintained unity and promoted democracy, and gradually United, developed and expanded organizationally, and gradually matured politically.

　　Hu Juewen, the leader of the Democratic National Construction Association, once said, "It was entirely by accident that I got to know communist party." During his inspection tour in northern Shaanxi in 1932, he heard several people say, "If you weren’t the Red Army, you wouldn’t be so kind to us." This shocked him deeply. Hu Juewen said, "I am stubborn by nature. No one can try to force me by power. I won’t buy that. Therefore, I accepted communist party’s leadership, not for no reason. It can be said that it is my own conclusion from decades of personal experience. "