Sino-Soviet Split Document Archive
Source: Thwart the Manoeuvres to Split the
International Communist Movement. Statement of Rodong Shinmoon, Organ of
the Central Committee of the Korean Workers' Party. Foreign Languages
Press, Beijing, 1964.
Transcription: Juan Fajardo, 2024.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE The present English translation has been made from the Chinese translation published in the Renmin Ribao (People's Daily) on April 26, 1964.
The entire situation is developing in a direction more favourable to the revolutionary people of the world.
The anti-imperialist revolutionary struggle of the broad masses is rising to ever greater heights while the position of imperialism continues to decline.
Nevertheless, the international communist movement is faced with a great obstacle because of the activities of certain people who have sunk into the slough of revisionism.
Owing to these people, a situation which cannot but worry many has arisen in the socialist camp and the international communist movement.
For the past few weeks, certain people have been waging an extensive campaign, through Party plenums, speeches and the press, attacking the fraternal Parties which uphold the principles of Marxism-Leninism.
They have called meetings of local Party organizations throughout the country, attacking fraternal Parties everyday, and unceasingly slandering and vilifying the latter through every available propaganda medium.
They have gone so far as to prattle about taking “collective measures” for expelling a fraternal Party and a fraternal country from the socialist camp. This is a brazen plot to split the socialist camp.
It was they who first brought the differences into the open before the enemy and slandered and vilified the fraternal Parties, declaring that they did so “for the sake of the international communist movement”, but when other fraternal Parties maintain their point of view, they brand this as “dogmatism,” and “sectarian activities”.
It was they who started the open polemics and kept attacking fraternal Parties while mouthing phrases about stopping the open polemics. Yet they charge others, who answer this attack, with throwing out challenges, and they threaten to give the latter “the most resolute re buff”.
This reminds one of a thief crying, “stop thief!” This is an action designed to conceal their own splitting activities and shift responsibility on to others.
To shift the responsibility for the splitting activities on to others, to bedeck themselves with hypocritical phrases about unity and solidarity and to go ahead with mobilization work for splitting — this is precisely the true con tent of the campaign they are now waging.
Owing to such activities by these people, heedless of the consequences, the unity of the socialist camp and the international communist movement is faced with danger.
It is by no means accidental that the imperialists are jubilant and fan the flames.
We Korean Communists are waging a severe struggle against U.S. imperialism, face to face, and therefore are resolutely against the machinations to split up.
We oppose a split and earnestly desire unity.
In the socialist camp and the international communist movement there is not only unanimity of thinking and aim but also a basis which guarantees united action through collective effort.
The revolutionary principles of the Declaration and Statement adopted at the meetings of representatives of the Communist and Workers’ Parties are a guide to action for all fraternal Parties in their victorious struggles against imperialism and for peace, democracy, national independence and socialism.
The Declaration and the Statement have also stipulated that complete equality, independence, mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and comradely co-operation, are the principles guiding the relations among fraternal Parties and countries.
These principles are the unanimous conclusion drawn by the fraternal Parties after summing up the historical experience in the long process of development of the international communist movement and the socialist camp.
Our Party has always held that all Communist and Workers’ Parties must adhere to the revolutionary principles of the Declaration and the Statement and the principles guiding the relations among fraternal Parties for the sake of the unity of the socialist camp and the international communist movement.
If certain people had not deliberately violated Marx ism-Leninism and the revolutionary principles of the jointly formulated Declaration and Statement, if they had not violated the principles guiding the relations among fraternal Parties and countries, such complicated phenomena as that evidenced today would not have appeared in the socialist camp and the international communist movement.
Our Party has maintained from the very beginning that for the sake of unity the difference of opinions among fraternal Parties should be taken as an internal question of the international communist movement and be settled through comradely consultation.
When certain people started the open polemics we demanded an immediate end to them and opposed split ting activities to isolate and ostracize fraternal Parties.
For the sake of the unity of the socialist camp, we have put up with problems that are unbearable and striven for an internal solution.
If certain people had not acted differently from the way they talked, had not refused to resolve differences through comradely consultation on an equal footing, and refused to show humbleness before the facts, the situation would long ago have been reversed, and the socialist camp and the international communist movement would have won ever greater victories.
They, however, openly violated Marxism-Leninism and the revolutionary principles of the Declaration and the Statement, spreading erroneous views and propositions and continuously engaging in harmful activities.
They have turned a deaf ear to the correct opinions of fraternal Parties. Moreover, they have tried to impose their erroneous views upon others. Attempting to isolate and exclude their class brothers, they have launched every attack against those who refuse to follow them and who hold on to the revolutionary stand. They have done so in the past, and are still doing so.
Acting as if they would not be sorry to expel a few countries from the socialist camp, they have even ex tended differences of opinion to state relations and not hesitated unilaterally to scrap agreements with fraternal countries and sever diplomatic relations with one of them.
They have gone so far as to make no distinction be tween revolutionary comrades and class enemies. They embellish and whitewash imperialism, make unprincipled concessions to it, adapt themselves to it and show “friend ship” and “goodwill” to it, while treating class brothers and revolutionary comrades like enemies, and taking outrageous actions against them.
All Communists and the working class of the world are grieved by the fact that the socialist camp and the international communist movement have suffered serious harm owing to all these activities.
The socialist camp is the great outcome of the protracted bloody struggles waged by the international working class and the oppressed toiling masses.
The socialist camp is the great revolutionary force of our times, an invulnerable bulwark of world peace and a sure guarantee of victory for all progressive people.
No Party or country is allowed to trample on this precious fruit of victory at will.
Today, socialism is a world system, and therefore it is not a single country but the entire socialist camp which is the base of world revolution. It follows that to defend the socialist camp means to defend the camp as a whole, and not just one or a few of the socialist countries.
The might of the socialist camp is reinforced by its unity and the growth and development of every socialist country.
Every socialist country, be it big or small, can on its respective part contribute to the increase of the might of the entire socialist camp and the development of the international communist movement as long as it persists in the revolutionary stand and resolutely exerts its efforts.
No one country, however big it may be, can take the place of the socialist camp. Particularly, no country can depart from Marxist-Leninist principles and arbitrarily decide and dispose of questions related to the common interest simply because it is a big country and the first country that has won the revolution.
If it is a big country which acts in this way, the graver the consequences it will bring to the socialist camp and the international communist movement.
Only when the strength of all the socialist countries is blended and closely united into an integral whole, and only when all take united actions based on Marxist- Leninist principles, can the might of the socialist camp be turned to full account.
To safeguard the unity of the socialist camp, therefore, means to adhere to the revolutionary principles, to con solidate our class alliance for the common interest, but not to follow a certain person, regardless of principles.
Unity can be really strengthened only on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism.
To defend the socialist camp and uphold its unity is to defend the base of world revolution and the key position for peace and the progress of the people.
To undermine the unity of the socialist camp is there fore to go against the interest of the international working class and the people of all socialist countries.
If the people who have landed the socialist camp and the international communist movement in its present situation, had the slightest consideration for the interest of the socialist camp and the international working class, they would repent and immediately stop their open violation of the revolutionary principles of the Declaration and the Statement, and their great-power chauvinism which undermines unity. They would analyse the situation calmly and return to the path that leads to genuine unity.
But, the anti-Chinese campaign which has been whipped into a new frenzy recently and the noisy clam our about so-called “collective measures” show that these people are sinking deeper into splittism.
The Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese People’s Republic resolutely defend Marxist-Leninist principles, fight against imperialism and actively support the revolutionary struggle of the world’s people.
This is why the imperialists and international reactionary forces, with rankling hatred, are feverishly trying to impair the prestige of China and isolate her.
Nevertheless, some people, wallowing in the mire with them, abuse and attack China as “bellicose elements”, “Trotskyites”, “splitters” and so on.
It is dangerous beyond measure for those who profess themselves Communists to team up with the imperialists in violently attacking and attempting to isolate and ostracize China.
To isolate China, which comprises two-thirds of the socialist camp’s population, in fact means breaking up the socialist camp. No one can talk about the unity of the socialist camp while trying to isolate and exclude China.
This applies not only to big but also to small countries.
It is impermissible to exclude a country from the socialist camp, no matter how small it is.
To the Communists, the revolutionary achievements of all socialist countries are equally precious, and not only those of a certain specific country.
If things develop in such a way in the socialist camp that one country was isolated and excluded from it yesterday, another today and yet another tomorrow, this, quite obviously, will ultimately lead to the disintegration of the socialist camp and the international communist movement.
In particular, to force others to follow one’s own in correct deeds trying to isolate and exclude the fraternal Parties which persist in Marxist-Leninist principles, is to enervate and ruin the socialist camp, the base of world revolution, and disrupt the international communist movement.
These are the fundamental questions which concern the destiny of the entire socialist camp and the world revolution.
People who are engaged in splitting activities impose their will on others, describe the Party congress of an individual country as the opening of a “new stage” in the international communist movement and insist that all should accept its resolution and abide by it.
Disregarding whether the resolution of the Party of that country is right or wrong, they clamour that all should accept it and that only acception is consistent with internationalism.
The fraternal Parties should learn from each other’s experiences and absorb what is good and suited to their own conditions.
However, under any circumstances, this is an internal question which should be judged and decided by each Party for itself.
What is good for others may not be useful to one who dogmatically accepts it when it is not suited to his own conditions. This is particularly so when one blindly accepts what is wrong, one thus causes losses to the revolutionary cause of his own country and brings anything but benefit to the international communist movement.
Many a lesson drawn from, the current international communist movement has clearly demonstrated this.
During the past few years, in forcing their wrong policies upon others, such as making the “peaceful transition” to socialism absolute, certain people caused no small losses to the revolution of a series of countries.
These people, who describe themselves as the most thoroughgoing opponents of “dogmatism” and clamour “equality” tongue-in-cheek, actually attempt to impose unconditionally the policy and resolution of an individual Party upon other fraternal Parties. They even go to the length of interfering crudely in the internal questions of fraternal Parties and the domestic affairs of fraternal countries, and engaging in subversive activities.
Now, certain people are still trying to force the resolution of their Party upon others. They say, without mincing their words, that a deterioration in the relations between them and some fraternal Parties is due to the fact that the latter have not accepted the resolution of their Party congress.
It is clear as daylight what attitude they are adopting towards the principles of independence of the fraternal Parties.
In particular, they continue with, the outcry of the so- called “campaign combating the personality cult”, which has already brought serious consequences to the international communist movement.
For some time, these people, under the pretence of opposing the “personality cult”, have been persecuting and attacking those who remain faithful to Marxist- Leninist principles, and interfering in the internal affairs of fraternal Parties and countries, while inciting antiParty sectarian elements in these countries to split fraternal Parties and subvert the leadership of fraternal countries. This is the vilest act of international sectarian ism.
Their pretence of opposition to the “personality cult” has become a notorious weapon for attacking the people who do not follow their policy. They not only persist in their act of betrayal, but condemn those who continue to hold fast to the revolutionary stand as “dogmatists” who have not enjoyed the “fresh breeze” of “combating the personality cult” and have not accepted the “new spirit”. They use the cloak of “combating the personality cult” as a means to subvert the leadership of the fraternal Parties.
It is exactly the extensive combating of the “personality cult” which has caused a “fever” in many fraternal Par ties and brought tremendous losses to the international communist movement.
Imperialism and the renegades incited by it treasure this cloak as a magic cover by means of which they have launched counter-revolutionary riots and stirred up anti communist waves on an international scale. Today they are still using it as a weapon to assail socialism and communism.
If this extensive combating of the “personality cult” is a “fresh breeze” and a “new spirit”, what is the difference between it and the “fresh breeze of freedom” advocated by the imperialists which is meant to disintegrate and undermine the socialist camp?
In fact the imperialists today are praising, without stint, this waft of “fresh breeze”.
Some people, while themselves committing such vicious international sectarian and subversive activities, are brazenly trying to reverse the fact and accusing others of “splitting activities”.
In the final analysis, all these methods and acts, which are inconceivable to Communists, only point to the political and moral bankruptcy of their authors.
At the same time they are opposed to the Parties and people of fraternal countries using their own strength to build an independent national economy.
It is only by strengthening its economic independence that any socialist country can consolidate its political in dependence. Moreover, the efforts of each socialist country to tap its domestic potentialities to the greatest extent, develop its national economy and push forward its socialist construction will guarantee more effective co-operation between the socialist countries and an increase in the power of the socialist camp. Yet certain people absurdly slander the building of independent national economy by the fraternal countries as “nationalism”, “going it alone”, etc.
With ulterior motives they censure the building of in dependent national economy. Their clamour for the so- called “economic integration” is an attempt to control and dominate economic construction in other countries.
This is to ignore the sovereignty of others and an attempt to arrogate to oneself in every possible way all the advantages of the socialist camp and reduce the economy of other countries to the status of an appendage. It is a manifestation of typical national egoism.
All these machinations designed to weaken the socialist camp and disintegrate the international communist movement must be resolutely opposed.
Those who persist in splitting activities are departing farther and farther from the internationalist stand. They are undermining the international unity of the working class and the unity of the international working class with the oppressed nations.
The Marxist-Leninist parties and working class of all countries in the world are uniting closely together on the basis of common class interest. The international working class and the oppressed nations are joining hands in a common struggle against imperialism.
Communists must treat each other as class comrades-in-arms, respecting and co-operating with each other regardless of race, colour, and the level of development of their region or country. But certain people have grown so arrogant as to assert that the Parties in Asia are not capable of acting independently due to “lack of experience”; they even vilify the people who adhere to revolutionary principles as well as the revolutionary fighters who shed their blood in the battle against imperialism, branding them as “politically immature” and “unstable”.
They only know how to boast of their own revolutionary tradition and experience; they maintain that the Parties in Asia, Africa and Latin America cannot lead the revolution correctly because in these regions the working class is numerically small and that even if they achieve victory in their revolution, they will find it difficult to hold on to it.
All these are manifestations of great-power chauvinism, disdaining and insulting others and disrupting class solidarity.
We respect the revolutionary tradition and experience of fraternal Parties. But the most important thing is not the boasting about the past, but who is at present struggling correctly for the revolution.
Today one cannot vindicate oneself by boasting of one’s revolutionary tradition while deviating from the revolutionary stand.
To Communists, not only is the revolutionary struggle of a specific area significant, but equally so are all the revolutionary struggles waged in any area of the world. They must take these struggles as their common cause and give them support and aid.
Some people, however, violate this elementary internationalist principle. According to them, only the revolutionary struggles in Europe are matters of great con sequence, and the revolutionary struggles of the people in other areas of the world are not even worthy of mention.
In particular, so far from supporting the anti-imperialist revolutionary struggles waged by the peoples of the Asian, African and Latin American countries, they undermine these struggles by every possible means.
These people vilify the revolutionary struggle of the Asian, African and Latin American peoples as a sort of “adventurist”, “petty-bourgeois movement”.
Today the flames of the powerful anti-imperialist revolutionary struggle are blazing brightly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. This struggle is destroying the imperialist positions, and impelling the world revolution forward. It has become a tremendous force in defence of peace.
Only those who have departed from the revolutionary stand fight shy of this struggle and try to discredit its significance.
The awakened peasantry of many countries in these areas has taken part in the revolution under the leadership of the working class and a series of countries have won victory in the revolution. What is wrong with this after all? Certain persons even malign the peoples in these areas, saying that for them to unite and combat imperialism is to oppose the working people of the European capitalist countries.
This cannot but be regarded as an attempt to fan nationalist sentiments and to sow the seeds of discord among the working people.
It is indeed surprising to hear, from those styling them selves Communists, the same rigmarole as that used by the imperialists in their attempt to sow discord between the working class of capitalist countries and the peoples of colonial and dependent countries.
Such erroneous actions in the ranks of the communist movement cannot be permitted and must be eliminated.
The international working class and the people of the socialist countries will never allow the destruction of the socialist camp — the great revolutionary outcome which they have won and defended with their own blood, and they will never allow anyone to disintegrate the international communist movement.
Today when certain people have placed the unity of the socialist camp and the international communist movement in danger, the Communists of the world and the international working class have before them the sacred task of waging vigorous struggles to defend the unity of the international communist movement in the interest of its victory.
The current situation demands that all the Communist Parties and Communists ponder deeply and adopt the correct stand in the interest of the socialist camp and the international communist movement and for the sake of the cause of peace, democracy, national independence and socialism.
Today, the struggle against the splitting activities of certain persons is not confined to individual Parties but is a question which concerns the Parties and Communists of all countries the world over.
This grave situation existing in the socialist camp and the international communist movement must be tackled by the Communists themselves.
The present situation cannot be changed by a few Par ties and a few persons. It is only by relying on the common effort of all the Parties and Communists the world over that a split can be prevented and unity safeguarded.
In the interest of the communist movement it is of paramount importance for all Communists to take a clear stand and maintain their independent character.
We consider that all Communists in the world must be mindful of their grave responsibility for the noble cause of the working class, carefully analyse the present situation, distinguish between truth and falsehood on the basis of facts and decide their correct stand after serious con sideration of the matter.
Only by taking a firm, just and independent stand can one correctly assess the situation and act correctly in the interest of the common cause.
Communists of every country are responsible to the revolution of their own countries and to the international communist movement.
We hold that we must, according to the conscience of a Communist, seriously think over which is the road to win victory for the cause of the working class, and adopt an independent stand based on Marxist-Leninist principles, and fight for a change in the current situation in the socialist camp and the international communist movement.
Abusing the established authority of their Party, certain people are now trying hard to force others to follow their splitting activities, and to scrape together supporters.
To force other people to accept their incorrect deeds and exclude the Parties disobeying their will, they have advanced the argument about majority and minority and demand the application of the principle of centralism and discipline in the international communist movement. They also talk about measures for creating a certain organization to put their idea into effect.
This project was already rejected at the meetings of fraternal Parties and has gone bankrupt.
There is no room for such relationship between a superior and subordinates in the ranks of the communist movement, a relationship in which one issues orders from a central post and controls while others obey him and execute his orders; nor is it permissible to impose the will of a mechanical majority upon others.
The principle of centralism is a norm applicable to life within each individual Party. This principle cannot be applied to relations among fraternal Parties.
To prattle about the principle of centralism means, in the final analysis, to lead the differences of views to the point of an organizational split and give full play to big nation arrogance and domination, appointing oneself the holder of the central post.
Genuine unity demands that all Communist Parties and Communists make a resolute stand against these activities and reject the manipulation of the socialist camp and the international communist movement by any in dividual.
The socialist camp and the international communist movement are not the plaything of any one person or any one Party. So long as more and more Communist Parties and Communists rise to fight against the arbitrariness of certain persons, the phenomenon mentioned above can be reversed.
If all the Parties and Communists who want to maintain unity combine their efforts in the struggle, the split ting machinations will definitely prove bankrupt. A Communist must not, under any circumstances, abandon his principled stand, but must always maintain his in dependent character.
If a Party sets store by unity and the socialist cause, it should not submit to external pressure, give up its in dependence and blindly follow another Party.
To speak and act as others do without a sense of in dependence on one’s own part will not help strengthen the unity of the communist movement; nor is it loyal to internationalism. On the contrary, it would cause losses to the revolutionary work of one’s own people and the international working class and weaken the genuine internationalist unity of the socialist camp and the international communist movement.
Communists are fighters for the cause of revolution, who pay no regard to all kinds of persecution, adulation and demagogy. The honour of the Communists, and the confidence the masses have in them, are founded on the fact that they fight unswervingly for truth and for their faith in the revolution.
The purity of Marxism-Leninism must be safeguarded for the sake of unity of the socialist camp and the international communist movement. Unity must be founded on the principles of Marxism-Leninism .and proletarian internationalism, and on the revolutionary principles of the Declaration and the Statement adopted at the meetings of representatives of the Communist and Workers’ Parties.
The differences in the international communist movement have now developed into differences of principles affecting the destiny of the socialist camp and international communist movement. These differences involve the fundamental questions of revolution and the question of the struggle for socialism, democracy, national independence and peace as a whole, and not simply a question of methods of struggle in the international communist movement.
The revisionists continue to try to create confusion and splits in the ranks of the international communist movement. They disgrace socialism and impair the prestige of the socialist camp everywhere and attempt to demolish the great position built up over a long period by the working class of the whole world at the cost of their sweat and blood.
Without the struggle against revisionism, the purity of Marxism-Leninism cannot be safeguarded; nor can genuine unity of the socialist camp and the international communist movement be ensured.
At the same time, great-power chauvinism which indulges in high-handedness and imposes revisionism upon others must be flatly rejected.
Great-power chauvinism is a dangerous poison which undermines unity and solidarity. Only by eliminating it can voluntary unity be realized.
In order to defend the purity of Marxism-Leninism and strengthen the genuine unity of the socialist camp and the international communist movement, sincere criticism should be widely practised within the ranks of the communist movement.
Criticism should be freely conducted on the basis of facts, in a fair way and on an equal footing; it should be conducted in accordance with principle and in a comradely manner.
The wrongful practice of carrying on polemics one-sidedly and making groundless attacks on others while trying to suppress their correct opinion and to isolate and ostracize them must not be permitted.
When criticism is practised on a wide scale, people will see who is right and who wrong and the latter will be bankrupted and the purity of the ranks of the international communist movement will be ensured.
Only in this way will it be possible to defend the unity of the socialist camp and the solidarity of the international communist movement, based on Marxism-Leninism, and to develop the communist movement on a sound basis.
We deem it necessary to convene an international meeting of fraternal Parties for the settlement of the differences within the international communist movement.
The international meeting of fraternal Parties can, however, only succeed when it is held on the basis of the principles of independence, equality and comradely consultation and after full preparations have been made.
If an international meeting takes place in which the “necessary ways and means” will be adopted against others, as certain people are now threatening in advance, it will only serve as a means of bringing about a split.
If those people who have departed from the road of revolution and are creating a split in the socialist camp continue their treachery to the international working class, they will have to bear the grave responsibility for the consequences arising therefrom.
Communists all over the world must raise higher the revolutionary banner of Marxism-Leninism.
All Marxist-Leninist parties must unite. Communists of all countries must unite. The working class of all countries must closely unite. The working class and oppressed nations of the world must unite. The Marxist- Leninist parties and the Communists must resolutely uphold the unity of the socialist camp and the international communist movement. They must closely unite with the revolutionary people of the world and carry the revolution through to the end.
The Marxist-Leninist cause, the revolutionary cause of the working class, is invincible.
No matter what underhand games the revisionists may stoop to, the Marxist-Leninist parties and genuine Communists of all countries will under all circumstances successfully withstand all tests and, holding high the banner of proletarian internationalism, they will continue to march forward courageously and carry the revolution through to the end. No force can hold back the forward march of the revolution.
The Korean Communists have persistently opposed revisionism under complicated circumstances and have abided by the principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism.
As in the past, our Party will remain faithful to the principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism, and the revolutionary principles of the Declaration and Statement of the meetings of representatives of the Communist and Workers’ Parties and will indomitably fight against imperialism and revisionism and for the defence of the unity of the socialist camp and the international communist movement.
Defeat the splitting machinations, defend unity!
Working class of the world, unite!
The working class and the oppressed nations of the world, unite!