Polemic on General Line of International ... - From Marx to Mao

logical that the CPSU should carry forward the revolutionarytradition of Lenin and Stalin, shoulder greater responsibilityin supporting other fraternal Parties and countries and standin the van of the international communist movement.Taking these historical circumstances into account, theChinese Communist Party expressed the sincere hope thatthe Communist Party of the Soviet Union would shoulderthis glorious historic mission. At the 1957 Moscow Meetingof the fraternal Parties, our delegation emphasized that thesocialist camp should have the Soviet Union at its head. Thereason was that, although they had committed some mistakes,“the leaders of the CPSU did finally accept the Moscow Declarationwhich was unanimously adopted by the fraternalParties. Our proposal that the socialist camp should havethe Soviet Union at its head was written into the Declaration.We hold that the existence of the position of head does notcontradict the principle of equality among fraternal Parties.It does not mean that the CPSU has any right to control otherParties; what it means is that the CPSU carries greater responsibilityand duties on its shoulders.However, the leaders of the CPSU have not been satisfiedwith this position of “head”. Khrushchov complained of iton many occasions. He said, “What does ‘at the head’ giveus materially? It gives us neither milk nor butter, neitherpotatoes nor vegetables nor flats. Perhaps it gives us somethingmorally? Nothing at all!” 1 Later he said, “What is theuse of ‘at the head’ for us? To hell with it!” 2The leaders of the CPSU say they have no desire for theposition of “head”, but in practice they demand the privilegeof lording it over all fraternal Parties. They do not requirethemselves to stand in the van of the international commu-1N. S. Khrushchov, Speech at the Banquet Given in Honour of theDelegations of the Fraternal Parties of the Socialist Countries, February4, 1960.2N. S. Khrushchov, Speech at the Meeting of the Delegates of TwelveFraternal Parties in Bucharest, June 24, 1960.335