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

How do the Chinese comrades solve this problem? Theirsolution is evident from their new “theory,” according towhich the chief contradiction of our time is not, we are told,between socialism and imperialism, but between the nationalliberationmovement and imperialism. In the Chinese comrades’opinion, the decisive force in the battle against imperialismis not the socialist world system, and not theinternational working-class struggle but, again we are told,the national-liberation movement.The Chinese comrades evidently want to use this as theeasiest way of winning popularity among the peoples of Asia,Africa and Latin America. But let no one be taken in by that“theory.” Its real purpose, irrespective of the wishes of theChinese theoreticians, is to isolate the national-liberationmovement from the international working class and its creation,the socialist world system. But that would offer an immensedanger to the national-liberation movement itself.For indeed, could many Asian peoples, notwithstanding alltheir heroism and self-sacrifice, win through to victory if theOctober Revolution and, later, the emergence of the socialistworld system, had not shaken imperialism to its very foundationsand had not undermined colonialist strength?And today, too, when the liberated nations have entered anew stage in their struggle and are concentrating their effortson consolidating their political gains and economic independence— do they not realize that it would be immeasurablyharder, if not altogether impossible, to accomplish these taskswithout assistance from the socialist countries?Marxists-Leninists always emphasize the epochal importanceand great future of the national-liberation movement. Butthey believe that one of the chief conditions for its continuedadvance is firm alliance and co-operation with the countriesof the socialist world system, the main force in the battleagainst imperialism, and with the labour movement of thecapitalist countries. That attitude was formulated in the 1960Statement. It is based on Lenin’s idea of working-class571