Military leaders from China

"It doesn't matter whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice."

"The United States brags about its political system, but the [[President of the United States|[American] President]] says one thing during the election, something else when he takes office, something else at midterm and something else when he leaves."

"A basic contradiction between socialism and the market economy does not exist."

"When our thousands of Chinese students abroad return home, you will see how China will transform itself."

"We mustn't fear to adopt the advanced management methods applied in capitalist countries (...) The very essence of socialism is the liberation and development of the productive systems (...) Socialism and market economy are not incompatible (...) We should be concerned about right-wing deviations, but most of all, we must be concerned about left-wing deviations."

"If you open a window for fresh air, you have to expect some flies to blow in."

"Self-reliance in no way means “self-seclusion” and rejection of foreign aid. We have always considered it beneficial and necessary for the development of the national economy that countries should carry on economic and technical exchanges on the basis of respect for state sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit, and the exchange of needed goods to make up for each other’s deficiencies."

"We hold that in both political and economic relations, countries should base themselves on the Five Principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. We are opposed to the establishment of hegemony and spheres of influence by any country in any part of the world in violation of these principles."

"We hold that all countries, big or small, rich or poor, should be equal, and that international economic affairs should be jointly managed by all the countries of the world instead of being monopolized by the one or two superpowers. We support the full right of the developing countries, which comprise the great majority of the world’s population, to take part in all decision-making on international trade, monetary, shipping and other matters."

"We hold that international trade should be based on the principles of equality, mutual benefit and the exchange of needed goods. We support the urgent demand of the developing countries to improve trade terms for their raw materials, primary products and semi-manufactured and manufactured goods, to expand their market and to fix equitable and favourable prices. We support the developing countries in establishing various organizations of raw material exporting countries for a united struggle against colonialism, imperialism and hegemonism."

"We hold that economic aid to the developing countries must strictly respect the sovereignty of the recipient countries and must not be accompanied by any political or military conditions and the extortion of any special privileges or excessive profits. Loans to the developing countries should be interest-free or low-interest and allow for delayed repayment of capital and interest, or even reduction and cancellation of debts in case of necessity. We are opposed to the exploitation of developing countries by usury or blackmail in the name of aid."

"We hold that technology transferred to the developing countries must be practical, efficient, economical and convenient for use. The experts and other personnel dispatched to the recipient countries have the obligation to pass on conscientiously technical know-how to the people there and to respect the laws and national customs of the countries concerned. They must not make special demands or ask for special amenities, let alone engage in illegal activities."

"If one day China should change her colour and turn into a superpower, if she too should play the tyrant in the world, and everywhere subject others to her bullying, aggression and exploitation, the people of the world should identify her as social-imperialism, expose it, oppose it and work together with the Chinese people to overthrow it."

"The key to the four modernizations is the modernization of science and technology. Without modern science and technology, it is impossible to build modern agriculture, modern industry or modern national defence. Without the rapid development of science and technology, there can be no rapid development of the economy. The Central Committee of the Party decided to call this national science conference in order to bring home to the Party and country the importance of science, to map out a programme, to commend advanced units and individuals and to discuss measures for speeding up the development of science and technology in China."

"Marxism has consistently treated science and technology as part of the productive forces. More than a century ago, Marx said that expansion of the use of machinery in production requires the conscious application of natural science. Science too, he said, is among the productive forces.The development of modern science and technology has bound science and production ever more tightly together. It is becoming increasingly clear that science and technology are of tremendous significance as productive forces."

"In societies under the rule of exploiting classes, there are various kinds of mental workers. Some are wholly in the service of the reactionary ruling classes and thus stand in an antagonistic relationship to manual workers. But even in such a situation, as Lenin said, many of the intellectuals engaged in scientific and technical work are themselves not capitalists but scholars, even though they are filled with bourgeois prejudices. The fruits of their work are used by the exploiters, but in general this is determined by the social system and not by their own free choice. They are totally different from those politicians who rack their brains for expedients of direct service to the reactionary ruling classes."

"Science and technology are part of the productive forces. Mental workers who serve socialism are part of the working people. A correct understanding of these two facts is essential to the rapid development of our scientific enterprises. Once we have accepted these premises, it follows that we must make every effort to develop scientific research and education in science and to encourage the revolutionary initiative of our scientific, technical and educational workers."

"For the modernization of science and technology, we must have a mighty scientific and technical force serving the working class, a force which is both “red and expert” and includes a large number of scientists, engineers and technicians who are first rate by world standards. It will not be easy for us to build up such a force."

"The discovery and training of talented people by our scientists and teachers is in itself an achievement and a contribution to the country. The history of science shows us the tremendous importance of discovering genuinely talented persons. Some of the world’s scientists look upon the finding and training of new talent as the crowning achievement of a lifetime devoted to science. There is much to be said for this view."

"We must give full play to democracy and follow the mass line, trusting the judgement of the scientists and technicians in such matters as the evaluation of scientific papers, the assessment of the competence of professional personnel, the elaboration of plans for scientific research and the evaluation of research results. When views diverge on scholarly questions, we must follow the policy of “letting a hundred schools of thought contend” and encourage free discussion. In scientific and technical work, we must listen closely to the opinions of the experts and leave them free to use all their skills and talents so as to achieve better results and reduce our errors to the minimum."

"But… look, Chairman Mao made mistakes, yes. Nonetheless, he was one of the principal founders of the Communist Party of China and the People’s Republic of China. Thus, when we look at his merits together with his mistakes, we think that his mistakes take second place, while his merits take first. And this means that the contribution he made to the Chinese revolution cannot be forgotten and that the Chinese people will always cherish his memory; they will always think of him as one of the founders of the party and of the republic."

"According to Marx, socialism, which is the first stage of Communism, covers a very long period. And, during this period, we will try to fulfill the principle “From each according to his ability, to each according to his work.” In other words, we will blend the interests of the individual with the interests of the country. There is no other way to mobilize interest in production among the masses, let’s admit it. And since the capitalist West will be helping us to overcome the backwardness we find ourselves in — the poverty that afflicts us — it doesn’t seem opportune to get caught up in the subtleties. However things go, the positive effects will be greater than the negative effects."

"Democracy and dictatorship of the proletariat are two parts of the same antithesis, and proletarian democracy is far superior to its capitalist counterpart. We are emphasizing the Four Principles that we must adhere to: the principle of socialism, the principle of dictatorship of the proletariat, the principle of Marxism and Leninism elaborated in Mao Zedong Thought, and the principle of leaders supported by the Communist Party of China. So, you see, that even the principle of dictatorship of the proletariat has remained untouched and untouchable."

"War is inevitable because superpowers exists and because imperialism exists. And we are not the only ones who think this way; in every part of the world today, many people are convinced that war will break out in the 1980s. The next ten years will be very, very dangerous. They’re terrifying. We should never forget this, because this is the only way we will prevent war from breaking out immediately; this is the only way we can defer it. Not by chatting about peace and detente. Westerners have been talking about peace and detente since the end of the Second World War. So has the Soviet Union. But where is this peace, where is this detente? Year to year, if not day to day, the hot spots are growing; the factors that will lead to World War Three are increasing; and still they talk about detente and peace."

"China is poor and our military is backwards, I agree. But we have our traditions, you know. And for quite some time, using inadequate and miserable equipment, we have cultivated the art of defeating well-armed enemies. Our territory is extremely vast, and in this vast territory the people have learned the necessary resistance for a long war — to bend the strength of others through their weaknesses. Whoever wants to invade China should remember this truth, and I believe that the Soviets remember it well."

"Hmm… listen, I have made mistakes — yes, sometimes serious ones. But I never made them with bad intentions; I always made them with good intentions. My conscience is clear about my own life. Hmm… listen, I think I could give myself fifty percent. Yes, fifty percent would be all right."

"致富光荣 (zhìfù guāngróng: To get rich is glorious!)"

"One Country, Two systems."

"Let some people get rich first."

"Seek Truth from Facts."

"Crossing the river by feeling the stones."

"We no longer know what socialism is, or how to get there, and yet it remains the goal."

"I think Deng Xiaoping is one of the greatest reformists in the history of China and the history of the world. I first met him when he came here at the time when I was a deputy prime minister. He was very curious about Malaysia. He was very keen on details of every aspect, so much so that sometimes I couldn't answer. Obviously he wanted to change from what was happening in China. He wanted to bring about reform. To bring about reforms he studied very carefully the performance of other countries. Because it was not easy to change China. You have a huge population. And obviously he didn't want to see China remain behind other nations of the world."

"More significant than developments in the Middle East, the death of Mao Zedong in September 1976 was not followed by any abandonment of China’s American alignment. As so often during the Cold War, rivalries within Communist parties played a major role in international developments. The attempt by the radical ‘Gang of Four’, including Mao’s widow, to gain power was thwarted by Hua Guofeng, the Premier, who became Chairman of the Central Committee. He, in turn, became less powerful as his rival, Deng Xiaoping, rose. Deng had been dismissed as Vice-Premier of the State Council earlier in 1976 as a result of the influence of the Gang of Four. Deng was reinstated in July 1977 and, while supporting control by the Communist Party, outmanoeuvred the more ideological Hua by emphasising pragmatism. Deng’s leadership was confirmed in December 1978 at the Third Plenum of the 11th CCP Congress. He remained in power until 1997."

"Deng Xiaoping favoured not only the alignment with America, but also a re-evaluation in terms of economic liberalisation rather than a revolution focused on Marxist purity. The modernisation of Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore convinced Deng that capitalist modernisation worked. Formal diplomatic relations with America were established on 1 January 1979 and, later that year, Deng became the first Chinese Communist leader to pay an official visit to the USA. On this, Deng visited the NASA facilities in Houston and the Boeing headquarters in Seattle. He appreciated the significance of American technology and the need for modernisation were China to match this. One of the desired outcomes of this visit was to inaugurate what would become a massive influx of Chinese students that became an astounding transfer of human and technological skills. In 1978, moreover, a treaty of friendship with Japan helped foster stability in East Asia and marked China’s willingness to ease relations with the Western bloc. In 1979, the Americans ended the Taiwan Patrol Force, which, from 1950, had policed the waters between China and Taiwan, protecting the latter."

"It could hardly have been anticipated, for example, that a long-time follower of Mao Zedong, at five feet in height barely visible beside him, would use the power of the Chinese Communist Party to give his country a market economy: "It doesn't matter if the cat is white or black," Deng Xiaoping liked to say, "so long as it catches mice." Deng's views on cats—by which he meant ideologies—got him into trouble with Mao during the Cultural Revolution, and at the time of Nixon's 1972 visit to Beijing, Deng was in exile with his family growing vegetables, chopping wood, working in a tractor repair plant, and nursing his son, whom Red Guards had thrown from the roof of a building, permanently paralyzing him. Mao called Deng back to Beijing the following year, acknowledging that he had "done good deeds seventy percent of the time and bad deeds thirty percent"—only to purge him again in 1976. Always resilient, Deng fled to southern China, hid out, and patiently awaited yet another rehabilitation. It came shortly after Mao's death in September of that year, and by the end of 1978 Deng had outmaneuvered all of his rivals to become China's "paramount" leader. He had already by then turned the tables on his predecessor by claiming that Mao had been right seventy percent of the time and wrong thirty percent: this now became party doctrine. Among the "right" things Mao had done were reviving China as a great power, maintaining the Communist Party's political monopoly, and opening relations with the United States as a way of countering the Soviet Union. Among the "wrong" things was Mao's embrace of a disastrously administered command economy. With this pronouncement on percentages, Deng won himself room to pursue a very different path."

"Deng Xiaoping decided in 1979 that China could teach Vietnam a lesson through a brief but decisive invasion, forcing the diversion of Vietnamese forces from Cambodia and delivering a blow to the Vietnamese-Soviet (anti-China) alliance. His low opinion of the Vietnamese ignored the fact that they had routed France and outlasted the United States. The Chinese miscalculation was not an unmitigated blunder: Deng cut his losses by keeping the conflict short, and the war exposed China's military weakness, allowing him to consolidate power and reform the People's Liberation Army. Operationally, though, the war was a military disaster for China. China suffered massive losses and failed to draw the Vietnamese out of Cambodia."

"It was no longer possible to say that only the Western world could become rich through capitalism, so a new narrative took hold: although a few developing countries might be able to enter global markets from the periphery, it is only because they are very small, almost insignificant. Strangely enough, today you sometimes hear the opposite: that developing countries might make it, but only if they are very large. This is due to the transformation of two giants, China and India, which for decades were held back by, in one case, a communist despot, and in the other a democratic but strictly protectionist command economy. Therefore, people said that Chinese and Indians will be successful all over the world – except in China and India. But then, in 1976, China’s dictator Mao Zedong, as the US economist Steven Radelet put it, ‘single-handedly and dramatically changed the direction of global poverty with one single act: he died’. His successor, Deng Xiaoping, began to accept the private enterprise that peasants and villagers secretly engaged in and extended it to the entire economy. All the restrained creativity and ambition was finally let loose and China grew at record speed. Ironically, intellectuals around the world – modern-day Max Webers – soon explained that this is itself not that strange, as Confucianism made it easy to modernize the economy."

"I knew Deng, and I had a wonderful, frank discussion with him, and he said, ‘ happened in Tiananmen Square is none of your business—it’s a domestic issue, and we do whatever we want,’ and I said, ‘You’re right. It is none of our business. But the consequences of What what you did in the world and to our relations are our business. And that’s what I’m here to talk about.’"

"兵者，國之大事，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。"

"兵者，詭道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之遠，遠而示之近，"

"實而備之，強而避之，怒而撓之，卑而驕之，佚而勞之，親而離之，出其不意，攻其不備。"

"夫未戰而廟算勝者，得算多也；未戰而廟算不勝者，得算少也。"

"將聽吾計，用之必勝，留之；將不聽吾計，用之必敗，去之；"

"近於師者貴賣，貴賣則百姓財竭"

"兵久而國利者，未之有也。"

"知彼知己，百戰不殆；不知彼而知己，一勝一負；不知彼，不知己，每戰必殆"

"故用兵之法，十則圍之，五則攻之，倍則分之， 敵則能戰之，少則能守之，不若則能避之。"

"是故百戰百勝，非善之善者也；不戰而屈人之兵，善之善者也。"

"古之所善戰者，勝於易勝者也。"

"知可戰與不可戰者勝。"

"凡用兵之法，全國爲上；破國次之；全軍爲上，破軍次之；全旅爲上，破旅次之；全卒爲上，破卒次之；全伍爲上，破伍次之。"

"昔之善戰者，先爲不可勝，以待敵之可勝，不可勝在己，可勝在敵。故善戰者，能爲不可勝，不能使敵必可勝。故曰：勝可知，而不可爲。"

"見勝不過衆人之所識，非善之善者也。"

"是故勝兵先勝而後求戰，敗兵先戰而後求勝。"

"微乎微乎，至於無形；神乎神乎，至於無聲；故能為敵之司命。"

"人皆知我所以勝之形，而莫知吾所以制勝之形。"

"故形兵之極，至於無形，無形，則深間不能窺，上智不能謀。"

"故善戰者，至人而不至於人。"

"故敵逸能勞之，飽能飢之，安能動之。出其所不趨，趨其所不意。"

"不遇敵者，必戰無不勝，但每次交鋒，終必敗北。"

"Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain."

"故其疾如風，其徐如林，侵掠如火，不動如山，難知如陰，動如雷霆。"

"故用兵之法，無恃其不來，恃吾有以待之；無恃其不攻，恃吾有所不可攻也。"

"數賞者，窘也；數罰者，困也；"

"In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power."

"令素行以敎其民，則民服。令不素行以敎其民，則民不服。令素行者，與民相得也。"

"將弱不嚴，敎道不明，將之過也。"

"故戰道必勝，主曰無戰，必戰可也；戰道不勝，主曰必戰，無戰可也；"

"進不邀功，退不避罪，唯人是保，而利合於主，國之寶也。"

"視卒如愛子，故可與之俱死。"

"吾士無余財，非惡貨也。無余命，非惡壽也。"

"兵之情主速，乘敵所不及，由不虞之途，攻其所不備也。"

"施無法之賞，懸無政之令。犯三軍之眾，若使一人。"

"非利不動，非得不用，非危不戰。主不可以怒而興師，將不可以慍而致戰；合于利而動，不合于利而止。怒可以復喜，慍可以復悅，亡國不可以復存，死者不可以復生。故明君慎之，良將警之，此安國全軍之道也。"

"敵間之來間我者，因而利之，導而捨之，故反間可得而用也；"

"故明君賢將，所以動而勝人，成功出於衆者，先知也。"

"故三軍之事，莫親於間，賞莫厚於間，事莫密於間"

"此兵之要，三軍之所恃而動也。"

"Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across."

"Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate."

"Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price."

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."

"The true objective of war is peace."

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

"In peace, prepare for war. In war, prepare for peace."

"Fear is the true enemy, the only enemy."

"吳王曰：「將軍罷休就舍，寡人不願下觀。」孫子曰：「王徒好其言，不能用其實。」於是闔廬知孫子能用兵，卒以為將。西破彊楚，入郢，北威齊晉，顯名諸侯，孫子與有力焉。"

"諸將效首虜，（休）畢賀，因問信曰：「兵法右倍山陵，前左水澤，今者將軍令臣等反背水陳，曰破趙會食，臣等不服。然竟以勝，此何術也？」信曰：「此在兵法，顧諸君不察耳。兵法不曰『陷之死地而後生，置之亡地而後存』？且信非得素拊循士大夫也，此所謂『驅市人而戰之』，其勢非置之死地，使人人自為戰；今予之生地，皆走，寧尚可得而用之乎！」諸將皆服曰：「善。非臣所及也。」"

"Sun Tzu’s success teaches us that a successful general is one who fully calculates his approach and plans to fight in a battle. However, the average reader is not able to identify Sun Tzu’s teachings on a deeper or philosophical level. This is my reason for writing and exegeses on the Art of War."

"It seems to me that The Art of War codifies the principles of kung fu, the martial arts: to co-operate with the enemy, to prevent all-out war when possible. I remember reading a lot of pages devoted to fighting with fire, and burning down cities. Devotion to tactics rather than ethics. I have a figurine of Gwan Goong, god of war and literature, reading a book. That book is The Art of War."

"By contrast, classical China produced many great generals, fought many wars and conquered many peoples but did not elevate military values above civilian. (It helped, perhaps, that the scholars rather than the military wrote the histories.) Fighting was not held up as something admirable but rather as the result of a breakdown in order and propriety. There is no equivalent of the Iliad in Chinese literature and the heroes held up for the young to emulate were the great bureaucrats and wise rulers who maintained the peace. Early on Chinese thinkers such as Confucius and the great strategist Sunzi (also known in the transliteration Sun Tzu) stressed that the state’s authority rested on its virtue as well as on its ability to use force. And for Sunzi, the greatest general was the one who could win a war, through manoeuvre or trickery, without fighting a battle. Prestige in Chinese society came rather from being a scholar, poet or painter; and from the Tang dynasty onwards the examination system to enter the imperial civil service was the favoured path for fame and prestige. Successful generals were sometimes awarded a scholar’s rank and gown as a mark of particular favour where many European societies would have given military decorations to meritorious civilians."

"In the famous Chinese treatise The Art of War, Sunzi laid down precepts which succeeding generations studied carefully, among them the famous ‘Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat’ and ‘He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.’ He also had specific advice, with lists of key factors, situations or types of actions, on the various phases of war, from making the plans to choosing the right terrain to fight. From the Qin Emperor to Mao Zedong, The Art of War has provided leaders throughout China and Asia with guidelines for how to win a war. General Vo Nguyen Giap, the architect of Vietnam’s victories against the French in the 1950s and the Americans a decade later, was an admirer, as are the Western business people who have flocked to buy The Complete Sun Tzu for Business Success: Use the Classic Rules of The Art of War to Win the Battle for Customers and Conquer the Competition or The Art of War for Women: Sun Tzu’s Ancient Strategies and Wisdom for Winning at Work. Perhaps they like his assertion that ‘All warfare is based on deception’ or enjoy his passages on the importance of the strong leader for victory, and it must help that The Art of War itself is short and consists of pithy maxims."

"The one thing missing from The Art of War is love, ... any sense of altruism, any sense of loving your neighbor. It's just a[bout] how to take advantage of your neighbor, how to triumph over your neighbor, how to manipulate your neighbor. I'm sorry... It's a very nasty book. How to use your spies — that chapter thirteen on spies — is chilling. The whole book — of course it's very clever, and of course a lot of it is very true, and of course we can go through life treating people in that way if you want to, but I don't happen to believe that's the best way to go. ... The Lúnyǔ [Analects of Confucius] is a superior book to Sūnzi bīngfǎ [The Art of War] because the Lúnyǔ talks about morality, talks about caring for your fellow human being; after all, the whole idea of ren ... doesn't come in Sūnzi bīngfǎ at all. Sūnzi bīngfǎ is: how to use your friends and neighbors in order to get the better of them. That doesn't make me feel good. I'm an old-fashioned kind of guy, and I believe in being nice to people whenever I can. ... You don't go out of your way like Sun Tzu to manipulate everybody including your friends. For me, Sūnzi bīngfǎ is the dark side of Chinese culture. It's the dark side. And, I know it's there. And there's a dark side to Western culture too. And, therefore, it's important to be aware of it, but not to be corrupted by it. Not to be polluted by it. Because it is a very powerfully-polluting little book. Very nasty little book. Let's not pretend otherwise."

"The will of 1.3 billion Chinese people cannot be infringed upon."

"天下共苦戰鬥不休，以有侯王。賴宗廟，天下初定，又復立國，是樹兵也，而求其寧息，豈不難哉！"

"I have collected all the writings of the Empire and burnt those which were of no use."

"Ch'in Shih-huang is going to die! He opened my door, And sat on my floor, He drank my gravy, And wanted some more. He sipped my wine, And couldn't tell what for; I'll bend my bow, And shoot him at the wall. When he arrives at Shach'iu, Then he is going to fall!"

"Qin Shi Huang, also called Shi Huangdi ['First Emperor'] unified China, laying the foundations for what became a vast and enduring state. He founded the short-lived Qin [pronounced 'chin'] Dynasty whose name is the origin of 'China.' He created a centrally-controlled, efficient administration, bound his realm together with new road and canal systems, and defended it with long walls. Yet he ruled with extraordinary brutality."

"Qin Shi Huangdi created the first unified Chinese empire that emerged from the “Warring States Period’. By 221 Bc he had successfully destroyed the last remaining rival kingdoms within China and made himself supreme ruler: the First Emperor. A remarkable, ruthless statesman and conqueror, of manic gifts, haunted by madness, sadism and paranoia, Qin Shi Huangdi’s reign quickly degenerated into a brutal and bloody tyranny. His reputation in China has always been that of a tyrant, but it was Chairman Mao Zedong, another monstrous dictator, who associated himself with the ‘First Emperor’ and promoted him as his glorious precursor."

"「寧我負人，毋人負我！」"

"「吾任天下之智力，以道御之，無所不可．」"

"「彼各為其主，勿追也。」"

"「宁可我负天下人，休叫天下人负我。」"

"「知错改错，不认错。」"

"「兵不在多在精，将不在猛在某」"

"天下健者，豈唯董公？"

"大丈夫當陳前死，而入牆閒，豈可得活乎？"

"With a bronze mirror, one can see whether he is properly attired; with history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of a nation; with men as a mirror, one can see whether he is right or wrong. Now I've lost my faithful mirror by the death of Weizheng."

"It is my greatest wish, that German-Chinese cooperation always be supported by accomplishment, and that the personal affinity between both countries always be as strong as it is today. You, Herr Reichskanzler, have already given expression to this thought in that you had the honorary sword of the German Reich given to me. I take it as a symbol of soldierly loyalty and as a true sign of the friendly relationship of our countries."

"When I was young, I did not try my best to learn how to conduct myself. As a result I have not done anything good for my parents and I do not know how to be kind to my children. I regret that....I miss Ching-kuo very much. I am bad because I am not taking good care of him. I am sorry about that....Madame Sun wanted me to release Naulen [a detained Polish Communist charged with running the CCP's regional bureaus from Shanghai] in return for the repatriation of Ching-kuo, [but] I would rather let Ching-kuo be exiled or killed in Soviet Russia than exchange a criminal for him. God decides whether you will have an heir and whether your nation will be subjugated. How dare I do anything about it. What I want is not to violate the law, betray my country, harm the reputation of my parents, or waste my life. It is not worth it to sacrifice the interests of the country for the sake of my son."

"I deeply wish that my son could come back. However...I would rather have no offspring than sacrifice our nation's interests."

"How would I differ from the Communists...if I were to imitate the so-called fascists . . . of Italy?"

"If we do not weed the present body of corruption, bribery, perfunctoriness, and ignorance, and establish instead a clean and efficient administration, the day will soon come when the revolution will be started against us."

"Which are you, my subordinate or my enemy? If my subordinate, you should obey my orders. If you are my enemy you should kill me without delay. You should choose either of these two steps, but say nothing more for I will not listen to you...My head may be cut off, my body may be mutilated, but I must preserve the honour of the Chinese people, and must uphold law and order....If I allow the honour of the 400,000,000 people whom I represent to be degraded by accepting any demands to save my own life, we should lose our national existence....Why don't you kill me now?"

"Let our people realize to the full the meaning of 'the limit of endurance,' and the extent of sacrifice implied. For once that stage is reached, we can only sacrifice and fight to the bitter end."

"Thinking about the people I admire in this life, you, my lady, are the only one...recalling the hundred battles fought on the front and my own type of heroism, I cannot but feel that so-called achievement is just an illusion or a dream. And yet, my lady, your talent, beauty and virtue are not things I can ever forget. The only question is: what does my lady think of this retired soldier who has been abandoned by the whole world?"

"We must unite to exterminate these Japanese bandits, before we can be safe."

"Mao is a strange man whose personality is like the Tao, sometimes yin and sometimes yang; he has a soft-as-cotton outer layer, but at the same time has sharp needles hiding inside... I do not think he will achieve anything, in the end, he will be crushed inside my palm."

"The Japanese are a disease of the skin, the Communists are a disease of the heart."

"If and when the war starts, no matter where or whoever you are or if you are young or old, Northerner or Southerner, you all have the responsibility of protecting our home and repelling the enemy, you all must have the will to achieve ultimate sacrifice."

"We must use every inch of our blood to take back every inch of our land, you ten thousand youths and soldiers."

"The sky cannot have two suns."

"These Japanese troops slaughtered every man, woman and child in those areas — let me repeat — these Japanese troops slaughtered every man, woman and child in those areas."

"Right will triumph over might-this great truth which we never once doubted has been finally vindicated. Our faith in justice through black and hopeless days and eight long years of struggle has today been rewarded. The historical mission of our National Revolution has at last been fulfilled....We have won the victory. But it is not yet the final victory. The universal power of righteousness has not simply achieved one more triumph. We and the people of all the world fervently hope that this war may be the last war in which civilized nations engage. Permanent world peace can be established only upon the basis of democratic freedom and equality and the brotherly co-operation of all nations and races. We must march forward on the great road of democracy and unity and give our collective support to the ideals of lasting peace. I urge all of our friends of the Allied nations and all my own countrymen to face the fact that the peace we have gained by arms is not necessarily the beginning of permanent peace. Only if our enemies are conquered on the battleground of reason, only if they repent thoroughly of their folly and become lovers of world peace like ourselves, can we hope to satisfy the yearning for peace and achieve the final goal of the great war that has just ended"

"We have...repeatedly declared that we were only opposed to the Japanese militarists and harbored no enmity for the Japanese people.... While we must insist on the strict compliance with the term of the surrender, we must not look forward to retaliation, and much less shall we impose insults on the innocent civilians. We can only sympathize with their plight—coerced and misled as they have been by their Fascist and Nazi leaders, and hope that they will repent of their mistake and sins. If, on the other hand, we attempt to retaliate with atrocity for the past atrocities of the enemy, and repay with insult their mistaken superiority complex in the past, then the spirit of revenge shall be interminably perpetuated—a development far from the intentions of our righteousness-loving Army."

"Seeing the Republic of China on the verge of death, I am moving ahead with tears in my eyes. There is only one road ahead, but it is torturous. Don’t fear. The road has been blazed with blood by our revolutionary forefathers. We must move forward today – forward, never retreat. Around us is darkness; ahead of us are dangers. With a ray of hope and my allegiance to Dr. Sun Yat-sen, I will continue my struggle without fail."

"If when I die, I am still a dictator, I will certainly go down into the oblivion of all dictators. If, on the other hand, I succeed in establishing a truly stable foundation for a democratic government, I will live forever in every home in China."

"As long as we have Taiwan, the Communists can never win."

"Your Excellency, the American people share your abiding faith in the ultimate triumph of justice over evil. We look confidently toward the day when the great people of China will again take their place in the struggle for those principles of freedom and progress espoused by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen."

"The only world leader who sympathised with Indian aspirations at that time was Chiang Kai-shek of China whom Pandit Nehru had denounced as a reactionary tool of Western imperialism only a few years earlier."

"You and I are men of history / No little men chattering about minor affairs! / Go, let go, my honoured friend / Do not look back."

"We shall first confront them [the Russians] with arguments...and then settle it on the battlefields."

"They have not enjoyed the educational and political privileges of the Han chinese, and they are in many respects primitive. But they know the meaning of fidelity, and if I say 'do this, although it means death,' they cheerfully obey."

"What, no more? Tell the cook we require ten more courses."

"Tell the cook, that we will either have ten more courses or the crows will have him."

"Our Party [the Guomindang] takes the development of the weak and small and resistance to the strong and violent as our sole and most urgent task. This is even more true for those groups which are not of our kind [Ch. fei wo zulei zhe]. Now the peoples [minzu] of Mongolia and Tibet are closely related to us, and we have great affection for one another: our common existence and common honor already have a history of over a thousand years.... Mongolia and Tibet's life and death are China's life and death. China absolutely cannot cause Mongolia and Tibet to break away from China's territory, and Mongolia and Tibet cannot reject China to become independent. At this time, there is not a single nation on earth execept China that will sincerely develop Mongolia and Tibet."

"Our family members are believers in Islam. We observe Islamic proprieties and behave in good faith. Believing in Allah, cultivating our minds and disposition, we aim to be good human beings. In particular, it is important to be respectful in the implemation of our prayer and our family members ought to observe the rules of prayer."

"If Muslim people do not change their mind in spite of the changes of social conditions, and if we supplement Islamic courtesy and law without explaining and advertising real Islamic beliefs at the same time, then it is impossible to save the minds of the people."

"Disown me as a Muslim if I deceive you."

"I have served the Government of China for many years, first the Emperor, and after that the Republican Government at Nanking. I have always tried to do my best; but I must have committed errors--- though I do not know what they were---or this misfortune would not have befallen me. I have lost face."

"I lost my post when, as a result of the troubles, China lost her authority in Kashgar."

"In the past, the Mongols and Tibetans were divided as lords and slaves, but the two chairmen [Ma Qi and Ma Bufang], insisting on the principle of equality of all nationalities in our country, corrected the absurdity and astutely reformed it, which is really a perceptive measure greatly significant for the frontiers. Better still, in September when cattle and sheep are plump, people cheerful, making the lake worship ritual is really a celebration, analagous to the Mid-Autumn Festival in agricultural society, celebrating the harvest. The nomadic nationalities can now all rejoice without division in land and region."

"The third reason is that at the time that Turkic Muslims were waging rebellion in the early years of the Guangxu reign, the ‘five elite divisions’ that governor general Liu Jintang led out of the Pass were all Dungan troops [Hui dui 回队]. Back then, Dungan military commanders such as Cui Wei and Hua Dacai were surrendered troops who had been redeployed. These are undoubtedly cases of pawns who went on to achieve great merit. When Cen Shuying was in charge of military affairs in Yunnan, the Muslim troops and generals that he used included many rebels, and it was because of them that the Muslim rebellion in Yunnan was pacified. These are examples to show that Muslim troops can be used effectively even while Muslim uprisings are still in progress. What is more, since the establishment of the Republic, Dungan have demonstrated not the slightest hint of errant behaviour to suggest that they may prove to be unreliable."

"Chiang Kai-shek does not like my policies but he cannot do anything to me. I am too far away from his reach."

"He was like the rider on the pale horse, which appeared when the fourth seal was broken: 'And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunder and eath, and with the beasts of the earth.'"

"He was a silly boy. He went mad. He murdered everyone."

"I have always had one answer for Communists-kill them all."

"Without establishing national laws, how can you suppress the rebellion?"

"one of my soldiers can handle three Communist soldiers"

"I am convinced that we face a great offensive immediately," "We have lost more than 400 killed and 300 wounded since Nov. 5 and now the Japanese have handed an ultimatum to me. I know we are not strong enough to fight. But we must hold our own, until Death!"

"A toast to America! A toast to China!"

"Rumors that Moscow is helping me must be due to the fact that while I was Chief of Police of the Town of Sakhalin-Ula I used to dine twice a year with the Soviet officials. I can swear that no foreigners have given or are giving me guns, munitions, supplies or money! I want the League of Nations to fulfill its duty. I want it to force the Japanese to withdraw from Northern Manchuria. If I am forced to abandon Tsitsihar I intend to retire into the back country."

"The American people must understand that the China of today is not the China of 20 years ago. There has been a natural awakening. China will never submit to the Japanese."

"In a year and a half," "China will be sufficiently reunited to allow me to take my trip around the world. I wish to take Madam Wu and an entourage of about thirty persons, engaging expert guides in each country to instruct me in its governmental and industrial methods."

"The Military Campaigns of the Kingdom of Wu." "They didn't have any machine guns or airplanes then."

"We must take advantage of the victory in the anti-Japanese War to win our war against the Communist bandits, once for all."

"This is because all my time is taken up by the war. You should keep in mind that there are times when the rifle is more important than the pen."

"The tomb of late general Bai Chongxi will form the basis for a Muslim cultural area and Taiwan historical park."

"I have read your religious works and I have found nothing inappropriate."

"Muslims and Christians are brothers."

"You Hollanders are conceited and senseless people. You will make yourselves unworthy of the mercy which I now offer you. You will subject yourselves to the highest punishment by proudly opposing the great force I have brought with the merest handleful of men which I am told you have in your castle."

"Are these not sufficient proofs of your incompetency and inability to resist my forces? I will give you more and stronger ones. But if you still persist in refusing to liften to reason and decline to do my bidding, and if you wish delibrately to rush to your ruin, then I will shortly, in your presence, order your castle [Fort Provintia] to be stormed. If I wish to set my force to work, then I am able to move heaven and Earth. Wherever I go I am destined to win. Therefore take warning, and think the matter over."

"This island was the dominion of my fatherand should descend to none other than myself. Foreigners must go."

"You Hollanders are conceited and senseless people; you will make yourselves unworthy of the mercy which I now offer; you will subject yourselves to the highest punishment by proudly opposing the great force I have brought with the mere handful of men which I am told you have in your Castle; you will obstinately persevere in this. Do you not wish to be wiser? Let your losses at least teach you, that your power here cannot be compared to a thousandth part of mine."

"You have by this time surely seen with your own eyes what your iron ships, with which you think you can accomplish wonders and on which you boast so much, can do against my junks; how one of them has been burned by one of my junks and has disappeared in smoke; how the others would have met with the same doom had they not taken to flight and gone out to sea."

"On land you saw how the pride of Captain Pedel was so much humbled that he with his men, who are as foolish as himself, could not even bear the look of my men ; and how, on the mere sight of my warriors, they threw down their arms and willingly awaited their well-deserved punishment with outstretched necks. Are these not sufficient proofs of your incompetency and inability to resist my forces?"

"I will give you more and stronger ones. But if you still persist in refusing to listen to reason and decline to do my bidding, and if you wish deliberately to rush to your ruin, then I will shortly, in your presence, order your Castle to be stormed. (Here he pointed with one hand towards Fort Provintia.) My smart boys will attack it, conquer it, and demolish it in such a way, that not one stone will remain standing. If I wish to set my forces to work, then I am able to move Heaven and Earth; wherever I go, I am destined to win. Therefore take warning, and think the matter well over."

"Where have they gone?"

"I shall send people to urge them to return home."

"Jung Lu has the guns which my army needs; with their aid not a stone would be left standing in the whole of the Legation Quarter."

"I suddenly remember the distance that I must travel; I spring from bed and look out to see the time. The stars and planets are all grown dim in the sky; Long, long is the road; I cannot stay. I am going on service, away to the battle-ground, And I do not know when I shall come back. I hold your hand with only a deep sigh; Afterwards, tears—in the days when we are parted. With all your might enjoy the spring flowers, But do not forget the time of our love and pride. Know that if I live, I will come back again, And if I die, we will go on thinking of each other."

"[Su Wu] relates how he shed tears during this separation, and urges his wife to remember their first love. He vows to return to her if he survives his ordeal, but if he dies first, then he hopes she will remember him with love. The courtly tone of his message to his wife, and his expression of integrity are mirrored in Su Wu's political life. In captivity he was offered the chance of liberty if he renounced his country, but he refused to become a traitor, for which he was honoured on his return."

"The fist methods do not seem to concern themselves with the arts of great warfare; nevertheless, to move the hands and feet actively and to work habitually the limbs and body constitutes the gateway to beginning study and entering the art."

"Once you have acquired the skills, you must test them on an opponent, but in no way should you consider victory or submission to be a cause for shame or pride. Rather, you ought to think, "By what means did I defeat him?" Or, "By what means could I have defeated him?" Then you exert and test yourself for a while."

"The slogans of 'countering back the mainland' created by Chiang Kai-shek and 'liberating Taiwan' by Mao Zedong several decades ago should be forgotten because none of them could be put into practice."

"When people on both sides of the Strait reach a consensus on their political system, unification will come to fruition naturally."

"Taiwanese independence is a dead end."

"淮陰屠中少年有侮信者，曰：「若雖長大，好帶刀劍，中情怯耳。」眾辱之曰：「信能死，刺我；不能死，出我袴下。」於是信孰視之，俛出袴下，蒲伏。一市人皆笑信，以為怯。"

"諸將效首虜，（休）畢賀，因問信曰：「兵法右倍山陵，前左水澤，今者將軍令臣等反背水陳，曰破趙會食，臣等不服。然竟以勝，此何術也？」信曰：「此在兵法，顧諸君不察耳。兵法不曰『陷之死地而後生，置之亡地而後存』？且信非得素拊循士大夫也，此所謂『驅市人而戰之』，其勢非置之死地，使人人自為戰；今予之生地，皆走，寧尚可得而用之乎！」諸將皆服曰：「善。非臣所及也。」"

"召辱己之少年令出胯下者以為楚中尉。告諸將相曰：「此壯士也。方辱我時，我寧不能殺之邪？殺之無名，故忍而就於此。」"

"上常從容與信言諸將能不，各有差。上問曰：「如我能將幾何？」信曰：「陛下不過能將十萬。」上曰：「於君何如？」曰：「臣多多而益善耳。」上笑曰：「多多益善，何為為我禽？」信曰：「陛下不能將兵，而善將將，此乃言之所以為陛下禽也。且陛下所謂天授，非人力也。」"

"吾如淮陰，淮陰人為余言，韓信雖為布衣時，其志與眾異。其母死，貧無以葬，然乃行營高敞地，令其旁可置萬家。余視其母冢，良然。假令韓信學道謙讓，不伐己功，不矜其能，則庶幾哉，於漢家勳可以比周、召、太公之徒，後世血食矣。不務出此，而天下已集，乃謀畔逆，夷滅宗族，不亦宜乎！"

"众里寻他千百度，蓦然回首，那人却在，灯火阑珊处。"

"There were contradictions in this philosophy, but these did not disturb its leading opponent, the gentle and peculiar Wang Yang-ming. For Wang was a saint as well as a philosopher; the meditative spirit and habits of Mahayana Buddhism had sunk deeply into his soul. It seemed to him that the great error in Chu Hsi was not one of morals, but one of method; the investigation of things, he felt, should begin not with the examination of the external universe, but, as the Hindus had said, with the far profounder and more revealing world of the inner self."

"“I had for many years been a devout believer in Shushi says Nakaye Toju (1608-48), “when, by the mercy of Heaven, the collected works of Oyomei were brought for the first time to Japan. Had it not been for the aid of their teaching, my life would have been empty and barren.”"

"In 1795 an edict went forth against the further teaching of the Oyomei philosophy; and so docile was the mind of Japan that from that time on Oyomei concealed itself within the phrases of Confucianism, or entered as a modest component into that military Zen which, by a typical paradox of history, transformed the pacific faith of Buddha into the inspiration of patriotic warriors."

"Columbus's fleet in 1492 - which consisted of three small ships manned by 120 sailors - was like a trio of mosquitoes compared to Zheng He's drove of dragons."

"Long before Christopher Columbus, the celebrated Chinese navigator Zheng He travelled through the south and westward maritime routes in the Indian Ocean and established relations with more than thirty countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East."

"The Chinese people fully understand that it is only with the help of the Soviet Union and the people of other countries, and the international solidarity against imperialism, that the victory of the Chinese revolution could be achieved and can be consolidated. The Great October Socialist Revolution links the revolutionary struggle waged by the proletariat in the West with that waged by the oppressed peoples in the East, thus creating a revolutionary front against world imperialism. This revolutionary front was the most important guarantee for the Chinese people that they could achieve and consolidate the victory of their revolution."

"American imperialism is now starting a new aggression against the People's Republic of China. The flames of aggressive war kindled by American imperialism around China are spreading. The Chinese people have a deep love of peace, but in order to defend peace, they have never been, and will never be, afraid of resisting an aggressive war."

"The Tibetan nationality is one of the nationalities within the Chinese boundaries with a long history. It has performed its glorious duty in the work of creating and developing our great Motherland. But during the recent century, imperialist forces penetrated into China and also into Tibet, carrying out provocations and sowing discord."

"The Central People's Government will certainly help the Tibetan people in wiping out the influence of imperialism in Tibet; it will achieve the unification of the territory and sovereignty of the People's Republic of China, and defend the national frontiers of our great Motherland, so that the Tibetan nationality and people will achieve liberation, return forever to the family of our great Motherland and, helped by the Central People's Government and the Han nationality, develop its own political, economic, cultural and educational work and improve and raise its standards of living step by step."

"The Chinese people are extremely indignant at the outrages of the U.S. authorities in the Panama Canal Zone in infringing on the national sovereignty of Panama and killing its patriotic people. They pay heartfelt tribute to the Panamanian people who are fighting heroically. The Chinese people firmly support the just struggle of the government and people of Panama to safeguard their national sovereignty and dignity and to regain their sovereignty over the Panama Canal Zone. We are deeply convinced that the Panamanian people will certainly win final victory in the struggle."

"Soldiers, our brothers! Turn your guns in the opposite direction and fight to overthrow imperialism and the Kuomintang, which exploit, oppress, and butcher the Chinese labouring masses; fight to establish the Soviet Government and the Red Army of the workers, peasants, and soldiers! We your brothers, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the Red Army, truly welcome you to our ranks."

"Youth are the draft pool for the military, yet few of them would read the People’s Daily or follow the news on CCTV. The issue is how you reach out to them and convince them of their duty to the nation."

"Knowledge is not the most important thing. The most important is your political quality and moral quality."

"The biggest thing that separates television news commentating from entertainment programs is the high level of sensitivity and risk associated with [commentating]. From the perspective of the media, the commentator is always expected to provide in-depth analysis of breaking news. The best is if he can put forward new and unique ideas. From the perspective of commentating, as it is difficult to quickly gather together material in the event of breaking news, crises, or wars, one must therefore be equipped with a fairly deep knowledge of technology and tactical strategies, as well as a good foundation in political and diplomatic affairs in order to explain clearly the origin and sequence of events and happenings."

"Smog with PM2.5 readings of 500-600 is virtually impenetrable to lasers. In clear weather, laser weapons have a range of 10 kilometers, but smog can reduce this to less than 1 kilometer."

"In the military perspective, fighting is the last resort while before it there must be production on a large scale and with high enthusiasm and large-scale production on the sea."

"Imperialism just means war, and as long as America and NATO are there, war won’t disappear. Time will confirm it all, let’s wait and see."

"If there is a clash in the South China Sea, the possibility that foreign countries would intervene is low, and any conflict would not last long."

"I can send several dozen small fishing boats loaded with explosives" to destroy the U.S. Zumwalt stealth destroyers and [North Korea has] two million elite special forces. . . will the U.S. and South Korean air forces be able to attack them one by one?"

"In developing its military technology, China has never taken India as a strategic rival, and none of its weapons were specifically designed to contain India."

"The pace of China's development is unstoppable, and its commitment to the path of peaceful development is unswerving. China's development is not a threat, but a great contribution to world peace and development."

"No one and no country should impose its will on others, or bully others under the guise of multilateralism."

"As we speak, the world is experiencing the combined impact of major changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century. The international landscape keeps evolving in profound ways. We need stronger global response to address the common risks and challenges facing humanity. This requires us to build consensus on the UN platform to address challenges together and build a community with a shared future for mankind. Peacekeeping operations serve as an important instrument for the UN to maintain global peace and security."

"We should respect the central role of the host nations and take a comprehensive approach to eradicate the root cause of conflicts. We need to invest more in development and improve the host nations’ own capacity of development to realize sustainable peace and development."

"We should take the safety and security of peacekeepers as a priority in applying new technologies and improve security protection and medical capacity of peacekeeping troops to ensure the safety and health of peacekeepers."

"Over the past 30-odd years, the Chinese military has shed blood and sweat to honor its lofty mission and solemn commitment to world peace. China will always strive to maintain world peace, promote global growth, uphold international order, and provide public goods. The Chinese military will always be a force of justice for world peace and development. We will continue to strengthen exchange and cooperation on peacekeeping with all parties to make new and greater contributions to world peace"

"Humanity is at a crossroads. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the right path forward and the trend of the times. The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. Destabilising, uncertain factors and challenges continue to arise."

"We believe that any such perspective should take into account the common security and interests of regional countries. No approaches to regional issues should resort to military blocs, nor should they undermine the interests of others."

"Firstly, which should we choose: peace and development or conflict and confrontation? Peace and development remain the call of our times and a trend of history. However, global and regional hotspots flare up one after another and the risk of conflict and war persists. We see regional wars and conflicts, the spread of terrorism, the chaos in the Middle East and the refugee crisis in Europe. What is the reason for them? Who is behind all these and what is the root cause? These are the questions to be reflected on. Some deliberately create division and hostility, provoke confrontation, meddle with regional affairs, interfere in the internal affairs of others and frequently resort to arms. Whose interests on earth do they serve and whose do they harm?"

"Secondly, which should we choose: openness and inclusiveness or isolation and exclusiveness? See the world with an open and inclusive mind and there will be friends and partners everywhere. Yet see the world with a narrow and exclusive mind and there will only be enemies and adversaries. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, lately we see a growing backlash against globalisation and a surge of protectionism. A certain country champions unilateralism, puts its own interests before others and withdraws from international treaties and organisations. Are there not many countries suffering from the wilful infringement and sanctions?"

"Thirdly, which should we choose: win–win cooperation or a zero-sum game? Win–win cooperation makes the pie bigger and brings more benefits to all. However, a zero-sum game makes no winner and harms the interests of both sides."

"Facing a complex and volatile international security situation, the Chinese government and armed forces stay committed to regional and world prosperity and stability. Those who are familiar with China’s modern history must know that the country was once poor and weak and went through enormous misery. The Chinese people know very well the value of peace and the cruelty and destructiveness of war. Over the years some have been recklessly hyping up, exaggerating and dramatising the China threat theory, partly due to the lack of understanding of China’s history, culture and policies, but more likely due to misunderstanding, prejudice or even a hidden agenda of their own."

"China sticks to the path of peaceful development. Such a commitment is underpinned by China’s socialist system, the independent foreign policy of peace and the cultural tradition that values peace and harmony. China shall follow the path of peaceful development, which is a solemn commitment to the people of China and the world."

"In the future, no matter how strong it becomes, China shall never threaten anyone, seek hegemony or establish spheres of influence. History has proven and will continue to prove that China will not follow the beaten path of big powers seeking hegemony when it grows strong. Hegemony does not conform to China’s values and national interests."

"The more severe the pressure and difficulties are, the stronger and braver the Chinese people become. Adversity only brings our nation greater solidarity and strength."

"The achievements we have made in the past 70 years since the founding of the PRC is not a windfall or a handout from others. Neither was it made by engaging in military expansion or colonial exploitation. Instead, it has been achieved through the hard work, wisdom and bravery of the Chinese people, as well as through our win–win cooperation with the world since Reform and Opening Up."

"I was born into a lower-middle peasant family on the 10th day of the 9th moon on the lunar calendar in 1898. All my family had at that time were a few thatched huts on eight or nine mu (hectre) of fallow and hilly land. We planted sweet potatoes and cotton on the fallow land and palms, tea, China fir and bamboo on the hill. Working hard and living frugally, the eight of us — my granduncle, grandmother, my parents and four boys barely managed to make ends meet."

"I was deeply influenced by my grand-uncle who had been a member of the Taiping Army. He often told me stories about the Taiping forces. The Taipings, he used to say, had food for everybody, the women unbound their feet, and the land was shared out among the tillers. This instilled in me the idea of taking the landlords’ riches to relieve the poor, of wiping out the landlords and finding a way out for the poor."

"The appalling poverty I experienced in my childhood and youth tempered me. In later years, I often recalled the plight of my childhood with a view to preventing myself from becoming corrupt and forgetting the hard life of the poor. That is why I can still vividly remember the ordeals I went through as a child."

"As World War I was then going on, the European and American imperialists had slowed down their aggression against China, and China’s industry was growing at a relatively high speed. This gave rise to such deceptive bourgeois patriotic ideas as “a prosperous nation with a mighty army” and “save the nation through industrial development”. They had an influence on me. But my chief motive in joining the army was to earn money to help provide for my poor family."

"The Mandarin language lessons taught included such messages as cultivating self-confidence and valuing time. I was one of the trainees, and in less than two years made some progress in language study. Talks were also given on the dismemberment of China by the foreign powers and on building China as a prosperous nation with a mighty army."

"When soldiers become conscious of what they are doing and are organized, they constitute a mighty force."

"I reached the age of 23 in 1921. Having been a cowherd, a child labourer, a dyke worker and a soldier, I had been through extreme poverty and experienced the hard life of workers, peasants and soldiers. In the process, I cultivated some simple class feelings for the oppressed."

"History is always moving ahead in a wavelike fashion, and the people of today outpace those of yesterday in their continuous forward advance."

"Born at a time when human history was moving forward by leaps and bounds, I was unable to keep pace with the tempo of this great epoch. The Communist Party of China was founded in 1921, but at that time I had not got in touch with Marxism and did not know the following fundamentals: the scientific laws of social development, analysing problems from the standpoint of class struggle, and revolution as the conscious action of the organized masses."

"China could only resist foreign aggression and develop its industry by instituting democracy and unifying the country."

"The companies of my battalion had undergone training in the winter, and there were now members of the Save-the-Poor Committee in every company. After going through the discussions on the current situation conducted from the first to the third moon, the men and officers in my battalion had a better understanding of the Northern Expedition. They no longer feared it now, but were pleased to see it happen."

"Don’t believe the good words of a man uttered in ordinary times; his action in an emergency will tell what sort of a man he is."

"We were enlisted to make revolution; to overthrow warlords, corrupt officials, local despots and evil gentry; and to bring about a cut in land rent and interest. But now there is neither revolution nor pay while talk of a cut in land rent and interest is heard no more. Yet, we are ordered to “suppress Communists” and crack down on peasant associations. Who orders us to do such things? Chiang Kai-shek! A soldier earns 6.5 dollars a month. Paying 3.3 dollars for mess, he has only 3.2 dollars left — and this is withheld from us. What a miserable lot we have! We can’t even afford to wear straw sandals or smoke coarse tobacco, let alone provide for our parents, wives, children. The officers must consider the problems of the enlisted men!"

"We are determined to overthrow imperialism and the Kuomintang government, form a government of workers, peasants and soldiers; confiscate the land of the landlords and give it to the peasants. We will establish a Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, in which officers and men are equal, the officers are elected by soldiers’ committees, and the accounts are kept open."

"Attack without delay the reactionary county government of Pingjiang, the “civil corps”, the village suppression units and the village suppression committees. Wipe them out resolutely. We are rising in arms! The day has come to serve the workers and peasants!"

"The experience I gained taught me that one must be good at making use of contradictions of all kinds to legalize the illegal such as the rules of the soldiers’ committees which, through our work, were adopted as the objectives of the division school."

"Our goal was illegal (revolution), and legality was but a means of achieving that goal. Otherwise we would have been using legality for the sake of legality and would have become the will."

"A concrete analysis must be made of concrete conditions. Contradictions riddled the old-fashioned armies. We could provide opportunities for ourselves by taking advantage of these contradictions in a flexible manner, but legal and illegal struggles must be closely coordinated to achieve unity of action."

"Compared with its enemy, the Red Army had poorer equipment and a far smaller number of men, and had no rear support. But it won a great victory, smashing enemy encirclement through a series of strategies and tactics previously unknown in China and abroad. This was a new development of Marxism-Leninism — Mao Zedong’s military dialectics which expressed the basic content of his military thought which the People’s Liberation Army troops have discussed so often. If imperialism dares launch a new world war, Mao Zedong’s military dialectics remain an important weapon for guiding the people’s war to victory."

"It’s like a tiger after a flock of sheep; Under a blanket of smoke and fire Our army surges forward; The cries of battle reach the sky, The earth and mountains shake, My malaria disappears; The enemy runs helter-skelter, Kicking up dust to the sky; Our brother army has not come, And so you live another day."

"Ironclad evidence had proved that China's Anti-Japanese National United Front could only be led by the proletarian Communist Party, and not by a so-called joint leadership. It was impossible for the Kuomintang of the feudal landlords and comprador bourgeoisie to lead the front, to set up the anti-Japanese democratic coalition government with the “three thirds system”, to transform the reactionary agencies of its party, government and army, and to implement the policy of reducing land rent and interest on loans and developing a national economy."

"Now whoever opposes the Communists and fires the first shot, will be hit by our second shot immediately, then our third shot. This is 'to pay a man back in his own coin'."

"I hold that the Hundred Regiments Campaign was a military success. Especially after the Anti-Friction Battle, we had to organize such an anti-Japanese campaign to show that we had to oppose frictions for the sake of resisting Japanese aggression. Only thus could we win over large numbers of middle-of-the-roaders. At that time only by seizing the advantage of a weakly defended enemy rear to launch a vigorous surprise attack could we deal blows at the enemy and restore vast expanses of anti-Japanese base areas. It was not easy to organize such a campaign in a unified and planned way under the condition of dense networks of enemy blockhouses. Our victory helped expose the deceptive propaganda of the Japanese invaders and Chiang Kai-shek. It was also necessary for the accumulation of revolutionary strength."

"Most of the officers and men in the PLA had their own histories of blood and tears. Since everybody had kept his bitter experience to himself, the soldiers’ common hatred for the enemy did not turn into a common class feeling."

"After making a thorough analysis and appraisal of each man, we switched over to combat training, during which “officers teach soldiers, soldiers teach officers, and soldiers teach each other.” Officers and soldiers taught and learned from one another in earnest."

"As a command officer, I had one good point — I was never satisfied with the victories already won. But I was overanxious to win more victories, so the good point became a shortcoming. Although I reminded myself again and again to guard against impatience, I found it difficult to overcome it."

"Impatience for success means subjectivism in ideology and adventurism in action. This tendency often emerged in me after a series of major victories. This was arrogance. But it won the support of some soldiers at the time."

"The U.S. occupation of Korea, separated from China by only a river, would threaten Northeast China. Its control of Taiwan posed a threat to Shanghai and East China. The U.S. could find a pretext at any time to launch a war of aggression against China. The tiger wanted to eat human beings; when it would do so would depend on its appetite. No concession could stop it. If the U.S. wanted to invade China, we had to resist its aggression. Without going into a test of strength with U.S. imperialism to see who was stronger, it would be difficult for us to build socialism. If the U.S. was bent on warring against China, it would want a war of quick decision, while we would wage a protracted war; it would fight regular warfare, and we would employ the kind of warfare we had used against the Japanese invaders."

"Signing the armistice, I thought that the war had set a precedent for many years to come — something the people would rejoice at. It was a pity, however, that having established our battlefield deployment, we were unable to deal greater blows against the enemy."

"On the Korean battlefield, the Chinese People’s Volunteers and the Korean People’s Army fought shoulder to shoulder to help each other like brothers. Fighting together for three years, the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean people and the Korean People’s Army built up a militant friendship sealed in blood. The feeling of internationalism between our two peoples became even more profound."

"There was a certain degree of lopsidedness in the development of the iron and steel industry. People stressed the construction and development of processing and material industries but neglected the raw material industry to some extent. The raw material industry provided the foundation for the material and processing industries. If the foundation were unstable, the development of the processing industry would be impeded."

"I was prepared to destroy myself, but I would never do anything to harm the people’s army led by the Party."

"High mountains, dangerous passes, deep ravines, The enemy cavalry sweep the length and breadth at will; Who dares stop them, astride a horse, gun at the ready? Only our General Peng Dehuai."

"He was a man who struck terror into the hearts of the enemy. He was loyal to the Party and politically incorruptible. He led a simple life and maintained a down-to-earth style of work. These qualities which have won him our lasting respect also set an example for our future generations. It goes without saying that he had his weaknesses, too. For example, being very strict and forthright, he at times gave way to rashness. But he was bold enough to admit his mistakes and correct them."

"Old Peng is always an old man whom I respect very much. His spirit will always be the precious spiritual wealth and an important part of our Chinese Communist Party. We must use his spirit to inspire the majority of party members, especially leading cadres, to do their own thing well, to build our country better for the party and the people."

"Comrade Peng Dehuai is an outstanding member of the Communist Party of China, a respected older generation of proletarian revolutionaries, politicians, military strategists, and outstanding leaders of the party, country and army. From the period of the new-democratic revolution to the period of socialist construction, he devoted himself to the cause of the party and the people, dedicated all his wisdom and strength, and established an immortal feat that will shine in the annals of history."

"Comrade Peng Dehuai loves the party, loves the people, and is loyal to the great cause of the proletarian revolution. He fought bravely, was upright, honest, strict with himself, cared about the masses, and never considered personal gains and losses. He is not afraid of difficulties, bravely shoulders heavy responsibilities, is diligent and extremely responsible for revolutionary work."

"In China, we have a city called Shangri-La in Yunnan Province and a small town also called Shangri-La in Sichuan Province. Shangri-La is synonymous with a utopia of purity, beauty, harmony and serenity."

"Today, as we look around, we see sluggish global economic recovery, resurging cold war mentality, rising regional conflicts, and security threats emerging one after another. Our world is far from tranquil, and people across the countries long for peace, development and cooperation."

"The Asia Pacific is a shared home where regional countries live and thrive. A sustained prosperity and stability in our region hinges on sound security and development environment. This is something that has not come easily. And regional countries have done so much to have made it possible. On the other hand, we should not ignore that the Asia Pacific faces unprecedented security challenges."

"First, mutual respect should prevail over bullying and hegemony. Facts have proven that where there is hegemonism and power politics, there will be instability kills, and even worse. We, in China, believe that the key for countries to live in harmony is mutual respect and treating each other as equals. We are strongly opposed to imposing one's own will on others, placing one's own interests above those of others, and pursuing one's own security at the expense of others."

"Some country has willfully interfered in other country's internal affairs and matter in the affairs of other countries and frequently resorted to unilateral sanctions, incursion with force. It has incited colour revolutions and proxy wars in different regions create a chaos and turbulence and just walked away leaving a mess behind. We must never allow such things to happen again in the Asia Pacific."

"The essence of mutual respect lies in respecting each other's strategic autonomy and the right to development. On the contrary, hegemonism essentially deprives others of their strategic autonomy and the right to development."

"Second, fairness and justice should transcend the law of the jungle. All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. International affairs should be handled by all countries through consultation rather than be dictated by one or a few countries."

"It is so called rules-based international order. It never tells you what the rules are and who made these rules. It practices exceptionalism and double standards and only serves the interests and follows the rules of a small number of countries. A just an equitable environment for development meets the shared interests of Asia Pacific countries. Anyone who attempts to fleece the flock or prey on the weak will surely be opposed by countries in the region."

"Third, eliminating conflicts and confrontation through mutual trust and consultation. It is natural for countries to disagree with each other. But there are two approaches to addressing differences. One is exacerbating tension and adding fuel to flames, while the other is seeking consensus and promoting reconciliation and negotiations. It is quite clear which one is the right choice."

"As a matter of fact, regional countries have every wisdom and capability to settle their differences and disputes. At the end of the day, only enhancing dialogue and communication and promoting solidarity and cooperation will ensure stability in our region."

"Fourth, preventing block confrontation with openness and inclusiveness. The cold war mentality is now resurging and greatly increases security risks of block confrontation in the Asia Pacific. Some big power continue to promote its so-called Indo-Pacific strategy. China holds that no strategy should be based on ideological ground and aim to build exclusive military alliances against imagined threats, as this could easily lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy."

"The true design of pushing for NATO-like military alliances in the Asia Pacific is to hold countries in the region hostage and play up conflict and confrontation that attempts will only plan to the region into a whirlpool of division, disputes and conflicts. History has proven that block politics, division and confrontation have never delivered genuine security. They can only escalate tensions and destabilise the region."

"Today, what Asia Pacific needs are big pies of open and inclusive cooperation, not smoke leaks[?] that are self-serving and exclusive. We must never forget the catastrophes inflict by the two World Wars and the Cold War. And we must never allow such tragedies to happen again."

"China is committed to promoting world peace and development with concrete actions. The Communist Party of China, uniting and leading the Chinese people in concerted efforts of several generations, has successfully blazed a Chinese path to modernisation. One distinctive feature of the Chinese path is peaceful development. This is an invaluable guide for our way forward that we have developed through years of hardships and dedicated efforts."

"The achievements China has made come from the hard work, diligence and creativity of more than one billion Chinese people; not from aggression, expansion, and pondering. Wherever China goes, we focus on building capacity, seeking cooperation and promoting development. This is widely recognised by the international community. As a Chinese saying goes, adjust course should be pursued for common good. China is ready to join hands with all countries on the path towards modernisation, and create new opportunities for global stability and prosperity."

"Second, Chinese modernisation has contributed significantly to safeguarding world peace. Peaceful development is enshrined in China's constitution. We firmly pursue a national defense policy that is defensive in the first place and have endeavoured to safeguard world and regional security."

"I once read a line written by Chinese soldier on his mission. And here I quote, “If people ask why go into such dangerous places to keep peace, please tell them someone must step forward to safeguard the fundamentals of human civilization.” This is a simple wish of a Chinese soldier. It is also a solemn commitment made by the Chinese military to the world."

"Third, Chinese modernisation has played its role in improving global governance. Facing growing deficits in global governance, China holds high the banner of multilateralism and endeavours to follow a vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. We take seriously the legitimate security concerns of other countries and are committed to advancing global security governance."

"China upholds justice and equity and commits itself to bridging differences and enhancing solidarity. On the Ukraine issue, China has taken an objective and impartial stance based on the merits of the issue."

"We will address security issues in emerging areas and explore the formulation of rules for space, cyber and biological security. In short, we will work towards a widely accepted, fair and equitable system of security rules."

"Ladies and gentlemen, friends, throughout its 5,000-year history, the Chinese nation has always valued peace and harmony. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China more than 70 years ago, we never started a conflict, occupied an inch of foreign land, or raged a proxy war. China has one of the best peace record among major countries. China stays committed to the path of peaceful development. But we will never hesitate to defend our legitimate rights and interests, let alone sacrificing the nation's core interests."

"As the lyrics of a well-known Chinese song goes, when friends visit us, we welcome them with fine wine. When jackals or wolves come, we will face them with shotguns. This illustrates that the Chinese people's character of being friendly and kind but not intimidated by strong power."

"On the Taiwan question, it is the core of China's core interests. Taiwan is an internal affair of China, which is a primary and indisputable fact. Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and how to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese to decide. It groups no interference from foreign forces. As matter of fact, over 180 countries entered into diplomatic ties with China with the political commitment of abiding by the One China principle."

"Let me make it clear once again, the more rampant the separatist activities for Taiwan independence are, the more resolute outcome the measures will be and all foreign interference will end up in failure. China's reunification is an overriding historical trend and an unstoppable course. The tolerant question arose as a result of weakness and chaos in our nation, and it will be resolved as national rejuvenation becomes a reality."

"China must be and will be reunified. It is the aspiration of our people and in line with the trend of our times. We will strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification with at-most sincerity and greatest efforts, but we make no promise to renounce the use of force. If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate for a second. We will fear no opponents and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, regardless of any cost."

"It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the US will be an unbearable disaster for the world. China believes that a major country should behave like one. Instead of provoking block confrontation for self-interests, it should bear in mind the interests of all, resolve differences through exchanges and cooperation and meet the aspirations of countries in the world. China and the US should not forget the history and need to draw lessons from history. China and the US have different systems and are different in many other ways. However, this should not keep the two sides from seeking common ground and common interests to grow bilateral ties and deepen cooperation."

"History has proven time and again that both China and the United States will benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation. China seeks to develop a new type of major country relationship with the United States. As for the US side, it needs to act with sincerity, match its words with deeds and take concrete actions together with China to stabilise the relations and prevent further deterioration."

"China and the US should properly handle differences, brave difficulties and find the right way to get along. The past few years have seen China-US relations at record low since forming diplomatic ties. I believe you all know the cause to such a difficult situation. The world is big enough for countries including China and the US to grow together. The right way for China and the US to get alone is following the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation."

"Our dreams are linked. People of different countries are pursuing their own Shangri-La, just like the Chinese people. Long and arduous as our journey may be, we will get to the destination as long as we take concrete steps. Let us work hand in hand to build an Asia Pacific community of shared future, promote stability, prosperity and development in our region, and make the Asia Pacific a better place."

"To begin with, I would like to share with you some of my observations on the current world situation. With only three years to go before the 20th century ends, mankind is about to cross the threshold of another millennium, bringing what we accomplished in the past into the future. At this turn of the century, we can see a world that is caught in profound and complex changes; profound because such changes touch upon the fundamental question of "where the world is headed," and complex because they involve the readjustment of interrelations between various forces in the world. This is a time of difficulties and challenges on the one hand and opportunities and hopes on the other. At present, the international situation as a whole is moving towards relaxation and the trend towards a multipolar world is accelerating."

"To maintain world peace and promote economic development has become the shared desire of all people. However, the world is no tranquil haven, but a place fraught with deep-rooted clashes of interests, with some regions reeling in conflicts and chaos. Facts have proved that peace and development remain the two major themes of the present-day world, yet both fall short of being satisfactorily addressed. Although mankind aspires to peace, the time of peace remains elusive. Although economic development has become a universal desire, development around the world still comes under interference. In my view, a lasting peace and brisk development in the world still calls for close attention and unremitting efforts by statesmen and people of all countries."

"China pursues a defense policy that is defensive in nature. This is out of the need for safeguarding state sovereignty and territorial integrity and maintaining lasting peace and stability for the country. China has never invaded any country nor has it stationed a single soldier abroad. However, there are still some people around the world who keep spreading the fallacy of the "China threat", arguing that a stronger China will threaten others and become a destabilizing factor in the Asia-Pacific region. I believe these people have ulterior motives. They are not happy to see China in development and progress. As is known to all, China's modern history is one that saw its territories ceded and its people subjected to foreign aggression, plunder and enslavement."

"In more than one century from the Opium War in 1840 to the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, imperialist powers, on several occasions, invaded China or turned it into their own battleground, nibbling away and seizing millions of square kilometers of Chinese territory."

"As an old soldier who went through the winds of war in the first half of this century, I am keenly aware of the deep scars that agonizing chapter has left on the hearts and minds of our people. It teaches us that to live a peaceful tranquil and dignified life, our people must have the capability to defend themselves. It teaches us that the miseries the Chinese people went through in recent past must not be repeated either in China or in any other part of the world. Peace should be enjoyed by people of all countries. Even if China becomes stronger in the fixture, it will never embark on external aggression and expansion."

"As an old Chinese saying goes, one may extend his vision by standing on high ground. That is, the higher one stands, the farther he can see. It is our sincere hope that the U.S. Government may stand on a higher plane and get a broader view on the issue of Taiwan. The high ground here is to maintain and develop the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples by respecting the feelings of the Chinese people."

"This may be easy to know, but it is difficult to put in practice."

"When cutting an axe handle with an axe, surely the model is at hand."

"He learns to recite the classics; he sings in the clear fragrance of the old masters He explores the treasures of the classics where form and content join."

"It is like following a branch to find the trembling leaves, like following a stream to find the spring."

"Caught between the unborn and the living, the writer struggles to maintain both depth and surface."

"Knowing order is like opening a dam in the river. Not knowing is like grabbing the tail to direct the head of the dragon."

"However the sentences branch and spread, they grow out of well-placed phrases."

"There are no new ideas, only those which rhyme with certain classics."

"A single note from the lute, however beautiful, is not music."

"The sleeves of dancers move with the melodies; the voices of singers rise and fall with the music. P'ien the Wheelwright tried to explain it, but couldn't; nor can the artificial flowers of critics describe it."

"We carry the bucket from the well, but it is soon again empty."

"We hear the jade bell's laughter and think it laughs at us; for the poet there is terror in the dust."

"The dark inside of the mind lies hidden; thoughts must be brought like a child from the womb, terrified and screaming."

"Through letters there is no road too distant to travel, no idea too confusing to be ordered. It comes like rain from clouds; it renews the vital spirit. Inscribed on bronze and marble, it honours every virtue; it sings through flute and strings, and every day is made newer."

"The Military Commission has decided to convene an emergency enlarged meeting and has asked the principally responsible comrades of all major units to attend. The main aim is to make one an-nouncement: that the present situation in Beijing is still chaotic. Although martial law has been declared, some of the martial law tasks have in fact not been carried out. Some army units enforcing martial law have been blocked, and they have not forced their way through in order to avoid direct confrontation. Through great effort, most units have now entered their predetermined positions.The situation was even more chaotic a few days ago. No vehiclebearing a military plate could pass through. Is this state of affairs still not a disturbance? The situation in the capital is precisely adisturbance. This disturbance has not subsided."

"First of all, I fully support the report and the various demands that Comrade Li Peng has made on behalf of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau. Beijing of late is actually in an anarchistic state. Basically, the work of government organs, classes in schools, transportation, industry, and so forth have all been thrown into a confused state. This confused state is, in reality, a state of anarchy. Comrade Li Peng has just said that with regard to such a historic event as the Sino-Soviet talks, we could not hold the welcoming ceremony at Tiananmen. The location was changed to the airport at the last moment. Several discussions that should have been held at the Great Hall of the People were compelled to take place at Diaoyutai Guest House. In addition, some activities previously scheduled were canceled. Such a state of affairs...."

"The arrival of PLA troops in the vicinity of Beijing is definitely not aimed at dealing with students. They have not come here to deal with the students. Their aim is to restore the normal order of production, of life, of work in Beijing Municipality. At the same time, they aim to protect a number of important departments and major government organs. Therefore, the stationing of the PLA troops in the capital is aimed at maintaining public security. They are, by no means, directed at the students. Everyone will be able to clearly see their activities in the next few days [applause]."

"That is to say that the PLA troops are compelled to enter the capital in order to restore the normal order in Beijing, maintain public security, and prevent important government organizations from being affected or stormed. I would like to explain this point clearly to all those who are present here. The PLA troops' arrival is definitely not aimed at dealing with the students. It is hoped that all trades and professions, people in various circles, and particularly people of the various democratic parties will support the PLA troops for their action to safeguard the capital and maintain public security. I hope that you will give them your full understanding and support. This is the point that I wanted to explain to you comrades here. I have nothing else to say. That is all."

"Strengthening the building of a modernized army is a basic task of our army during the new historical period. It is also a matter of primary importance for safeguarding the security of the motherland and defending the four modernizations. The entire party and people throughout the country are paying a good deal of attention to this matter. Over the past 35 years since the founding of the People's Republic, our army has followed a tortuous course of development."

"To build a Chinese-type modernized and regularized revolutionary army, we should promote the revolutionization, modernization and regularization of the army. These are interrelated and promote each other, and none is indispensable. We should take the modernization of our army as our key task."

"Taking the modernization of our army as the key task is determined by the history and practical conditions of our army. This is an inexorable demand placed on our army by modern warfare. This is also the road our army should follow in order to advance to a higher stage. Generally speaking, the level of revolutionization of our army ranks first in the world. Armies of capitalist countries simply cannot attain such a high level of revolutionization. This is the absolute superiority of our army. The level of modernization and modern scientific knowledge of our army is not high and its weapons and equipment are comparatively backward. These are the weak links of our army. Modern warfare has manifested unprecedentedly new characteristics, and placed higher demands on the modernization of the army. If we fail to enhance the level of modernization of our army, it is difficult to adapt ourselves to modern warfare, and fulfill the sacred tasks of safeguarding the motherland the defending peace."

"We stress the key task of modernization. Does this mean that we are allowed to neglect and weaken the revolutionization and regularization of the army? The answer is no. On the contrary, we should strengthen the revolutionization and regularization of the army; a higher level is attained with regard to the modernization of our army. Stricter demands are set on its revolutionization and regularization."

"The modernization of an army is closely related to the political system, economic strength, military strategy, and scientific and technological level of a state. The orientation and path of its building and the focal point of its development are particularly restricted by the politics, tactics, and military strategy of the state, the combat tasks shouldered by the armed forces in future wars, and the conditions on the battlefields. The conditions in our country and in our army differ from those in other countries; therefore, in modernizing our army, we cannot copy the patterns of other countries, but must adhere to a "Chinese pattern," adapt our- selves to China's national conditions, and have our own special characteristics. We will always lag behind others if we copy other people in modernizing our army."

"If we are divorced from the realities in our country, even though we are armed with new weapons and equipment, these weapons and equipment will be mere show and will not form any real combat strength. In order to build a modern army with special Chinese characteristics, we should proceed from the realities in our country and in our army, put forth clear and definite guidelines and requirements of principle on the orientation of development and the basic content of modernization, and formulate plans for various periods. In so doing, we should rely on the exploration and creativity in the practice of the masses."

"Judging from the existing conditions, a modernized and regular revolutionary army with special Chinese characteristics should be one which conforms to our national conditions, which flexibly integrates advanced military thinking and fine traditions with modern weapons and equipment and competent military personnel, and which possesses the capacity to defend itself in modern warfare; in other words, a developed people's army with the tradition of people's war plus modern military science, weapons, and equipment."

"We should develop the most urgently needed new types of weapons and equipment as soon as possible. The development of modern science and technology has enormously expanded the destructive force of weapons. In future wars against aggression, we should still stress the decisive role of man but under no circumstances should we neglect the important role of weapons. Without advanced weapons and equipment, we shall pay a higher price and prolong the time for winning the war. We should make the best use of our time and strive to change the backwardness of our weapons and equipment. In the new historical period, the central task of our party is to lead the people in carrying out socialist construction. The modernization of our army must be suited to the development of the national economy. We have a large population, a poor foundation, and limited funds. Therefore, we should not incur huge military expenditures as the superpowers do. Nor should we blindly pursue large-scale and rapid modernization of the army regardless of our national economic conditions. In developing weapons and equipment, we should make overall arrangements and scientific planning."

"First of all, we should stress the main points and concentrate our forces on developing the most urgently needed defensive weapons and equipment Second, we should update the equipment in an orderly way and step by step, allowing the coexistence of outmoded and modern equipment and of ordinary and advanced technology."

"In order to stress the main points, we should give up some things of secondary importance. One must lose one thing in order to gain another. If we attend to too many things at the same time, we shall end up by developing nothing. In modernizing our army, we should import some necessary and advanced technological equipment. However, ours is a big but developing country. It will not do to rely on purchasing advanced technological equipment to achieve the modernization of national defense. Nor can we afford it. We may purchase some weapons and equipment but they will not necessarily conform to the specific conditions in our country, such as topography and weather. We should base ourselves on independence and self-reliance and rely on our own strength to develop weapons and equipment. We have developed and produced sophisticated strategic weapons, such as atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, and long-range guided missiles, as well as excellent conventional weapons for self-defense."

"We should continue to tap this potential and at the same time integrate it satisfactorily with mass technological innovation. The masses are the operators of weapons and equipment. It often happens that a small invention can solve a big problem. We stress the main points and self-reliance, but under no circumstances should we comprehend "distinguishing Chinese characteristics and "low standards" and thus lower the objective of our modernization. At present the modernization level of our troops is not very high, but it should be noted that the development of the national economy in the past few years has been gratifying. According to the Marxist theory of economic strength being the material basis of force, it can be expected that with the development of the national economy, encouraging prospects will certainly emerge in the modernization of the army."

"Following the high automation of operational command and weapons control, the command organizations should be highly efficient and be able to make quick responses. If the organizations are overstaffed and unwieldy, they will not easily deploy them, still less to direct operations. In order to increase our combat strength, we should increase the work efficiency of our troops, streamline organizations, and simplify the administrative structure so that they can be highly trained and flexible. We should abolish some units which should be abolished and amalgamate those which should be amalgamated. Naturally, it is also necessary to establish new units which should be established according to the requirements of modern warfare. The most important thing in the scientific organization of the forces is to strengthen the combination of the forces."

"Only by combining the various arms and services in a genuinely flexible way in various aspects, such as structural establishment, training, command, and management, will it be possible for our troops to constitute a powerful com- bat force. We should explore the new scientific system of combined army units, establish a corresponding command system, and formulate a set of rules and regulations for directing and managing the modernized combined army units. In building the army, we should satisfactorily integrate peacetime with war preparedness and the maintenance of the army with the use of military forces. While reducing the standing army, we should step up the building of the militia and reserve service and build up specialized technical soldiers and reserve officers in accordance with the new military service law promulgated some time ago. China has a large population and is rich in manpower resources. Provided that the people are well-trained, it does not make any difference if we have fewer troops in peacetime. As soon as a war breaks out, we can expand them immediately."

"The key to the modernization of our army lies in training able troops. Without them there will be no modernization of our army. We have all along stressed the human factor in war. Bravery, consciousness, and the spirit of sacrifice are a part of the human factor, on which we must continue to lay due stress, but they are not the whole. The whole of the human factor should include vigor in health, spirit, knowledge, and ability. While training modern military forces, we must pay particular attention to this point. To train modern military forces, the most important approach is to make the ranks of cadres more revolutionary, younger in average age, better educated, and more professionally competent."

"For many historical reasons, most of our troop cadres, and particularly high-ranking cadres, are now advanced in years, and they do not have a sufficient knowledge of culture and science or of modern military science. In the past year, we have readjusted leading groups of the army units in line with the principle of promoting outstanding younger cadres and helped PIA men learn science and acquire general knowledge extensively and thoroughly. As a result, the ranks of our army's cadres have made big strides in the four modernizations, yet they still cannot meet the needs of army building."

"Fighting a people's war is a strong point and characteristic of our army. Our socialist system and strategic principle of positive defense decide that any war in which we engage will be a self-defense war against aggression. We must continue to depend on people's war and give play to human subjective activity so as to defeat an enemy with superior equipment with our inferior equipment. However, what we mean by inferior equipment and superior equipment today is by no means the concept of using millet plus rifles to fight against aircraft and guns. Great changes have taken place in "yours" and "ours"; neither should we abandon the idea of people's war and copy indiscriminately the military theory of other countries just because our army is modernized to a certain extent, nor should we keep our past strategy and tactics intact only because we want to engage in people s war. In view of the new characteristics and new requirements of modern war- fare and of the changing situation, we should work hard to explore the law of modern warfare and to study the strategy and tactics of people's war under modern conditions so as to enrich and develop our military thought."

"In building up our army into a modern one, we must absorb and carry on the essence of our army and should on no account throw away our "invaluable assets." In line with the current actual conditions, we should enrich and develop these fine traditions so as to suit the needs of modernizing our army under the new situation and to ensure the smooth development of the modernization."

"An energetic army constantly changes itself. The history of the building of our army is a history of unceasing reform. Since Comrade Deng Xiaoping took charge of the work of the Military Commission, with modernization as the focus of its attention, our army has carried out some reforms with notable success. For example, we have streamlined and reorganized the army, carried out structural reform, attached strategic importance to education and training, restored the military academies and institutions, readjusted army, divisional, and regimental leading bodies, jointly built a socialist spiritual civilization with the people, acquired some scientific and cultural knowledge, trained people to be capable of doing both army and civilian work, revised various rules and regulations, and so on. These reforms have brought about a new situation in all areas of the work of our army. However, the reform of the entire army, we should say, has just begun. In order to build our army into a really modernized and revolutionary regular army with special Chinese characteristics, it is necessary to persistently carry on with the reforms in an even more comprehensive and in-depth manner."

"In the past, some political activities organized under the influence of "leftist" ideas, particularly the 10 years of internal disorder, had con- fused important matters of right and wrong in the area of army building. In addition, as the situation kept changing, there was also the question of adapting the good things to the circumstances. If we are to draw lessons from history, we should renew our understanding of the history and tradition of our army. Having carried out construction and fought for decades, what strong points and weaknesses has our army displayed? Which elements of our tradition are still applicable today? Which elements are outmoded? Which elements can still be useful after being transformed? We must have a very clear idea of all this. Otherwise, we will not know what to change and will not be able to find the starting point. The study of history includes the study of the history of the modernization of our army. In the course of modernization, our army has taken crooked roads, achieved success, and learned historical lessons as well. Today, when we propose the building of a modernized army with special Chinese characteristics, we should pay close attention to summarizing experience and lessons."

"The current situation is a bridge joining history to the future. In addition, it is also the point from which we march forward. In order to carry out reforms, it is necessary to study the current situation. What problems are there in the modernization of our army? What are the major contradictions? Which things should be changed? Which things should be changed first and which later? All these and more are questions that should be thoroughly studied and investigated. If we do not study the current situation, we will not have a clear picture of things and it will be difficult for us to seek truth from facts. For example/China is a country with a vast territory and long borders, its topography is complicated, and the circumstances on the battlefields vary. Thus, troops advancing in different directions are assigned different combat tasks. There are contradictions, in terms of the army's equipment and forms of organization, between diversification and uniformity. It is necessary to properly study how this practical problem can be scientifically solved."

"Military science and technology develop with each passing day and this requires us to be farsighted in modernizing the army. Military affairs are the area of social life in which the latest scientific and technological achievements are most speedily and extensively applied. In addition, many scientific and technological discoveries and innovations have first resulted from the work and needs in the area of military affairs. At present, a new worldwide technological revolution is under way. Although at present it is still difficult to comprehensively, accurately, and scientifically predict its effects on military affairs, we are entirely free to probe some important and relevant questions in an in-depth manner. In formulating long- term plans for building the army, if we thoroughly study the trends, we can avoid being blind, make our goals more scientific and more reasonable, and avoiding taking redundant, crooked roads."

"Thus, in regard to the important reforms in army building, all units should enthusiastically offer suggestions on the basis of the overall situation. It is necessary to boldly and resolutely reform without delay war preparation work, education and training, instruction in the academies and institutions, and logistical and security work provided that it is our duty to do so, that we make sure that it is necessary to do so, and that the conditions are ripe. Malpractices having to do with ideological style and methods of work, such as bureaucracy and the practices of seeking personal gain by capitalizing on one's powers, of paying lip service, and of holding back unpleasant information, should be reformed immediately and the sooner the better. Reforms in this regard do not affect the overall situation. There is no need to spend much money or to recruit more people. The only thing that counts is our attitude. In the course of reform, it is necessary to emphasize the need to listen to experts and specialists, to give full play to the role of research organs, to perfect the things created by the masses, and to translate the research results achieved by the special organs into actual mass action."

"Break with the idea of sticking to old ways. As reform is a process of destroying the old and establishing the new, it is bound to encounter obstructions from outdated conventional ideas and force of habit. It usually happens in the history of war that a triumphant army always fondly regards its past successful experience to the hindrance of its progress, thus following the beaten track in the face of development in warfare."

"Break through the idea of settling things once and for all. The reform of our army cannot be accomplished in one or two attempts. This is because we need a process for the understanding of objective things and it is impossible to achieve the unity of subjective ideas with objective reality in a single stroke. Moreover, objective things are constantly developing and changing, therefore, after acquiring understanding of the past process of objective things, we should continue to acquire understanding of the new developments of objective things. Due to the constant development of military science and technology and the emergence of new characteristics in modern wars, we should deepen our understanding and carry out reform accordingly. Otherwise, we may lag behind. It is thus obvious that we should regard reform as a protracted task."

"Now we are carrying out the new struggle of building a modernized army with special Chinese characteristics. Many of our veteran comrades have made their contributions to the life-and-death struggles."

"Despite his growing importance as Deng's right-hand man, however, he failed to make much of an impression on ordinary Chinese. Many, particularly intellectuals mocked his foppish dress, his jovial, often coarse manner, and reputation as an ageing playboy. For many he was a buffoon, a powerful one but hardly a man of weight. Then, in June 1989, the joking stopped. Overnight, Yang Shangkun became perhaps the most hated man in China. He had performed the ultimate act of loyalty - when Deng said open fire he obeyed."

"The life of Yang Shangkun "was glorious and militant" and he made "historic and indelible contributions to the Chinese people's cause of liberation and the cause of socialist revolution and construction."

"Many believe that the death of Mao Anying changed the course of Chinese history. Had he survived, it is argued that Chairman Mao planned to make him his successor, inaugurating a dynastic leadership of the [Chinese] Communist Party similar to the system implemented in North Korea by Kim Il-Sung and his successors. There are other, probably unfounded rumors that rival CCP leaders, rather than egg-fried-rice, caused the death of Mao Anying."

"A general good at commanding troops is like one sitting in a leaking boat or lying under a burning roof. For there is no time for the wise to offer counsel nor the brave to be angry. All must come to grips with the enemy. And therefore it is said that of all the dangers in employing troops, timidity is the greatest and that the calamities which overtake an army arise from hesitation."