(Source: People’s Daily Client 2025-08-25)

Lu Yi

The victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was China's first complete victory in fighting foreign invasion in modern times. It was a historical turning point for the Chinese nation to move from a deep crisis to a great rejuvenation in modern times. The key to the great victory of the Anti-Japanese War was that the Communist Party of China played the mainstay role. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The mainstay role of the Communist Party of China is the key to the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression"; "The victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is a great victory for the Chinese Communist Party to play the mainstay role." General Secretary Xi Jinping's important exposition profoundly explained the mainstay role of the Communist Party of China in the War of Resistance Against Japan. It is a scientific conclusion drawn from a comprehensive summary of the 14-year history of the War of Resistance Against Japan. It is a solid and irrefutable historical conclusion.

Political leadership: advocating, promoting and maintaining the anti-Japanese national united front

History has fully proved that without the Communist Party of China, there would be no anti-Japanese national united front, and without the anti-Japanese national united front, there would be no national war of resistance. The Chinese Communist Party is the well-deserved mainstay and core of political leadership in the anti-Japanese war.

The Communist Party of China is the initiator of the anti-Japanese national united front. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "At this time of national crisis, the Communist Party of China upholds national justice, shoulders the historical responsibility of national salvation, and calls for the establishment of an anti-Japanese national united front based on the cooperation of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party to resist Japanese aggression and expel Japanese aggressors from China." 1 After the September 18th Incident in 1931, the Kuomintang implemented the policy of "non-resistance" and compromised with Japan. The Communist Party of China was at the forefront of the anti-Japanese patriotic movement, sounded the first clarion call to save the nation from peril, and actively carried out the work of winning allies and establishing a united front. In 1935, at a historical juncture when the national crisis was unprecedentedly serious and the ethnic conflict between China and Japan became the main conflict, the Communist Party of China put aside its past grievances and issued the "August 1st Declaration", calling on all parties, armies, and compatriots from all walks of life across the country to immediately stop the civil war and concentrate all national strength to fight for the sacred cause of resisting Japan and saving the nation. In December of the same year, the Wayaobao Conference formulated strategies and guidelines for establishing an anti-Japanese national united front. At the same time, the Communist Party of China also led the December 9th Movement, which set off a new upsurge in the country's resistance to Japan and national salvation, and aroused a new awakening of the Chinese nation.

The Communist Party of China is an active promoter of the Anti-Japanese National United Front. In December 1936, the Communist Party of China facilitated a peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident, laying the foundation for the second Kuomintang-Communist cooperation. In February 1937, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sent a telegram to the Third Plenary Session of the Fifth Central Committee of the Kuomintang, proposing five demands and four guarantees, prompting it to determine the principle of stopping the civil war and uniting against Japan. In May of the same year, Comrade Mao Zedong profoundly pointed out: "Today, the bourgeoisie represented by the Kuomintang still has a lot of passivity and conservatism." "This situation has increased the political leadership responsibilities of the proletariat and its party. The responsibility of the General Staff for resisting Japan and saving the country is unshirkable and unshirkable for the Communist Party." This emphasizes the political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party in the war of resistance. After the July 7th Incident broke out in 1937, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China immediately sent out a telegram calling for the establishment of a solid Great Wall of the Anti-Japanese National United Front to resist aggression, and submitted to the Kuomintang the "Declaration of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Promulgation of Cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party". On September 22, the Kuomintang Central News Agency issued this declaration; the next day, Chiang Kai-shek issued a speech, de facto recognizing the legal status of the Communist Party of China. This marked the formal formation of the anti-Japanese national united front based on the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. In this regard, the famous democrat Liang Shuming once commented: "Since Japan invaded China, the CCP has put forward a series of anti-Japanese propositions, especially the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and the unanimous resistance against Japan, which has won the hearts of the people."

The Communist Party of China is the staunch defender of the anti-Japanese national united front. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The Communist Party of China holds high the banner of the Anti-Japanese National United Front, resolutely safeguards, consolidates, and develops the United Front, adheres to independence, unites in the war of resistance, and safeguards the overall situation of unity in the war of resistance.” In 1935, Comrade Mao Zedong predicted in a report at a party activist meeting in Wayaobu, northern Shaanxi: “The Communist Party and the Red Army are not only in the present As the initiator of the Anti-Japanese National United Front, and will inevitably become a strong pillar in the future anti-Japanese government and anti-Japanese army, so that the Japanese imperialists and Chiang Kai-shek's destabilizing policy against the Anti-Japanese National United Front cannot achieve their final goal." "This is the leadership role of the Communist Party and the Red Army in the National United Front." After the war of resistance entered a stalemate, the Kuomintang launched three anti-communist upsurges, and the situation of unity in the war of resistance was on the verge of reversal several times. However, the Communist Party of China has always attached great importance to national justice, unswervingly promoted the entire nation to persist in the war of resistance, unity, and progress, opposed compromise, division, and retrogression, and adopted a policy of both unity and struggle, and struggle for unity, which enabled the anti-Japanese national united front to continue to be consolidated and developed, providing political guarantee for the final victory of the Anti-Japanese War.

Social mobilization: adhere to the line of comprehensive resistance

The Anti-Japanese National United Front includes not only the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and various patriotic parties and groups, but also the broad masses of the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “During the arduous War of Resistance Against Japan, all Chinese sons and daughters fought for the survival of the country, the rejuvenation of the nation, and justice for mankind. The extensive social mobilization, the profound national awakening, the tenacious will to fight, and the firm belief in victory, "All have reached unprecedented heights." In August 1937, the "Ten Points Program for Resisting Japan and Saving the Nation" formulated by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed a set of measures such as overthrowing Japanese imperialism and implementing a nationwide military mobilization and a nationwide people's mobilization, marking the formal formation of a comprehensive line of resistance. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Current Situation and the Party's Tasks" adopted at the Luochuan Conference emphasized: "Communist Party members and the people and armed forces they lead should be the most active at the forefront of the struggle. They should make themselves the core of the national war of resistance and should use great force to develop the anti-Japanese mass movement." Here, the tasks of becoming the core of the war of resistance and mobilizing the masses are clearly stated.

During this period, Comrade Mao Zedong repeatedly pointed out: "The combination of civilian power and military power will deal a fatal blow to Japanese imperialism. A national war without relying on the masses of the people will undoubtedly be unable to win." Therefore, "We advocate a complete national revolutionary war with general mobilization of the people throughout the country, or a comprehensive war of resistance." In 1938, Comrade Mao Zedong further emphasized in "On Protracted War": "The deepest roots of the power of war exist among the people." "Such a great national revolutionary war cannot be won without widespread and in-depth political mobilization." To carry out political mobilization, we must first inform the army and the people of the political purpose of the war. We must make every soldier understand why the war is being fought and what it has to do with them. Only in this way can we create an anti-Japanese upsurge and make tens of millions of people unite and contribute everything to the war. Practice has proved that the comprehensive anti-war line combines the implementation of the entire nation's anti-war with the struggle for people's democracy and the improvement of people's lives, and the unity of opposing foreign invasion and promoting social progress, promoting the great awakening of the people. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: "The extent to which this war promoted the consciousness and unity of the Chinese people is unparalleled by any of the great struggles of the Chinese people in the past century."

Throughout the entire Anti-Japanese War, the Communist Party of China persisted in mobilizing and relying on the people, and promoted the formation of the historical torrent of the entire nation's anti-Japanese war. The US military observation team in Yan'an found: "The Communist Party has integrated the people and the army and mobilized them all, so it can achieve anti-Japanese results." The "North China Security War" compiled by the War History Office of the Japanese Defense Agency after the war wrote: "The CCP and its army concentrated all their efforts to understand the people and win their hearts and minds. Not only Japan, but also Chongqing Because of this, although they are at a disadvantage in terms of numbers, they have a tenacious strength that cannot be underestimated. In sharp contrast, the Kuomintang implemented a one-sided anti-war line of government control and military dominance, viewing the war of resistance as only a matter for the government, and preventing the government troops from integrating with the people. The difference between these two different anti-war routes is huge. Ye Qing (Ren Zhuoxuan), a propaganda officer of the Kuomintang, once analyzed: "Why is the Communist Party so powerful? In my opinion, it is because it was able to mobilize the people and develop guerrillas successfully during the War of Resistance. But what about our party? The war of resistance was completely based on a bureaucratic point of view. It regarded the war of resistance as a military matter and ignored the work of mobilizing the people and developing guerrillas. That is to say, it did not completely ignore the mobilization of the people and launch guerrillas, but at least it used a bureaucratic style to mobilize the people and launch guerrillas. Therefore, the Communist Party succeeded, but the party did not succeed."

Strategic guidance: formulating and implementing correct strategic guidelines

The Anti-Japanese War is a war, so it depends on military strategic guidance and battlefield performance. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Chinese Communists bravely fought at the forefront of the War of Resistance Against Japan, supporting the Chinese nation's hope of salvation and survival, and becoming the mainstay of the entire nation's war of resistance!" The Communist Party of China is the most resolute in safeguarding national independence, the most resolute in safeguarding national interests, and the most courageous in resisting foreign aggression.

After the September 18th Incident, the Communist Party of China took the lead in raising the banner of armed resistance against Japan and launched guerrilla warfare in the Northeast, which became the starting point of the Chinese People's Anti-Japanese War and also opened the prelude to the world's anti-fascist war. In April 1932, the Provisional Central Government of the Soviet Republic of China issued the "Declaration of War against Japan", stating that it "officially declares war against Japan and leads the entire Chinese workers' and peasants' Red Army and the broad masses of oppressed people in a national revolutionary war to expel Japanese imperialism from China" and "in order to achieve the complete liberation and independence of the Chinese nation." After the national war of resistance began, as the scale and scope of the war expanded, it was crucial to provide correct strategic guidance. The Communist Party of China stood at a strategic and overall perspective, formulated and implemented correct strategic policies in a timely manner, and provided scientific guidance for the victory of the Anti-Japanese War.

After Japan launched a full-scale war of aggression against China, the Chinese nation faced an unprecedented crisis. The question that people across the country were most concerned about was: Can this war be won? How to win? In 1938, Comrade Mao Zedong published an article "On Protracted War". Through in-depth analysis of the characteristics of China and Japan, he accurately predicted the three stages of the Anti-Japanese War from defense to stalemate and finally to counterattack. The development of the Anti-Japanese War completely confirmed this wise conclusion. "On Protracted War" gave the people across the country a clear understanding of the process and future of the war of resistance, and greatly strengthened their confidence and determination to persist in the war of resistance. Liang Shuming recalled: "In the past few years, no one has given me such a convincing talk about the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, as well as how to resist Japan and how to develop, and I have never seen such articles. I have heard and read Chiang Kai-shek's speeches and proclamations many times, and I have had several individual conversations, but they have never been as attractive and convincing as this time with Mao Zedong. I say these without any subjective praise or criticism, but as historical facts."

In order to realize the strategic general policy of protracted war, the Communist Party of China started from the reality of the contrast between the enemy and ourselves, especially the disparity in weapons and equipment, and based on the people's army's expertise in mobilizing the masses and fighting guerrilla warfare, and decisively changed its military strategy, that is, from mobile warfare to guerrilla warfare. In August 1937, Zhang Wentian and Mao Zedong called Zhou Enlai and others, pointing out that the Red Army's operational principle is to carry out independent and independent decentralized guerrilla warfare under the overall strategic policy. In the same month, the Luochuan Conference determined that the Red Army's strategic policy was independent mountain guerrilla warfare, and emphasized that its operational principles were to disperse to mobilize the masses and to concentrate to destroy the enemy. In 1938, Comrade Mao Zedong raised guerrilla warfare to a strategic level and gave a comprehensive explanation in "Strategic Issues in the Anti-Japanese Guerrilla War" and "On Protracted War", clearly stating that the policy of the Eighth Route Army was "basically guerrilla warfare, but mobile warfare under favorable conditions should not be relaxed." Under the guidance of this correct strategic policy, the Communist Party of China gradually took the initiative on the battlefield. The Japanese army also had to admit: "The Communist army's guerrilla tactics are clever, its power is increasing day by day, and its territory has been widely expanded." They also compared the Kuomintang and Communist armies: "Judging from the combat results, the Chongqing army is easier to defeat, but it is extremely difficult to capture and eliminate the Communist army that adopts retreat and dispersion tactics." The Kuomintang was also inspired by this and imitated guerrilla warfare, but ultimately failed because of being disconnected from the masses.

During the Anti-Japanese War, the Communist Party of China always adhered to the general strategic policy of protracted war and the strategic policy of guerrilla warfare, launched a desperate struggle with the enemy, and became the backbone of the resistance war. During the strategic defense stage, when the Kuomintang troops retreated, the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army advanced behind enemy lines without hesitation, established a series of anti-Japanese base areas, and opened up a vast battlefield behind enemy lines. During the stage of strategic stalemate and counter-offensive, the battlefield behind enemy lines gradually became the main battlefield of the Anti-Japanese War. Under arduous conditions, the soldiers and civilians in the base areas extensively carried out ambush warfare, raid warfare, mine warfare, tunnel warfare, sparrow warfare and other guerrilla warfare tactics. They formed a vast ocean of people's war, eliminated and contained a large number of enemies, and reduced the pressure on the frontal battlefield. It became an important factor in promoting the Kuomintang's resistance to the end, and played a decisive role in persisting in the resistance and winning the victory.

Party Building: Excellent Leadership

A very important reason why the Communist Party of China can play the mainstay role is that the party gradually matured during the Anti-Japanese War. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “During the Anti-Japanese War, at a historical juncture when the nation was in peril, the Communist Party of China guided the direction of China’s war of resistance with its outstanding political leadership and correct strategic strategies.” “Without the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the task of completing national independence and liberation would have been delayed longer and the price paid higher.”

In the early days of the all-out war of resistance, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “To lead the revolution to victory, a political party must rely on the correctness of its political line and organizational consolidation. "To this end, he put forward the goal of "building a Bolshevized Chinese Communist Party that is nationwide, broad-based, ideologically, politically, and organizationally solid," and called it a "great project." In order to achieve this goal, the Chinese Communist Party insists on combining Marxism with China's specific reality, and has achieved fruitful results in ideological construction, organizational construction, and style construction.

In terms of ideological construction, Mao Zedong Thought was systematically summarized and developed in many aspects during the Anti-Japanese War, and reached maturity. Comrade Deng Xiaoping said: "The Yan'an period can be said to be a period in which Mao Zedong Thought was relatively completely formed. The theory of the new democratic revolution in Mao Zedong Thought, including the theory of party building and the principles of handling intra-party relations, before and after the Yan'an Rectification, "The Yan'an Rectification Movement overcame the erroneous tendency to dogmatize Marxism and sanctify the Soviet experience and the instructions of the Comintern into absolutes, which was once prevalent in the party, and made the Marxist ideological line of seeking truth from facts deeply rooted in the hearts of the entire party. On this basis, the Seventh Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted the "Resolution on Certain Historical Issues", which made correct conclusions on a number of major historical issues within the party and brought the whole party to a unified understanding of the basic issues of the Chinese revolution. The Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China wrote Mao Zedong Thought into the Party Constitution, established the guiding position of Mao Zedong Thought in the entire party, and laid a solid ideological and theoretical foundation for winning the victory of the Anti-Japanese War.

In terms of organizational construction, the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party held in 1938 overcame Wang Ming's right-leaning error in the early days of the all-out war of resistance, further clarified Comrade Mao Zedong's leadership status, and resolved the issue of the Party's unified leadership. Since then, a series of documents such as the "Decision on Strengthening Party Spirit", "The Decision on Unifying the Party's Leadership in the Anti-Japanese Base Areas and Adjusting Relations among Organizations", and "The Decision on Adjusting and Streamlining Central Organizations" were passed, emphasizing the unified leadership of the party and the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, ensuring that the party's lines, principles and policies are implemented and that the entire party always acts in unison. As Comrade Mao Zedong said: "We are the Communist Party. If we want to lead the people to defeat the enemy, our ranks must be orderly and our steps must be consistent." The Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China formed a group of time-tested politicians who held high the banner of Mao Zedong, uniting the entire party under the banner of Mao Zedong and achieving unprecedented unity.

In terms of style construction, our party has greatly improved its cohesion, appeal and combat effectiveness by establishing a good image. The concept of "Party style" was first proposed by Comrade Mao Zedong. In 1937, he said at the National Congress of the Communist Party of China: "To guide a great revolution, we must have a great party and many of the best cadres." "They are selfless national class heroes. This is the character and style that Communist Party members, party cadres, and party leaders should have." In 1942, Comrade Mao Zedong called for rectification of the party's style at the opening ceremony of the Central Party w88 casino. During the Yan'an period, the party attached great importance to the construction of work style, always maintaining the advanced nature and purity of the Marxist party, maintaining the strong fighting spirit and clean style of the revolutionary team, and on the basis of summarizing historical experience, formed three excellent styles of integrating theory with practice, close contact with the masses, and criticism and self-criticism. In the end, the "Yan'an style" defeated the "Xi'an style". In 1940, patriotic overseas Chinese leader Tan Kah Kee visited Chongqing and Yan'an successively. After comparison, he concluded that "the Kuomintang and Chiang Kai-shek governments will definitely lose and the Yan'an Communist Party will win" and predicted: "China's hope lies in Yan'an!"

In 1939, Comrade Mao Zedong summarized in the "Communist" Issue: "The united front, armed struggle, and party building are the three magic weapons for the Chinese Communist Party to defeat the enemy in the Chinese revolution." During the Anti-Japanese War, the Communist Party of China played an irreplaceable role in political leadership, social mobilization, strategic guidance, and party building through its proficient use of the three magic weapons, thus becoming the mainstay and key to victory in the Anti-Japanese War. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Communist Party of China led the Chinese people to forge a great spirit of resistance with its political opinions, firm will, and exemplary actions. It demonstrated to the world the patriotic sentiment that everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world, the national integrity that would rather die than surrender, the heroic spirit of not fearing violence and fighting to the end, and the indomitable and persevering belief in victory. Guided, inspired and inspired by the great spirit of the Anti-Japanese War, countless outstanding Chinese people regarded death as home and would rather die than surrender. They built an unbreakable Great Wall of flesh and blood for the Chinese nation with their iron bones and made outstanding contributions to the final victory of the Anti-Japanese War.

History is the best textbook. The Communist Party of China was not only the mainstay in saving the nation from peril during the War of Resistance, but also the strong core of leadership in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation today. In the new era and new journey, we will still encounter various risks and challenges and face various severe struggles. We must firmly support the "two establishments" and resolutely achieve the "two maintenances", persist in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, better grasp and apply the party's more than 100 years of struggle, especially the historical experience formed during the Anti-Japanese War, adhere to the party's leadership, adhere to the supremacy of the people, adhere to theoretical innovation, and adhere to independence Establish independence, adhere to the Chinese path, have the world in mind, persist in pioneering and innovation, persist in daring to fight, adhere to the united front, persist in self-revolution, carry forward the great spirit of resistance, always maintain the sobriety and determination to solve the unique problems of the big party, lead the great social revolution with great self-revolution, comprehensively promote the new great project of party building, and ensure that the party always becomes the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

(The author is a researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Party w88 casino of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Administration))

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