Sino-Soviet Split Document Archive
Source: From Workers of All Countries Unite, Oppose
Our Common Enemy. Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1962; pp.
22-27.
Transcription and HTML Markup: Juan Fajardo, for marxists.org, July 2020.
The 12th Congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia was held in Prague, December 4-8, 1962.
Antonin Novotny, First Secretary of the Party's Central Committee, delivered a report to the congress on December 4 summing up the work of the Central Committee. In his report he attacked the Albanian Party of Labour.
L. I. Brezhnev, Head of the Delegation of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Member of the Presidium of the C.P.S.U. Central Committee, addressed the congress on the same day. He also attacked the Al- banian Party of Labour and censured those “self-styled Marxist-Leninists”.
Some comrades of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and comrades from some other fraternal parties in their speeches at the congress attacked the Communist Party of China and the Albanian Party of Labour. Some also censured the Korean Workers' Party which disagrees with the attacks on the Communist Party of China.
Wu Hsiu-chuan, Head of the Delegation of the Communist Party of China, addressed the congress on December 5. Before Novotny made his concluding speech on December 8, Wu Hsiu-chuan handed over a “Statement of the Delegation of the Communist Party of China” to the presidium of the congress. The statement was read out by Novotny at the congress.
In his concluding speech Novotny renewed his attacks on the Communist Party of China.
Following is the text of the statement of the Delegation of the Communist Party of China. — Ed.
Sincerely desirous of strengthening friendship among fraternal parties and the unity of the international communist movement, a delegation of the Communist Party of China has on your invitation attended the 12th Congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and has extended greetings to you. It has, however, been most unfortunate and contrary to our expectations that at your congress some comrades of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and the comrades from some other fraternal parties have made use of the platform of this congress to continue attacking the Albanian Party of Labour and to deliver unbridled attacks on the Communist Party of China. A practice of this kind is not in conformity with the Moscow Declaration and the Moscow Statement, is not in the interest of the unity of the socialist camp and the unity of the international communist movement, is not in the interest of the struggle against imperialism, is not in the interest of the struggle for world peace and is not in conformity with the fundamental interests of the people of the socialist countries. We cannot but express the deepest regret at such actions which are contrary to Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism.
The Communist Party of China has always upheld Marxism-Leninism and the revolutionary principles of the Moscow Declaration and the Moscow Statement. We are firmly opposed to all views and actions that are contrary to Marxism-Leninism and contrary to the Mos- cow Declaration and the Moscow Statement. In regard to the settlement of differences among fraternal par- ties, the consistent stand of the Communist Party of China starts from the interest of safeguarding the unity of the international communist movement, safeguarding the unity of the socialist camp and standing together against the enemy and it adheres to the fundamental principles for guiding the relations among fraternal parties and fraternal countries as set forth in the Moscow Declaration and the Moscow Statement. Indeed, more than one year ago we firmly opposed the using of one party congress for the purpose of launching attacks on another fraternal party. An erroneous practice of this kind can only deepen differences and create splits; it can only grieve those near and dear to us and gladden the enemy. But instead of thinking about changing this erroneous practice, some parties and some persons are even redoubling their efforts in that direction and going further and further along the road towards a split. We cannot but point out that this erroneous practice has already produced serious consequences and that if continued, it is bound to produce even more serious consequences.
Some people have glibly said that the Albanian Party of Labour made charges against some comrades of a certain fraternal party, and that the Albanian comrades are to blame for the distressing situation which exists today in the international communist movement. Going farther, they distort the facts and accuse the Albanian comrades of being "anti-Soviet". Why don't these people give a little thought to the question of who should be held responsible for such a situation? After all, who was the first to launch an attack on the Albanian comrades? How can it be correct and permissible for one party arbitrarily to launch an attack at its own party congress against another fraternal party, while the party attacked does not have even the right to reply? Is it possible that the launching of an attack on a fraternal party is to be called "Marxist-Leninist" and conforming to the Moscow Dec- laration and the Moscow Statement, but that the reply by the attacked party is to be branded as "sectarianism", "splittism", "dogmatism" and a violation of the Moscow Declaration and the Moscow Statement? If the replies of the Albanian comrades are to be called "anti-Soviet", then, may we ask, what name should be given to those who first attacked the Albanian comrades and arbitrarily levelled a whole series of charges against them? On important questions like these, Marxist-Leninists should distinguish between right and wrong and not distort the truth. We hold that differences among fraternal par- ties can only be settled in accordance with the principles of independence, of equality and of unanimity through consultation, as set forth in the Moscow Declaration and the Moscow Statement, and by the party which made the first attack taking the initiative. Once again, we sincerely make this appeal.
At this congress, some comrades have attacked the Communist Party of China, which consistently uphold the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, but this cannot do us any harm at all. For several decades, while in the very centre of the curses and attacks of the imperialists, the reactionaries, and the revisionists and opportunists, the Communist Party of China has grown strong and has won one victory after another. In this period, on the international scene, there certainly exists an anti-China chorus, coming from the side of imperialism, reaction and revisionism. This only proves that the Communist Party of China has firmly persisted in the truth and in the struggle for justice, and that our struggle is in the interest of the cause of the peoples of the world for peace, national liberation, democracy and socialism, and that it is against the interest of the imperialists, against the interest of the reactionaries and against the interest of the revisionists. The Communist Party of China will always uphold the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism and the position of the Moscow Declaration and the Moscow Statement, and will never barter principles in order to make a deal. We hold that the employment of a congress of one party to attack another party or parties and the recourse to such un- usual manners as shouting and hissing can hardly prove that one is right and furthermore cannot be helpful in settling any problems.
With the object of settling the differences in the international communist movement on certain important questions of principle, the Communist Party of China are a number of other fraternal parties have proposed the convening of a Meeting of Representatives of the Communist and Workers' Parties of all countries of the world in order to clarify what is right from what is wrong, to strengthen unity and to stand together against the enemy. We consider that this is the only correct method of settling problems. The Communists of the whole world have a common enemy, a common cause and a common objective; there is no reason whatsoever why we should not unite. The Communist Party of China desires, together with the fraternal parties of other countries and on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian international- ism, to strengthen unity and oppose splits, and to strive for new victories of the peoples of all countries for peace, national liberation, democracy and socialism.