The Important Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the World Anti-Fascist United Front

The World Anti-Fascist War was the largest-scale and most devastating catastrophe in human history, and the frenzied aggression of fascist forces plunged the people of all countries into deep suffering. In this war that decided the fate of humanity, the Chinese Communist Party, with its firm sense of mission, outstanding strategic wisdom, and selfless internationalist spirit, always stood at the forefront of building the world anti-fascist united front, becoming the core pillar that united global anti-fascist forces and making an indelible contribution to the victory of the war. An in-depth review of this historical process not only clearly demonstrates the key role of the Chinese Communist Party in linking China's War of Resistance [against Japan] with the World Anti-Fascist War, but also provides a profound historical mirror for building a community with a shared future for mankind today.

世界反法西斯战争是人类历史上规模最大、损失最惨重的浩劫，法西斯势力的疯狂侵略令世界各国人民深陷苦难。在这场决定人类命运的战争中，中国共产党以坚定的使命担当、卓越的战略智慧和无私的国际主义精神，始终站在世界反法西斯统一战线建设的前沿，成为凝聚全球反法西斯力量的核心支柱，为战争胜利作出了不可磨灭的贡献。深入梳理这一历史进程，不仅能清晰展现中国共产党在联结中国抗战与世界反法西斯战争中的关键作用，更能为当今构建人类命运共同体提供深刻的历史镜鉴。

After the September 18th Incident [1]1 The September 18th Incident (1931) was a staged event used by the Japanese Kwantung Army as a pretext to invade and occupy Northeast China., the aggression of Japanese fascism not only trampled on China's territory but also pushed the world into the abyss of war. At a difficult moment when the national crisis was unprecedentedly severe and the global anti-fascist wave was just beginning to rise, the Chinese Communist Party, with strategic insight that far exceeded the limitations of the era, courageously and first took up the great banner of building the world anti-fascist united front, becoming the earliest initiator and core leader of this process of profound historical significance.

九一八事变后，日本法西斯的侵略不仅践踏中国国土，更将世界推向了战争深渊。在民族危机空前深重与全球反法西斯浪潮初兴交织的艰难时刻，中国共产党以远超时代局限的战略卓见，果敢且率先地扛起了构建世界反法西斯统一战线的伟大旗帜，当之无愧地成为这一具有深远历史意义进程的最早发起者与核心引领者。

The international situation at this stage was complex and intricate: Germany, Italy, and Japan were secretly forming an aggressive alliance; Britain, France, the United States, and other countries pursued a policy of appeasement; and world anti-fascist forces were in a state of disarray. At this critical juncture, the delegation of the Chinese Communist Party to the Communist International published the August First Declaration in 1935 [2]2 The August First Declaration (1935), issued by the CCP delegation to the Communist International, called for a united front against Japanese aggression., which for the first time explicitly called for "uniting all countries opposed to Japanese imperialism," creatively linking the domestic anti-Japanese national united front with the international anti-fascist front, and sending out the first ideological signal of the world anti-fascist united front to the world. At the Wayaobu Conference [3]3 The Wayaobu Conference (December 1935) was a CCP Politburo meeting that formally adopted the policy of an anti-Japanese national united front., the Chinese Communist Party further established the policy of "building a broad national revolutionary united front," clarifying from a strategic level the position and direction of uniting international forces.

这一阶段的国际形势错综复杂：德、意、日法西斯密谋组建侵略同盟，英、法、美等国推行绥靖政策，世界反法西斯力量处于涣散状态。在这危急关头，中国共产党驻共产国际代表团于1935年发表《八一宣言》，首次明确呼吁“联合一切反对日本帝国主义的国家”，创造性地将国内抗日民族统一战线与国际反法西斯阵线相联结，向全世界发出了世界反法西斯统一战线的思想先声。在瓦窑堡会议上，中国共产党进一步确立“建立广泛的民族革命统一战线”方针，从战略层面明确了联合国际力量的立场和方向。

Mao Zedong profoundly pointed out in "On Tactics Against Japanese Imperialism": "International assistance is necessary for the revolutionary struggles of all modern countries and all modern nations." This judgment not only affirmed the value of the world anti-fascist united front but also highlighted the Chinese Communist Party's proactive responsibility in integrating internal and external forces. Facing erroneous tendencies such as closed-doorism, the Chinese Communist Party emphasized with clear awareness: "Closed-doorism is the strategy of the loner," and it was necessary to unite all forces that could be united — this kind of strategic resolve enabled China to find a way to break the deadlock in the predicament of isolation and helplessness.

毛泽东在《论反对日本帝国主义的策略》中深刻指出：“国际援助对于现代一切国家、一切民族的革命斗争都是必要的。”这一论断不仅是对世界反法西斯统一战线价值的肯定，更凸显了中国共产党在整合内外力量中的主动担当。面对关门主义等错误倾向，中国共产党以清醒的认知强调：“关门主义是孤家寡人的策略”，必须联合一切可联合的力量——这种战略定力，使中国在孤立无援的困境中找到了破局之道。

Particularly crucial was that the Chinese Communist Party always adhered to the position of strategic autonomy when seeking international assistance. After the outbreak of the Soviet-German War, the Communist International repeatedly demanded that the Chinese Communist Party dispatch troops to coordinate with Soviet operations. Mao Zedong declined on the grounds that "guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines can more effectively pin down Japanese forces," insisting on the principle of "relying mainly on one's own efforts while seeking external assistance as supplementary." This wisdom of both uniting and maintaining independence allowed the Chinese Communist Party to preserve its own independence and autonomy, to always maintain an active position in the national war and play a pivotal role, to flexibly respond to various challenges, to inject vitality into the international united front, and to provide a solid guarantee for the ultimate victory of the War of Resistance.

尤为关键的是，中国共产党在争取国际援助时始终坚守战略自主的立场。苏德战争爆发后，共产国际多次要求中共派遣军队配合苏军行动，毛泽东以“敌后游击战更能有效牵制日军”为由婉拒，坚持“自力更生为主，争取外援为辅”的原则。这种既联合又保持独立的智慧，使得中国共产党维护了自身的独立性和自主性，在民族战争中始终保持主动地位，发挥中流砥柱作用，能够灵活应对各种挑战，为国际统一战线注入了生命力，也为抗日战争的最终胜利提供了坚实保障。

On the grand historical stage of the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese Communist Party was not only an outstanding initiator of the concept of the international united front but also a concrete actor, uniting world anti-fascist forces. Its concept of unity, which bravely broke through ideological shackles, injected a continuous and powerful vitality into the World Anti-Fascist War, driving the anti-fascist forces to spread and grow rapidly across the globe like a prairie fire.

在世界反法西斯战争的宏大历史舞台上，中国共产党不仅是国际统一战线理念的卓越发起者，更是实实在在的行动者，团结了世界反法西斯力量。其勇于突破意识形态束缚的联合理念，为世界反法西斯战争注入了源源不断的强大生命力，推动着反法西斯力量如燎原之火般在全球范围内迅速蔓延、壮大。

The anti-Japanese base areas led by the Chinese Communist Party became a practical model for the world anti-fascist united front. Facing the frenzied "mopping-up" campaigns [4]4 "Mopping-up" campaigns were large-scale Japanese military operations aimed at destroying CCP base areas and guerrilla forces. of the Japanese army, the military and civilians in the base areas persisted in guerrilla warfare, pinning down a large number of Japanese troops and relieving pressure on the Pacific and European theaters. At the same time, the Chinese Communist Party actively received international friends. After the Indian Medical Mission to China and the American journalist Edgar Snow arrived in Yan'an, they personally witnessed the determination to resist Japan and the democratic practices under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. Their reports allowed the world to see the true strength of China's War of Resistance, becoming a bridge linking China with world anti-fascist forces. Mao Zedong, in a letter to the Indian National Congress, clearly pointed out: "We hope that the two great nations, India and China, will unite more solidly in order to cooperate with all other anti-fascist countries, so as to achieve the goal of defeating fascism and liberating all peoples oppressed by fascism."

中国共产党领导的抗日根据地成为世界反法西斯统一战线的实践样板。面对日军的疯狂 “扫荡”，根据地军民坚持游击战争，牵制了大量日军兵力，为太平洋战场、欧洲战场减轻了压力。同时，中国共产党积极接待国际友人。印度援华医疗队、美国记者埃德加·斯诺等来到延安后，亲身见证了中共领导下的抗日决心与民主实践。他们的报道让世界看到了中国抗战的真实力量，成为联结中国与世界反法西斯力量的桥梁。毛泽东致信印度国民大会明确指出：我们希望印、华两大民族团结得更加坚固，以便与其他一切反法西斯国家配合作战,借以达到打倒法西斯，解放一切被法西斯压迫的人民。

The united front concept of the Chinese Communist Party further became the ideological engine driving the global national liberation movement. Inspired by this, Egypt's Wafd Party began to unite Asian and African countries against imperialism; Indonesia's National Party drew on the experience of the Chinese Communist Party to build an anti-imperialist united front; Ho Chi Minh actively practiced the united front idea in Vietnam's struggles against France and the United States. These practices confirmed the global influence of the Chinese Communist Party's concepts. It was precisely because the Chinese Communist Party transcended the limitations of ideological opposition and used the defeat of the common enemy as a bond to unite forces that the world anti-fascist united front broke through regional and camp restrictions, forming a prairie fire.

中国共产党的统一战线理念更成为推动全球民族解放运动的思想引擎。埃及华夫脱党受此启发，开始联合亚非国家反对帝国主义；印尼民族党借鉴中国共产党经验构建反帝统一战线；胡志明在越南抗法、抗美斗争中积极践行统一战线思想。这些实践印证了中国共产党理念的全球影响力。正是中国共产党跳出意识形态对立的局限，以打败共同敌人为纽带凝聚力量，才让世界反法西斯统一战线突破地域与阵营限制，形成燎原之势。

The profound significance of this important role lies in the fact that the Chinese Communist Party not only secured international support for China's War of Resistance but also reshaped the way world anti-fascist forces were linked. It proved that the anti-aggression struggles of colonial and semi-colonial countries were an organic whole with the global anti-fascist war, and the Chinese Communist Party was the key link connecting this whole.

这种重要作用的深层意义在于：中国共产党不仅为中国抗日战争争取了国际支持，更重塑了世界反法西斯力量的联结方式。证明了殖民地半殖民地国家的反侵略斗争与全球反法西斯战争是有机整体，而中国共产党正是联结这一整体的关键纽带。

The long river of history flows endlessly, and the experience and wisdom it carries, like brilliant stars, illuminate the path of reality. The important role demonstrated by the Chinese Communist Party in the World Anti-Fascist War remains a core driving force for promoting international cooperation in today's world, which is undergoing changes unseen in a century. The essence of this force is the responsibility to closely link the destiny of the nation with the future of humanity, the wisdom to build consensus in a complex landscape, and the historical initiative to lead global change.

历史长河奔腾不息，它所承载的经验与智慧如同璀璨的星辰，照亮了现实的道路。中国共产党在世界反法西斯战争中展现的重要作用，在世界百年未有之大变局的今天，依然是推动国际合作的核心动力。这一力量的本质是将民族命运与人类前途紧密联结的担当，是在复杂格局中凝聚共识的智慧，更是引领全球变革的历史主动。

From history to reality, the important role of the Chinese Communist Party has always been embodied in the unity of concept and practice. During the War of Resistance, the Chinese Communist Party closely integrated "saving the Chinese nation from subjugation and ensuring its survival" with the "World Anti-Fascist War," winning international respect for China. Today, the Chinese Communist Party's proposal to "build a community with a shared future for mankind" is precisely the continuation of this concept in the new era. From the Boao Forum for Asia to the expansion of the BRICS, the international cooperation promoted by China is no longer a copy of "Western-centrism" but allows the voices of developing countries to enter the core of global governance — this is consistent with the practice of the Chinese Communist Party in breaking the imperialist camp's division and uniting colonial and semi-colonial forces back then, demonstrating its important role in leading international cooperation in the New Era.

从历史到现实，中国共产党的重要作用始终体现在理念与实践的统一中。抗战时期，中国共产党将“中华民族救亡图存”与“世界反法西斯战争” 紧密结合，为中国赢得国际尊重；今天，中国共产党提出“构建人类命运共同体”，正是这一理念的时代延续。从博鳌亚洲论坛到金砖国家扩员，中国推动的国际合作不再是“西方中心主义”的复制，而是让发展中国家的声音进入全球治理核心——这与当年中国共产党打破帝国主义阵营割裂、凝聚殖民地半殖民地力量的实践一脉相承，彰显了新时代引领国际合作的重要作用。

The Belt and Road Initiative, based on the principle of "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits," links China's development with the interests of participating countries. This is essentially connected to the world anti-fascist united front promoted by the Chinese Communist Party during the War of Resistance: both use an open and inclusive attitude to build the greatest common ground and use concrete actions to solve global challenges.

“一带一路”倡议以“共商共建共享”为原则，将中国发展与共建国家利益相联结。这与抗战时期中国共产党推动的世界反法西斯统一战线在本质上是相通的：都是以开放包容的姿态凝聚最大公约数，以实际行动破解全球性挑战。

Looking back at the past, we draw strength from the sparks in the caves of Yan'an, witnessing the tenacious struggle of the Chinese Communist Party in difficult times. Now, as we look back on that glorious period, we are even more convinced of the correctness of this historical experience. Looking to the future, we are advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, a major international cooperation initiative proposed by the Chinese Communist Party in the context of the New Era. It is not only an important platform for China's opening up but also a significant measure to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The Chinese Communist Party will continue to uphold the concept of peaceful development, work with countries around the world to jointly address global challenges such as climate change, war, and poverty, promote an open world economy, and promote the continuous improvement of the global governance system. In short, on the great journey of building a community with a shared future for mankind, the Chinese Communist Party will continue to play its core leadership role, unite all forces, and jointly write a new chapter of the united front.

回望过去，我们从延安窑洞的星火中汲取力量，见证了中国共产党在艰苦岁月中的坚韧奋斗。如今，我们回望那段光辉岁月，更加坚信这一历史经验的正确性。面向未来，我们正在推进“一带一路”倡议，这是中国共产党在新时代背景下提出的重大国际合作倡议，它不仅是中国对外开放的重要平台，更是推动构建人类命运共同体的重要举措。中国共产党将继续秉持和平发展理念，与世界各国一道，共同应对气候变化、战争、贫困等全球性挑战，推动构建开放型世界经济，推动全球治理体系的至臻完善。总之，在构建人类命运共同体的伟大征程上，中国共产党将继续发挥核心领导作用，凝聚各方力量，共同书写统一战线的新华章。

(The author is a professor at the School of History and Culture, Shanxi University)

（作者系山西大学历史文化学院教授）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧