Editor's Note

Abstract

The Sixth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party is unique in that it was held in Moscow under the direct supervision of the Communist International. Many materials concerning it are known, yet one important document does not seem to have attracted sufficient attention. This is Nikolai Bukharin's speech at the Congress, presumably delivered in Russian, then translated and first published in Chinese in book form in April 1929 (publication place unknown). It is entitled "The Chinese Revolution and the Tasks of the Chinese Communists" [Chung-kuo ke-ming yü Chung-kung te jen-wu], and subtitled "An International Delegate's Political Report to the Sixth Congress of the Chinese Party" [Kuo-chi tai-piao tsai Chung-kuo tang ti-liu-tz'u ta-hui shang te cheng-chih pao-kao]. Though the book indicates no author's name, through a careful comparison of its content with references in various relevant sources to Bukharin's speech at the Congress and with Bukharin's other writings and speeches, as well as through personal interviews with two men who attended the Congress, we feel sure about our identification. The importance of this document cannot be exaggerated. Not only does it reflect Bukharin's views of the Chinese revolution, but also, because of his stature in the Comintern, provided the general theoretical framework for the resolutions passed by the Congress. It may also be of some interest to students of Soviet Russian history, for as far as we know, the Chinese translation is the only extant version of the speech. The text is marred occasionally by vagueness in meaning and lack of precision. However, in view of its significance, we have translated the document in full and have used our best judgment in interpreting obscure points.