Mao Zedong: The Imperialists are afraid of the Third World

 (This is my translation of Chairman Mao's discussions with two African leaders that appears on p. 35 of Vol 51 of the Complete Works of Mao Zedong located on the bannedthought.net website - Trans.)

 (July 11, 1970)

The Commonwealth is like a club, and China used to be a member of this club. Britain was okay during the First World War, but after the Second World War, it could no longer care about China and gave it to the United States. So after Japan surrendered, the United States helped Chiang Kai-shek fight us. And we were called Communist "bandits", different from ordinary bandits, we were Communist "bandits". In this way, we were not qualified to join the United Nations. How could "bandits" join the United Nations? We also thought about it, our country is also a United Nations! It's okay for me not to go to your United Nations! Imperialism is not happy with us. Whether it's your two presidents or us, we don't really meet their expectations. So what can we do? You didn't inform Britain and the United States when you came to Beijing, right?

In fact, the imperialists in the world are not having a good time now. They are afraid of the Third World, and they are afraid of you as well as us. We must get rid of superstition and stop believing in imperialism. Of course, I am not saying that the people of imperialist countries must oppose it, nor am I saying that we cannot learn the technology of imperialist countries. What I am saying is that we must get rid of the superstition of imperialist politics and their deception. It is not easy to get rid of this superstition of imperialism, which is deeply rooted in some people. You see, imperialism is so great, they have so many atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs, planes flying everywhere, navies running everywhere, and occupying other countries everywhere, such as the United States sending troops to Cambodia. But their method is the method of the old imperialist Britain. Didn't Britain occupy everywhere? Now it is more obedient.

[1] This is part of Mao Zedong’s conversation with the Tanzanian and Zambian government delegations.