New Three Principles of the People

According to the CCP's interpretation of Sun Yat-sen's speech during the congress, the specific content of the New Three Principles of the People consists of:

1. Nationalism (Minzu): A united nationalism that opposes imperialism, feudalism, and warlord interference, seeking the complete liberation of the nation through the Northern Expedition.
2. Democracy (Mianquan): An advanced form of democracy that utilizes the experience and assistance of the October Revolution to establish a National Revolutionary Army. Through the "Three Great Policies" (Alliance with Russia, alliance with the CCP, and support for workers and peasants), it aimed to sweep away warlords, establish constitutionalism, and pursue equality for all classes, ensuring that the right to vote is not monopolized by the bourgeoisie.
3. Livelihood (Minsheng): The establishment of socialism by supporting the working class and peasantry. This involves the equalization of land rights , regulation of capital, and the "Land to the Tiller" program, alongside the creation of state-owned enterprises to elevate the status of workers and peasants in political participation.

The CCP argues that the New Three Principles were a reinterpretation based on the "Three Great Policies" (Alliance with the Soviet Union, Alliance with the CCP, and Assistance to Peasants and Workers) established by Sun Yat-sen in collaboration with Soviet envoy Mikhail Borodin. In his 1940 work On New Democracy, Mao Zedong stated: "Sun Yat-sen reinterpreted the Three Principles of the People in the Manifesto of the First National Congress of the Kuomintang in January 1924... the Three Principles of the People in the new period of revolution are the Three Principles of the Three Great Policies." The CCP considers the New Three Principles as the fundamental basis for the KMT-CCP cooperation. In his book China's Destiny (中國之命運), Chiang Kai-shek refuted the CCP's division of the Principles into "Old" and "New."

Historical background

At the time, Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary activities lacked the international support they once received from capitalist nations. Following the Chen Jiongming incident, Sun was in urgent need of external assistance. Simultaneously, the Soviet Union was internationally isolated after the communist revolution and was seeking a diplomatic breakthrough. Finding that other warlords such as Wu Peifu and Zhang Zuolin refused to cooperate, the Soviets turned to Sun Yat-sen. A cooperation agreement was proposed, which required Sun to accept the Chinese Communist Party. Sun agreed to this principle, believing he could maintain control over the situation.

In his 1924 lectures on the Three Principles of the People, Sun stated: "The Principle of Livelihood is socialism, also known as communism; it is the Great Harmony (Datong)."

The "Three Great Policies" were first proposed by Mikhail Borodin. Subsequently, a special meeting of the CCP Central Committee formalized the alliance with Russia, the admission of communists into the KMT, and assistance to peasants and workers as the Three Great Policies. During the Wuhan Plenum in March 1927, Borodin and the CCP initiated a move against Chiang Kai-shek, using the slogan "Enhance party power" to strip Chiang of his chairmanship during the Northern Expedition.

Mao Zedong's interpretation

On January 9, 1940, Mao Zedong delivered a speech titled "Politics and Culture of New Democracy" (later retitled On New Democracy). Mao argued: "The revolutionary Three Principles of the People of the new period, the New Three Principles or Genuine Three Principles, are those of the Three Great Policies... Without the Three Great Policies, it is a pseudo-Three Principles." Mao believed that the leadership of the Chinese revolution would inevitably pass from the national bourgeoisie (KMT) to the proletariat (CCP).

1. Nationalism: While the "Old" nationalism focused on "Anti-Qing" Han chauvinism, the "New" nationalism emphasized opposition to imperialism.
2. Democracy: It shifted from abstract notions of "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity" to advocating for universal and equal civil rights.
3. Livelihood: Moving beyond the mere "equalization of land rights," it introduced methods for the regulation of capital and recognized the "Land to the Tiller" policy to improve the lives of workers and peasants.