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CONFIDENTIAL
3.
Summary of Recent Chinose Political Developments
1. For the background to recent political
developments in China, it is necessary to go back to
the year 1928, whon, after years of internal
dissension during which China was ruled by a number of
warlords each exercising virtual autonomy in his own
particular region, the Kuomintang or Nationalist Party
achieved supremacy and estabishod a National Governmont
at Nanking which was accorded recognition by the foreign
Powers.
2.
The form of Government established in 1928
(described in detail in a separate section) prevailed
virtually unchanged until this year. It was a one-
party government, modelled largely on the Soviet
committee system, with supreme direction wielded by
the Kuomintang, and lending itself to a dictatorial or
totalitarian form of administration. It had no mandate
from the people, but claimed that it would remain in
power only long enough to enable the people to be
trained for self-government.
At the end of this period,
known as the period of political tutelage, the
Kuomintang would relinquish its powers to the people,
who would then, through their delegates to a National
Assembly, approve a constitution and inaugurate full
constitutional Government.
3. The Japanese war interrupted the preparations,
which were alrondy in hand in 1936, for the inauguration
of constitutional government. During that war, the
Kuomintang came under increasing pressure from the
Communists and other opposition elements in China to
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