CO129-619-1 Parliamentary delegation to China 1-9-1947 - 23-12-1947 — Page 86

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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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