CO129-619-1 Parliamentary delegation to China 1-9-1947 - 23-12-1947 — Page 89

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Soviet connivance, occupied Kirin, Changchun and Harbin. The Soviots also left behind large quantitios of Japanese arms which fell into Communist hands. Changchun was later recaptured by the Contral Government, and still remains, although precariously, in their hands, representing the northern-most limit of Central

Government control in Manchuria.

8. The Communist attitude bogan to stiffon about

this time to such an extent as to cast doubts upon their desire for any compromise. This in turn encouraged the die-hards among the Kuomintang, and it was finally announced by the Contral Government that the National

Assembly, tho convocation of which had been postponed

from May 5th, 1946 would meet, with or without the

Communists, on November 12th, 1946. The Contral

Government forces made considerable territorial gains in

Manchuria and on October 16th, after a series of offers

for ronowal of negotiations, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek

issued an eight-point programme which all parties except

the Communists considered to reprosent a reasonable

basis of compromise. The Communists continued obdurate,

and the National Assembly finally met on November 15th,

without their participation, but with the participation

of certain left-wing minority partios which had at the

last moment boen weaned from their alliance with the

Communists.

9. The National Assembly passed China's new

Constitution on December 25th, 1946, and it will como

into force on December 25th, 1947. Despite a number of

possible loopholes for dictatorial action, it may be

regarded as a democratic and workable blueprint for the

/ China