168 Mao Zedong Yufeng Xia 169 that were willing to carry out violent revolution.The Chinese gov- Since the Sino-Soviet split,Mao's categorization of the 'intermediate ernment invited their representatives to China,introducing them to zone'had expanded.He began to reassess the changing balance of power Chinese revolutionary experiences,such as the rural area encircling between the two opposing blocs.He started to accept the wording of the cities,setting up a separate regime by force of arms,strategies and "Third World',frequently mixing up the two concepts.For example,on tactics of guerrilla warfare.In addition to providing funds and materi- 28 September 1963,he proposed at the CCP Central Committee work als,the Chinese also established special military institutes for foreign conference,'I think there are two intermediate zones,one is Asia,Africa revolutionarles who secretly came to China to learn tactics of armed and Latin America;the other Europe.'Mao claimed that neither Japan struggle and violent revolution.30 As China could offer very limited nor Canada was satisfied with the United States.He also mentioned economic assistance or advanced military equipment,its effort during that relations between the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries the 1960s and 1970s to shape the Third World into a third force in were tense.3 In January 1964,Mao told a group of Japanese visitors that international politics opposed to both of the two superpowers largely The United States and the Soviet Union own nuclear weapons.They failed. attempt to dominate the whole world.'as He maintained that there were Mao's world revolution ideal meant that he used ideological standards two 'Third Worlds':The first third world refers to Asia,Africa and Latin to interpret state-to-state relations.Thus,the territorial factor in China's America;the second third world refers to a group of highly developed relations with its neighbours was only an appendage to international capitalist countries,even some imperialist countries mainly in Western class struggle.For example,when discussing Sino-Indian border con- Europe.'Mao's two 'Third Worlds'concept evolved from his 'two inter- flicts with the delegation of the Indian Communist Party(ICP)leftists on mediate zones'terminology.Mao even drew a clear distinction between 13 December 1967,Mao indicated that he didn't really want to acquire East European countries and the Soviet Union.He also openly separated the 90,000 square kilometres of disputed land with India.However, China from the Sovlet bloc.Mao said,'There are 13 countries in the because India was an imperialist,feudalist and bureaucratic capitalist socialist bloc.Khrushchev doesn't have majority support.3 government,China had to fight for every inch of the land.China had Mao was not able to clearly distinguish the intermediate zone from been using dilatory tactics in dealing with this issue.Mao claimed that the category of class and revolution.In a conversation with a French Par- If the ICP leftists come to power and establish revolutionary people's liamentary delegation on 30 January 1964,Mao pointed out that there government,China would sign a treaty with them and return all the was similarity between China and France although France believed in land south of the McMahon Line to them.' capitalism,while China was a socialist country.Mao said,'Whether it is a capitalist or socialist country,no matter who wants to control us,we Two intermediate zones-to expand the international united will oppose them...'This is the first time that Mao referred to China as a front Third World country.Mao stated,'Haven't you talked about setting up a "third world"?If the "third world"consists of only France,it won't do. In the 1960s,Mao came to realize there were significant divergences [You should]unite whole Europe...to expand the "third world"from and contradictions among Western countries,for example Great Britain, London,Paris to China and Japan.'37 Besides,Mao gave more attention France and the United States.As part of the united front strategy,Mao to worldwide revolutions driven by revolutionary parties.Thus,during attempted to distinguish those countries from the United States,viewing this period,he usually regarded the 'intermediate zone'as an indirect them as a part of the intermediate zone.32 In a meeting with Yasui Kaoru, ally of anti-imperialist revolution. the chairman of the Japanese Association for the Prevention of Atomic As the concept of the Third World'had a specific implication,Mao and Hydrogen Bombs,in January 1962,Mao stated,The Socialist bloc is used the formulation of the intermediate forces in 1970,declaring 'the one side,the United States is the other...Everybody else belongs to the first intermediate force is the third world'while England,France and intermediate zone.But the nature of these countries in the intermediate Germany and many others are the 'second intermediate force'.38 As he zone is very different.'Mao claimed that most people of former colonial- clearly identified the United States and the Soviet Union as the nations ist powers,such as England,France,Belglum,Holland,West Germany to oppose and struggle against,such a formulation constituted the and Japan,could be'indirect allies of the people'.3 embryonic form of Mao's theory of 'three worlds