Today in History

Feb 22, 1974: The division of the three worlds

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-02-22 17:53

Feb 22, 1952: The Government Administration Council passes an "implementation outline for regional autonomy of ethnic groups of the People’s Republic of China"

According to the resolution of the enlarged meeting of the Central Political Bureau in February, the "Implementation Outline" was passed on the basis of summing up the working experience in national ethnic group areas. On Aug 8, the Central People's Government Committee approved the "Implementation Outline", and published it on Aug 9. The "Implementation Outline" clearly states: the autonomous regions of ethic groups are inalienable parts of Chinese territory. An autonomous organ of the autonomous region is a local government under the leadership of the Central People's Government, and led by the superior people's government.

Feb 22, 1974: The division of the three worlds

On Feb 22, 1974 Chairman Mao Zedong set forth his strategic thinking of the division of the three worlds while he met with Zambia's President Kaunda. He observed, "In my view, the United States and the Soviet Union belong to the first world. Japan, Europe and Canada belong to the second world. The third world is very populous. Except Japan, Asia belongs to the third world. So does the whole of Africa and Latin America". As a member of the third world, China firmly supported the third world countries in their struggles against hegemony and struggles waged by countries of the second world against interference and control by the super-powers. At the 6th Special Session of the UN General Assembly held in April 1974, Deng Xiaoping expounded the strategic thinking of Mao Zedong on the division of the three worlds. Deng Xiaoping also expressed that China was a socialist country, a developing nation, and it belonged to the third world. The Chinese Government and people firmly supported all the oppressed peoples and nations in their just struggles. He declared that China was not and would never be a super-power in the future.