Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T18:53:51.917Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Great Powers and Atomic Bombs are “Paper Tigers”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Ralph L. Powell
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In terms of Western political science or military doctrine it seems somewhat irrational that the leaders of Communist China should refer to great powers as “paper tigers.” It appears even more illogical that they should call atomic bombs “paper tigers,” especially when they themselves place the highest priority on the development of a nuclear capability. Yet, since the first Chinese nuclear explosion on October 16, 1964, the official Communist Press has again referred to the United States, Great Britain and the “revisionists” (both Khrushchev and the present leaders of the Soviet Union) as “paper tigers.” This same metaphor has also been applied to “imperialism” and “all reactionaries,” as well as to nuclear weapons, air-power and sea-power.

Type
Research Article
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 23 , September 1965 , pp. 55 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © The China Quarterly 1965

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 For examples, see Peking Review, Vol. 17, No. 42, 10 16, 1964 (Special Supplement), p. iiGoogle Scholar, and No. 48, November 27, 1964, pp. 8–9; Survey of China Mainland Press (SCMP) (Hong Kong: U.S. Consulate General), No. 3387, 01 28, 1965, p. 29Google Scholar; No. 3388, January 29, 1965, p. 28, and No. 3412, March 9, 1965, pp. 35–36.

2 See Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1961), Vol. IV, p. 100 and note, pp. 98–99Google Scholar; Strong, Anna L., Dawn Out of China (Bombay: People's Publishing House, 1948), p. 155Google Scholar, and by the same author, “Reminiscences on Interview with Chairman Mao Tse-tung,” Peking Review, No. 48, 11 29, 1960, pp. 13–17Google Scholar. Mao's statement that imperialism is a “paper tiger” is a more picturesque version of Lenin's view that imperialism is a “colossus with feet of clay.” See More on the Differences Between Comrade Togliatti and Us (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1963), pp. 144–145Google Scholar.

3 “On Protracted War,” Selected Military Writings of Mao Tse-tung (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1963), pp. 217–218Google Scholar; Imperialism and All Reactionaries are Paper Tigers (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1958), pp. 15–16Google Scholar.

4 “Slighting the Enemy Strategically and Taking Full Account of Him Tactically,” Hung-ch'i (Red Flag), No. 19, 10 1960Google Scholar, in Selections from China Mainland Magazine (SCMM) (Hong Kong: American Consulate General), No. 231, p. 3Google Scholar.

5 Sunday Times (London), 02 14, 1965Google Scholar.

6 See Imperialism and All Reactionaries are Paper Tigers, pp. 3–4, 6, 13, 17 and 21; Yao-ch'un, Yen, “The Economic Roots of U.S. Imperialist Policy …,” Red Flag, No. 2, 01 16, 1961, SCMM, No. 247, p. 8Google Scholar; “On Man Is the Primary Factor,” Red Flag, No. 10, 05 23, 1964, SCMM, No. 422, p. 3Google Scholar.

7 Imperialism and All Reactionaries are Paper Tigers, p. 3.

8 Ya-lou, Liu, “Seriously Study Mao Tse-tung's Military Thinking,” Chieh-fang Chun Pao (Liberation Army Daily), 05 23, 1958, SCMP, No. 1900, pp. 9–10Google Scholar.

9 Piao, Lin, “Hold High the Red Banner of the Party's General Line …,” New China News Agency (NCNA), 09 29, 1959, Current Background (CB), No. 596, p. 8Google Scholar; “Man is the Factor Which Decides the Outcome of War,” Chung-kuo Ch'ing-nien (China Youth), 10 29, 1960, SCMP, No. 2422, pp. 3 and 5Google Scholar; “Man Is the Decisive Factor of Victory or Defeat in War,” Chung-kuo Ch'ing-nien, 10 29, 1961, Union Research Service (URS), Vol. 22, No. 19, pp. 297 and 300Google Scholar.

10 SCMP, No. 2422, p. 3; Radio Kunming, November 25, 1964; “Jen-min Jih-pao (People's Daily) Greets Anniversary of South Vietnam National Liberation Front,” NCNA, December 20, 1964, SCMP, No. 3364, p. 31.

11 “Man Is the Factor Which Decides the Outcome of War,” p. 3.

12 Selected Works of Mao, Vol. IV, pp. 100–101; Red Flag Commentator, , “Man's Role Is Decisive,” Peking Review, No. 39, 09 25, 1964, pp. 17–18Google Scholar; “Imperialism and All Reactionaries Are Paper Tigers,” Evergreen (Peking), No. 2, 04 1965, p. 15Google Scholar.

13 “Man's Role Is Decisive,” p. 18.

14 “Man's Role Is Decisive,” p. 18; also “On Man Is the Primary Factor,” p. 3.

15 “Lyndon Johnson's Gangster Language,” People's Daily editorial, NCNA (Hong Kong), 02 11, 1965, p. 8Google Scholar, or SCMP, No. 3397, p. 36.

16 “Reminiscences on Interview with Chairman Mao Tse-tung,” p. 17; “Chinese Government Spokesman Issues Statement,” NCNA, September 1, 1963, CB, No. 712, pp. 9–10; ”Two Different Lines on the Question of War and Peace,” NCNA, November 18, 1963, or Peking Review, No. 47, 11 22, 1963, p. 13Google Scholar; “Chairman Liu Shao-chi's Speech at Pyongyang Mass Rally,” NCNA, September 19, 1963, p. 26; More on the Differences Between Comrade Togliatti and Us, pp. 72–74.

17 See NCNA, September 1, 1963, CB, No. 712, pp. 1–4 and 10; NCNA, August 15, 1963; NCNA, September 19, 1963, pp. 24–25; Washington Post, December 8, 1963, p. A29.

18 “Two Different Lines on the Question of War and Peace,” p. 13.

19 “Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China,” Peking Review, No. 42, 10 16, 1964 (Special Supplement), pp. ii–iiiGoogle Scholar, or SCMP, No. 3322, p. 2; see also Yun-cheng, Liu, “The Role of People's Militia,” Peking Review, No. 6, 02 5, 1965, p. 19Google Scholar.

20–21 People's Daily, editorial, October 22, 1964, Peking Review, No. 44, 1964, p. 5Google Scholar, or SCMP, No. 3325, p. 22.

22 See Powell, Ralph L., Politico-Military Relationships in Communist China, U.S. Department of State, Washington, 1963, pp. 19–20Google Scholar; see also Hsieh, Alice L., “China's Secret Military Papers,” China Quarterly, No. 18, 04–06 1964, pp. 79–99CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

23 Ta-t'ung, Kuan, “The Situation and Our Policy, etc.,” Chung-kuo Ch'ing-nien, No. 20, 10 16, 1960, SCMM, No. 235, p. 5Google Scholar; see also Selected Works of Mao, Vol. 4, p. 98, note.

24 For examples, see Chieh-fang Chun Pao, 08 1, 1958, SCMP, No. 1881, p. 2Google Scholar; “Man Is the Factor Which Decides the Outcome of War,” pp. 2–3; More on the Differences Between Comrade Togliatti and Us, pp. 138 and 143.

25 Tu, Sung, “Answers to Readers' Queries on War and Peace,” Chung-kuo Ch'ingnien, No. 4, 02 16, 1960Google Scholar, Excerpts from China Mainland Magazines (ECMM), No. 207, p. 6.

26 Imperialism and All Reactionaries are Paper Tigers, p. 3.

27 More on the Differences Between Comrade Togliatti and Us, pp. 83 and 143; “Chinese Government Spokesman Issues Statement,” pp. 7–8; “The Historical Experience of War against Fascism,” People's Daily editorial, 05 9, 1965, NCNA, Peking, May 8, 1965Google Scholar.

28 “Liu Ning-yi Speaks at Hanoi International Conference,” NCNA, Hanoi, , 11 27, 1964, SCMP, No. 3348, p. 36Google Scholar; “Peking Mayor Speaks at Mass Rally Welcoming Tanzanian President,” NCNA, 02 20, 1965, SCMP, No. 3404, p. 29Google Scholar; Ching, Chang, “How to View the Enemy's Opposition,” Red Flag, No. 2, 02 27, 1965, SCMM, No. 462, p. 9Google Scholar.

29 “On Man As the Primary Factor,” p. 2.

30 “Slighting the Enemy Strategically and Taking Full Account of Him Tactically,” pp. 3, 5–6.

31 Imperialism and All Reactionaries Are Paper Tigers, p. 27.

32 Selected Works of Mao, Vol. IV, note on pp. 98–99; Piao, Lin, “The Victory of the Chinese People's Revolutionary War …” Red Flag, No. 19, 10 1, 1960, SCMM, No. 231, p. 13Google Scholar.

33 Current Digest of the Soviet Press, Vol. 14, No. 52, 01 28, 1963, p. 3Google Scholar.