Sun Yat-sen, Fundamentals of National Reconstruction, China Cultural Service, Taipei 1953
Introduction: the document presents in 25 articles the revolutionary program of Sun Yat-sen, composed of three main stages: a military government, a transitional state of political tutelage, and a stage of national constitutional government. Pii The period of tutelage was thought necessary to counter the inexperience of the masses, which would lead to the ideological claim that it would be better to leave warlords/elites control. “train the people in the rights and duties of citizenship and … prepare them both intellectually and economically for the practice of democracy.” P v. This would be achieved by setting up local self-governments.
I. Statement on fundamentals of National Reconstruction, April 1924:
Failure of the 1911 revolution to create a republic, put China as the equal of foreign nations, and better people’s welfare. P1 The aim of the (real) revolution is the implementation of the Three Principles of the People, and this will be beneficial only if implemented in a certain way, i.e. through stages of military, tutelage, and constitutional government. P2 Of these, the 1911 revolution has only been able to achieve the removal of the dynasty.
The two first stages are necessary to the success of the last one: force is necessary to remove reactionary forces, while tutelage is necessary so that the majority of people realizes the importance of their new activity, and that they don’t let themselves be “used as tools of reaction.” P3
In the view of the failure of the 1911 revolution, here are the necessary steps to achieve the revolutionary goal: self-governments must be set-up on a district level, based on popular rights, and expand up to the provincial level. When this is achieved, “people, trained as they have been in local government, can participate in national affairs.” P6
II. Fundamentals of National Reconstruction for the National Government of China:
Goals: a republic based on the san min chu (three principles of the people) and wu chan hsienfa (the five-power constitution).
Priority of people’s livelihood, the gov should develop ways to meet people’s needs, which are “food, clothing, shelter and means of travel”. P9
People’s sovereignty.
Nationalism: “resist foreign aggression” and break unequal treaties.
During the stage of military rule, administration should be under the military, and force used to eliminate obstacles and spread the revolutionary principles “so that people may be enlightened and national unification hastened.” P10 (hegemony?)
Period of tutelage: establishing of local self-governments with the help of persons qualified, with the aim of setting a district with universal census, maintained roads, local defense forces, and citizens performing their duties and following the revolutionary principles.
Citizens’ rights are: “suffrage, recall, initiative, and referendum.” P11
Taxes on private land by the local government.
All taxes on land, forests, water, etc… go the local-gov which will use them for welfare and meeting “public needs.” P12
When external capital is needed to develop resources or industry it should be provided by the central government.
A percentage of local gov income is to be allocate to central government expenses.
Every district elects one representative to participate in the national assembly.
Officials can only hold posts after passing exams of the central government.
When all districts of a province have achieved self-government, the province can enter the stage of constitutional government, and have a provincial governor elected.
Provincial-central relations: “matter which, by nature, require uniform action on the part of the nation shall be assigned to the central government; matters which … should be dealt with locally shall be assigned to the local government.” P14
Constitutional stage: central government with five powers: executive, legislative, judicial, examination, censorship.
The presidents of these five sectors are appointed, removed and directed by the President of the National Government during the transitional stage.
The legislative yuan should design a draft constitution, to be examined by the People’s congress when half of the provinces have reached the constitutional stage.
Once the constitution promulgated, the People’s Congress will exercise administrative and executive functions: “election and recall” of officials of central gov, “initiative and referendum” of laws.