Sun Yat-sen

The greatest force is common blood. The Chinese belong to the yellow race because they come from the blood stock of the yellow race.

Mankind is divided into five races. The yellow and white races are relatively strong and intelligent. Because the other races are feeble and stupid, they are being exterminated by the white race. Only the yellow race competes with the white race. This is so-called evolution....Among the contemporary races that could be called superior, there are only the yellow and the white races. China is [i.e., belongs to] the yellow race.

We should recognize that nationalism does not mean discriminating against people of a different nationality. It simply means not allowing such people to seize our political power, for only when we Han are in control politically do we have a nation.

We can learn something from Marxist thinking, but we cannot follow Marxist methods.

Our position is extremely perilous; if we do not earnestly promote nationalism and weld together our four hundred millions into a strong nation, we face a tragedy - the loss of our country and the destruction of our race.

The Chinese people have only family and clan groups; there is no national spirit. Consequently, in spite of four hundred million people gathered together in one China, we are, in fact, but a sheet of loose sand.

If, when we achieve the aims of our revolution, the Manchus do not oppose us or do us harm, there will be no reason for us to fight against them.

Formerly, the battle-cry of the revolution was the overthrow of the Manchu Dynasty. Henceforth, it will be the overthrow of the intervention of foreign imperialism in China.

In the construction of a country, it is not the practical workers but the idealists and planners that are difficult to find.

Revolution is usually a bloody affair. Our Revolution of 1911 did not shed much blood because our people are a peace-loving people. This peace-loving quality is the greatest virtue of the Chinese.

Everyone knows that the Russian revolution came after China, but its success preceded China. Its extraordinary achievements are truly unprecedented in the history of world revolution. The reason why it has reached this point is actually due to the personal struggle of its leader, Mr. [Lenin].

The Chinese people have only family and clan solidarity; they do not have national spirit. Therefore, a swarm of loose sand is used to describe the Chinese people. What is loose sand? It is a heap of sand which has no cohesion. When the Chinese people are compared to a heap of loose sand, it is certainly no compliment.

If we want to restore our national position, besides uniting all the great groups of our nation into a great national body, we must first revive our ancient morality. What is our ancient morality? It is loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, love, faithfulness, righteousness, harmony, and peace. These eight virtues are the foundation of Chinese morality.

China has been under the control of foreign imperialism for a long time. The foreign powers have divided China into spheres of influence, and they are trying to carve up China like a melon. If we do not resist, China will be destroyed.

The Three Principles of the People are the fundamental principles for the salvation of China. They are Nationalism, Democracy, and the People's Livelihood. Without these three principles, China cannot be saved.

The Chinese people are suffering from three kinds of oppression: the oppression of foreign imperialism, the oppression of the Manchu dynasty, and the oppression of warlords. We must overthrow all these oppressions.

Revolution is not a picnic, not a drawing, not an essay, not a painting, not a carving, not an embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.

To govern the country, we must first govern the people. To govern the people, we must first govern ourselves. If we cannot govern ourselves, how can we govern the country?

The Chinese are a people without a national consciousness. They are like a heap of loose sand. We must bind them together with the cement of nationalism.

The Western powers have been oppressing China for a long time. They have taken our territory, exploited our resources, and humiliated our people. We must resist their aggression and regain our national independence.