China's 'Marriage of Convenience':

...Thus, just as Sun's own pragmatic solution to maintaining power by acceptance of Soviet aid paved the way for the success of the "united front," so too the vagueness of his writings have contributed to further Communist gains...

...Sun's allegiance to traditional Chinese philosophy and various aspects of Western thought prevented any fusion on basic principles...

...Such difficult problems as the fate of Outer Mongolia and Chinese Communist infiltration precluded a firm ideological union and the alliance remained "a marriage of convenience...

...Even though Sun himself often identified his ideas with Communism, he actually meant a "pre-Marxian" or Utopian ideology rather than any later variety...

...These differences are particularly apparent in the respective approaches of Sun and the Communists to questions of the interpretation of history or of nationalism versus internationalism...

...When Moscow responded with preliminary recognition, the path naturally led to the 1923 Sun-Joffe Declaration and the "Yung Kung" policy of admitting Chinese Communists to membership in the Kuomintang...

...Sun's ideology has been equated with Communism for two related reasons: First, since his thought lacks systemization, the interpreter has difficulty in ascertaining any precise meaning...

...The book stresses the genuineness of Sun's first overtures to the West and his subsequent disappointment with its failure to support his regime...

...While it must be pointed out that they consistently refer to various "brands" of Communism, thus largely overlooking the flexibility inherent in the dialectical processes and systematized in the theory of separate roads, the study is one which is generally wellarticulated, scholarly and accurately objective...

...Sun was a confirmed nationalist, but Communism in China has always been strongly orientated to internationalism...

...Sun's first approach to the Soviet Union, the authors believe, was largely rooted in political expediency...

...As events proved, Sun was strongly influenced by Soviet methods, tactics and organization...

...The chief contribution of Sun Yatsen and Communism is the authors' well-reasoned conclusions, reinforced throughout by penetrating analysis...

...Second, the Chinese Communists, quick to see the advantage, have consistently manipulated and distorted Sun Yat-senism to gain wider acceptance for their own ideology...

...Yet, as the authors clearly point out, Sun never reconciled his own ideology to Marxism-Leninism...

...By clearing up some semantic confusions, the book also demonstrates important differences in theories of revolution, types of land reform, general economic policies and political systems...

...It is gratifying to note that Leng and Palmer have made use of the work of men like Maurice Williams fan early Western associate and advisor of Sun Yat-sen's), who has long maintained a lonely struggle, as well as the many recent related studies...

...The authors conclude that "in ideological terms the differences between Sun Yat-senism and Communism are far more significant than the similarities...

...Reviewed by Peter S. H. Tang Professor of Government, Georgetown University...

...author, "Communist China Today" Professors Shao Chuan Leng and Norman D. Palmer have combined their expert knowledge of the Far East in producing this well-documented, penetrating analysis of the nature of Sun Yat-sen's thought and its relationship to Communist ideology and practice...

...Seeking to clarify the many inconsistencies of "Sun Yatsenism," the book provides answers to such troublesome questions as the causes of Sun's Soviet alliance and his role in preparing China for eventual Communist control...

...As China's "first true nationalist" he identified his aspirations with those of the Bolsheviks and developed a respect for their revolutionary successes...

...While it is regrettable that no Bussian language sources were included, the bibliographical inclusion of numerous Oriental language sources is of considerable value...