1994

1. The CPP conducts its international relations in accordance with the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought and with its policies and decisions regarding the revolutionary struggles of the proletariat and people in the Philippines and the world.

   These principles, policies and decisions are well stressed in the current rectification movement which started in a comprehensive and profound way in 1992. The ten points guiding the rectification movement are relevant to the international relations of the CPP.

2. The following principles guide the CPP in establishing, maintaining and developing relations with any foreign party or parties:
   1. The CPP upholds the principle of independence, equality and noninterference.
   2. The CPP seeks the realization of the principles of mutual support, cooperation and mutual or common benefit.
3. The CPP seeks to develop two possible kinds of relations with other parties:
   1. One is on the basis of ideological and political understanding in accordance with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and proletarian internationalism.
   2. Another is on the basis of anti-imperialist political solidarity on one or more issues at any given time.
4. The CPP favors bilateral relations with foreign parties as the principal form of its international relations. Bilateral relations logically and necessarily follow from the principle and reality of the integrity and independence of the CPP as well as its equality with every foreign party with which it relates. The CPP can better handle its bilateral relations than multilateral ones in ideological and political terms and in the most concrete forms of cooperation.

   The CPP appreciates ideological and political discussions or mainly or simply political discussions in bilateral relations as a way of raising higher the level of common understanding and practical cooperation. It does not expect the complete congruity of views on all issues with parties with which it relates, especially those issues outside of their respective national competence.

   The CPP has the attitude of accumulating points of agreement with the other party in bilateral relations and proceeding with cooperation, while laying aside for study the points of disagreement.

   The CPP does not allow any foreign party with which it has bilateral relations to interfere in its internal affairs as well as in its relations with other parties, whether these relations are bilateral or multilateral.

5. The CPP may enter into multilateral relations in the form of attending conferences, seminars, fora and the like for the following purposes:
   1. To express its own views on issues;
   2. To share its own experiences and views with other parties; and
   3. To promote common understanding and cooperation in ideological-political terms or in terms of anti-imperialist solidarity.

   It is the view of the CPP that all parties that claim to be Marxist-Leninist are in a period of clarifying their Marxist-Leninist and antiimperialist position and developing such position through revolutionary study and practice. In this connection, the CPP appreciates and recognizes as positive development any advances made by a party or group of parties from a previous ideological position.

6. In its multilateral relations, the CPP is firmly guided by the principle of independence, equality and noninterference.
   1. The CPP decides the nature of its own participation or nonparticipation at any time.
   2. In signing a declaration, resolution or any instrument of multilateral understanding or agreement, the CPP follows its own judgment and the principle and method of consensus and unanimity
   3. Any CPP delegation to and any CPP commitment in any kind of multilateral meeting or occasion is subject to the decision of the CPP central leadership.

   The CPP rejects any suggestion that it can be dictated upon or manipulated by any kind of presumptive center, a majority vote of parties within any grouping, any other party's concept of unity or hostile alignment against other parties, patronage or any kind of factor or consideration that violates any of the principles that guide the CPP in international relations.

7. It is our view that there is no single party or group of parties in the world today which can presume itself to be the international center of the proletarian revolution or which can decide what constitutes the unity of the international communist movement other than the express common adherence of parties to Marxism-Leninism.

   We understand why none of the remaining ruling communist or workers' parties has presented itself as the center of the world proletarian revolution. There is the just objection to subordination of one selfdetermining party to another party or a group of other parties on top of the question of objective conditions, subjective factors and the burden of responsibility.

   We recognize the multiplicity of meetings of parties that can gather for study and exchange of experience and views on the basis of ideological, political or geographic affinity. We consider as idealist, futile and counterproductive any effort to impose on these varied meetings or counterpose to them the notion of "international center" or "unity of the international communist movement" from the viewpoint of any single party or any group of parties.

   The CPP is gratified that some of these meetings of parties, previously hostile to each other and contemptuously or conveniently labeling each other as followers of this or that country, are showing an unprecedented degree of willingness to study the full range of the basic principles of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao.

8. The NDF, through the NDF vice-chairman for international relations and its international network of representatives, is authorized to develop protodiplomatic and diplomatic relations and all other relations helpful to fulfilling its diplomatic tasks.

   The NDF is also entrusted with the task of representing the Philippine revolutionary forces and the people's government on the question of negotiations with the Philippine reactionary government and likewise the task of acquiring diplomatic recognition of the status of belligerency, and eventually the recognition of the people's government.

9. The CPP has its own personnel and organization abroad and directs the work of its own personnel in forming Party and mass organizations among overseas Filipinos. There is a distinct necessity and appropriateness for this, especially because of previous shortcomings in this regard.

   At the same time, the CPP agrees that the Party in the host country and its mass organizations by their own efforts can recruit members from among overseas Filipinos and hold consultations with the CPP regarding the background, current work and perspective of such overseas Filipinos. Furthermore, the CPP agrees to allow certain of its members to become dual members of the party in the host country as a result of consultations.

   The CPP makes the following agreement on two grounds:

   1. Membership in a party or mass organization is a matter of individual qualification and choice of the member.
   2. The principle of proletarian internationalism allows the CPP to develop its own personnel and work abroad and likewise allows the party in the host country to involve the overseas Filipinos in the revolutionary struggle where they reside.
10. The best kind of contribution that the CPP can make to the world proletarian revolution is to make advances and when possible to win total victory in the Philippine revolution. In the same vein, the best support that other parties can give to the CPP and the Philippine revolution is to make advances and win victories in their respective revolutionary struggles. The CPP and the Philippine revolution can make advances and win victories only by following and carrying out the principle of selfreliance. The CPP must be able to operate and grow in strength by relying on the membership dues and contributions of its members.

    The Philippine revolution can advance only by relying on the political mobilization of the Filipino people and on the grain and other contributions of the working people who are benefited by revolutionary campaigns, on production by the revolutionary forces, on taxes from certain sections of the population and on confiscation from the enemy. The CPP and other Philippine revolutionary forces are grateful for any necessary and appropriate foreign assistance but are not dependent on it. They must also be vigilant towards its negative effects. Previous experience shows that foreign assistance from the best possible sources abroad to the revolutionary forces as well as from Western funding agencies to so-called NGOs has had some negative effects, aside from the positive effects.

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