Arriving in Guangzhou from Russia in December 1923 as the Indonesian representative of the Red International of Trade Unions (Profintern) in the Far East as well as Communist International (Comintern) delegate for Southeast Asia — Tan Malaka, also participated in the Transport Workers of the Pacific Conference held in the southern Chinese city in June 1924. Drawing in an assembly of delegates from China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the Conference assigned Malaka as editor of a proposed multilingual bulletin, The Dawn. With both the ‘Canton Conference’ and The Dawn largely neglected in the literature, this article seeks to advance research on this subject with reference to hitherto neglected Comintern archives, especially addressing the Profintern-in-Asia theme as well as Tan Malaka’s special role prior to and just subsequent to his exit to the Philippines where he carried on with the support of local labour leaders.