First Published: In Beijing Red Flag
(红旗), in
Chinese, No. 22, 16 Nov. 1985, pages 3-7.
Source of the translation: Foreign Broadcast
Information Service, China Report: Red Flag No. 22, 16 Novemeber 1985.
(JPRS-CRF-85-027), 31 December 1985, pages 3-11. A publication of Joint
Publications Research Service, Arlington (VA), USA.
Transcription/HTML/Markup for marxists.org: January
2024.
The recent National Conference of Party Delegates has underscored certain highly important general guidelines of how to build a strong party, improve party leadership, and improve the party's fighting capability so as to provide a powerful political guarantee for the smooth development of the four modernizations and the restructuring of the economic system. Whether or not these important guidelines can be thoroughly understood and grasped is of vital importance for all comrades in our party in our struggle for greater unity in thinking and actions to achieve the great plans. Here, I would like to express my own views on this question.
THE CONFERENCE UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SUCCESSION OF MIDDLE-AGED AND YOUNG CADRES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EMULATING THE OLD COMRADES' HEROIC SPIRIT OF ADHERING TO THE COURSE OF REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE IN SUCCEEDING FROM THE OLD.
This guiding thought was set forth by Comrade Deng Xiaoping in his speech at the conference. He said: As for cadres, "younger age and professional knowledge alone are not enough. To this must be added fine work style. I hope you will serve the people wholeheartedly, go among the masses, and listen to their opinions; dare to speak the truth and oppose falsehood, refrain from seeking undeserved fame, and perform more actual deeds; make a clear distinction between public and private interests and refrain from seeking personal favor at the expense of principle; and appoint people on their merits rather than by favoritism."
With these weighty remarks having profound implications, Comrade Deng Xiaoping has expressed what he expects not just from middle-aged and young cadres, but from all of us, including veteran comrades. In short, as far as succession is concerned, it is of utmost importance that middle-aged and young cadres take over and carry forward the revolutionary spirit of the veteran cadres and comrades and the fine traditions and work style > formed and developed by the party in the course of more than 50 years of revolutionary work. The succession issue should not be considered simply as a succession of new personnel from the old, or a handing over of authority. This is an important guiding thought that we must always adhere to in selecting and appointing middle-aged and young cadres and in making the leading groups younger in average age. This time, in selecting the new CPC Central Committee members and making the CPC Central Committee younger in average age, we have done a good job of carrying out and embodying this guiding thought.
Is it true that in party rectification we must further rectify the leading groups at various levels in light of party ideology, style, discipline, and organization? While looking for young cadres, we must pay attention not only to their age and knowledge, but, above all, to their thinking, work style, and state of mind. These must be examined earnestly and repeatedly.
We must guard against the tendency to pay attention only to age and knowledge, otherwise we will abandon what is most important and fundamental and violate the principle of having both morality and knowledge. If that is done the question of reshuffling the leading groups will not be correctly settled. If that happens, the following will most probably emerge: After the reorganization, the leading groups will become younger and more knowledge-able, but the^ ideology and style of the leaders will not necessarily become correct and fine. If such a situation appears in a department or a unit, it means that the reorganization of the leading group in that department or unit had failed and the way in which the reorganization was carried out was not correct. Party committees at various levels must fully understand this question.
THE CONFERENCE UNDERSCORED THE NEED TO ALWAYS UPHOLD THE FOUR CARDINAL PRINCIPLES IN THE COURSE OF REFORM AND THE FOUR MODERNIZATIONS.
The four cardinal principles are the groundwork of our nation, the guiding principles for our construction, and the political foundation on which people of all nationalities in our country fight in unity. Is this right? I think it is right to say so, and we should understand the four cardinal principles in this way. In the past, when the "leftist" wrong ideology prevailed in our country, the four cardinal principles were seriously distorted. After the 3d Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, we began to bring order out of chaos and correct the "leftist" mistakes in order to carry out radical reforms, restore the four cardinal principles, adhere to them and the Marxist general and specific policies formulated under the guidance of the four principles, and successfully push forward with our country's socialist construction. We remember that soon after the 3d Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, Comrade Deng Xiaoping insisted that all comrades of our party adhere to the four cardinal principles at the theoretical work meeting. Since then, he has repeatedly stressed this point.
At the National Conference of Party Delegates, Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “The purpose of the succession of middle-aged and young cadres is to organizationally guarantee the continuity of our party's policies. What is the continuity of our party's policies? It means that we will not change our foreign and domestic policies, such as the policy of maintaining independence and keeping the initiative in our own hands, the policy of having a democratic and legal system, the policy of opening up to the world, the policy of invigorating the domestic economy, and so on. The four cardinal principles form the basis of all these policies, so we will not change them or hesitate to implement them. If our policies are constantly changing, our society will become a mess. There will be no stability and unity in our country. Economic construction and reform and the development of China will become empty words." These remarks are sincere. With these remarks, Comrade Deng Xiaoping once again warned all the comrades of our party, especially leading comrades at various levels. We should firmly grasp these remarks, not consider them "old remarks," and not turn a deaf ear to them. Repetition of "old remarks" serves a purpose, for this is a fundamental question concerning the overall situation in our party and country and the future development of our socialist cause.
During the 7 years between the 3d Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee and the 5th Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Central Committee, our party and state underwent significant readjustments in internal and external policies and formulated and adopted a series of important policies that reflect educational, scientific, and cultural spheres. It is the implementation of these policies that has guaranteed the smooth development of our building of the four modernizations, enabled the situation in our country to become better and better, and made the present period one of the best and most important periods in our country since the founding of the PRC. All of these important policies, which are based on the four cardinal principles, are specific applications and expressions of these principles in various quarters. Without the guidance of these principles, our policies would not have been possible. Likewise, without the guidance of these principles, policies could not possibly have been implemented correctly. In other words, they would have deviated in the course of implementation. In short, without adhering to the four cardinal principles, it would be impossible to maintain continuity of all Marxist policies, which are based on these principles. At all times and under all circumstances throughout the historical stage of socialism, we must firmly and unequivocally uphold the four cardinal principles until communism has been achieved. Naturally, these cardinal principles must be closely integrated with the practice and activities of the revolution and construction in progress. They must be applied and developed in the course of implementation. Without development, there can be no adherence.
It must be stressed that a great majority of our party members and cadres uphold the four cardinal principles, have strong faith in these principles, and have never wavered under both good and difficult circumstances. However, it must also be acknowledged that under the new historical circumstances, there are indeed some party members and cadres who no longer have firm convictions about the cardinal principles. Some have wavered, while a very few have even openly opposed the cardinal principles. For example, some party members and cadres admire and worship the Western "democracy," "freedom" and life style. They consciously or unconsciously publicize the bourgeois liberal ideology. Thus, we must persist in carrying out education on the four cardinal principles, and the fundamental theories of Marxism among the people, beginning with party members and cadres. Only by so doing can we correct muddled ideas, overcome erroneous thinking, and ensure that our party members, cadres, and people will advance along the right course.
THE CONFERENCE UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING A SOCIALIST SPIRITUAL CIVILIZATION AND OF STRENGTHENING IDEOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL WORK UNDER THE NEW HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
Before the National Conference of Party Delegates was held, in his speech delivered at the Central Party School, Comrade Hu Yaobang said: "It won't
do if we only talk about professional work and do not talk about political and ideological work!'' "And the central task or the core of our political and ideological work is to mobilize the entire party and the broad masses of the workers, peasants, and intellectuals to work hard and contribute to the prosperity of our country and the well-being of our people." Based on the proposal for the Seventh 5-Year Plan and the speeches of the five Standing Committee members of the Political Bureau, the conference underlined the need to vigorously strengthen the building of a socialist spiritual civilization and the need to reinforce ideological-political work. It pointed to the direction, tasks, guidelines, and methods for dealing with this issue.
How does our party exercise leadership? The answer is: It exercises leadership by means of formulating and implementing the party line, principles, and policies, vigorously carrying out ideological and political work, undertaking energetic propaganda and organizational work, and fulfilling an exemplary vanguard role for all party members, party cadres, and the masses. In order to exercise and strengthen the party's leadership over state affairs and society, none of these basic measures and channels can be dispensed with. Relaxing and weakening ideological and political work means relaxing and weakening a very important aspect of the party's leadership. This would seriously hamper the party's exercise of overall leadership. From this perspective, we must understand the vital importance of strengthening ideological and political work and consider its important role in the party's overall work.
Since the 3d Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, we have begun to eliminate the "leftist" influence prevalent in ideological and political work and among the people engaged in this work in the course of setting things right. This is entirely necessary. However, we must not think that because we must correct the "leftist" influence in ideological-political work, we can afford to dispense with ideological-political work or go to the extreme of despising and even negating it. In eliminating the "leftist" influence, we seek to correctly uphold and develop ideological-political work, improve its contents and methods, and enhance its power. There is no intent to relax, weaken, or abandon the work. Any thought of despising and weakening ideological-political work is wrong.
While vigorously building socialist material civilization, we must greatly strengthen the building of socialist spiritual civilization. The two civilizations must be grasped simultaneously. That is a very important guiding principle put forward at the 12th CPC National Congress. Speaking at the National Conference of Party Delegates, Comrade Deng Xiaoping said: "The question of building a socialist spiritual civilization was raised long ago. The central and regional authorities and the Army have done a lot of work. In particular, a large number of advanced persons have emerged from among the masses, and this has had a very good influence. However, considering the country as a whole, we must admit that, so far, the results of our work have not been very satisfactory, namely because it has not had the serious attention of the entire party membership. We exert ourselves for socialism not only because socialism provides conditions for faster development of the forces of production than capitalism, but because only socialism can eliminate the greediness, corruption, and injustice that are inherent in capitalism and other exploiting systems. Production has gone up in recent years. But the pernicious influence of capitalism and feudalism has not been reduced to a minimum. Instead, some evil trends that had been extinct since liberation have come to life. If we fail again to make a quick, decisive change in this situation, how can the superiority of socialism be brought into full play? How can we fully, effectively educate our people, especially the younger generations? Our work to build a material civilization will be adversely affected and will travel a tortuous path if we do not promote the building of a spiritual civilization. We can never succeed in revolution and construction if we rely on material conditions alone. In the past, however small or weak our party was and whatever difficulties it faced, we always maintained a great fighting capability because of our faith in Marxism and communism. With common ideals, we have strict discipline. Now, as in the past and in the future, this is our strength."
These remarks expound on a number of questions, principles and axioms. First the remarks provide a basic evaluation of the work of building spiritual civilization over the past years. Second, they clearly point out that the development of a socialist spiritual civilization is an inevitable requirement inherent in the socialist system itself. Without the building of a spiritual civilization, it will be impossible to bring the superiority of socialism into full play. Third, they explain the relationship between the building of the two civilizations, underlining the fact that unless the building of spiritual civilization is strengthened, the work of building material civilization cannot proceed smoothly and will deviate from the correct orientation. Finally, they state clearly that the spiritual condition of faith in the ideals of Marxism and communism is the real strength of our party in surmounting all difficulties and winning victories in revolution and construction. This is a truth verified throughout the party's entire history. At no time should we forget this truth. Otherwise, we will have the erroneous tendency to ignore or underrate the importance of building spiritual civilization. In building spiritual civilization, we should bear firmly in mind these principles and axioms, restudying them from time to time.
At the Sixth Plenary Session of the Central Discipline Inspection Commission, Comrade Chen Yun pointed out: "Socialist construction comprises building the socialist material civilization and socialist spiritual civilization. These two cannot be separated from one another. The socialist cause is not to build a pure material civilization or a pure spiritual civilization. Moreover, in carrying out the socialist cause, it is impossible to build material civilization first while leaving the work of building spiritual civilization for later." This also expounds on the relationship between the building of the two civilizations according to fundamental Marxist theories and principles and states clearly that the socialist cause is one marked by the simultaneous building and development of the two civilizations. Otherwise, it is not comprehensive and cannot be called a complete socialist cause. The essence and axiom of this agree with Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s remarks cited above. We should also bear this firmly in mind and restudy it from time to time.
To sum up, the building of spiritual civilization and ideological and political work take care of the people's ideological consciousness, ideals, political orientation, and mental state. They have a direct influence on their enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity in participating in national construction and on their work orientation and the road they are going to take. For this reason, we cannot do without the building of spiritual civilization and ideological and political work for a single moment in our endeavor to develop the socialist economy, promote our material civilization, and bring about the all-round progress of our society.
We must do as the comrades of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee have stressed, so as to greatly strengthen and never weaken the work of building a socialist spiritual civilization and carrying out ideological- political work. First of all, we must overcome any ideological tendency to despise ideological-political work and the work of building spiritual civilization. Once our ideological consciousness has been raised, we should take concrete actions. In strengthening ideological-political work and the work of building spiritual civilization, we must vigorously carry out education in ideals, discipline, situation, policies, and the four cardinal principles.
Only by carrying out education on these questions can the broad masses of party members and cadres and the broad masses of people become more capable of resisting the erosion of various decadent ideologies and the influence of bourgeois liberal ideology. Only thus can they become more courageous in fighting against the various malpractices that are harmful to the interests of the people and various corrupt phenomena which are harmful to the general mood of the society, so as to fundamentally improve the party style and general mood of the society and guarantee the smooth progress of the reform and the cause of building the four modernizations.
All units, regardless of whether they have completed party rectification, must seriously study and understand the important guidelines underscored at the conference and resolutely follow these guidelines while carrying out their party rectification tasks, consolidating and developing what has been achieved during the party rectification and conducting day-to-day affairs in party ideology, work style, discipline, and organizational construction so that the important guidelines may truly develop into a powerful force guiding our party rectification and building to success.
The four basic tasks of party rectification—unifying ideology, rectifying style, strengthening discipline, and purifying organization—are an interrelated entity and must be accomplished simultaneously. Of course, in accomplishing these tasks the various units involved in party rectification can work according to their respective situations and can concentrate their efforts on a certain aspect. The development of party rectification shows that we still need to strongly stress rectifying party style and successfully carrying out this task. This was the task underlined by the conference.
Fundamentally improvising the party style is a heavy task for us. Rectifying the party style is vital to accomplishing the entire task of party rectification, guaranteeing and pushing forward with reform and the construction of the four modernizations. Without a good party style, a lofty ideal and a strict discipline, a devoted spirit of serving the people heart and soul, but with a corrupt style of seeking private interests by using powers and positions, using public office for private gain and practicing bureaucracy, our party will lose its real strength and become unable to accomplish its historical task, thus disappointing the people. The true nature of the question of party style is the question concerning fundamental relations between the party and the people.
So the question of party style is a question concerning the life and death of our ruling party. The 12th party congress proposed to fundamentally improve the party style and general mood of our society within 5 years.
If we fail to lay a good, solid foundation for a fundamental improvement in our party style and the general mood of society in the 3 years of party rectification, the specific work of our party rectification will have been done poorly. Now, party rectification has been carried out for almost 2 years and there is not much time left for us. Party committees at various levels must pay great attention to this question.
Rectifying party style means relying on the efforts of the entire party. It requires all party members to exercise their supervisory roles. Above all, leading party cadres at all levels, especially high-ranking cadres and veteran party members and cadres, including those who have retired or left their positions or retired to the second front, should set examples, for as far as rectifying party style is concerned all party members should be included. It is necessary to commend in a big way outstanding party members and cadres who dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to serving the people and do not hesitate to sacrifice their individual interests. We must publicize their advanced deeds and ideas. It is necessary to resolutely expose and combat corrupt phenomena that undermine party style and social atmosphere. If we persist in commending the good, punishing the bad, upholding justice, straightening out malpractices, and work along both lines, there is a strong likelihood that we can fundamentally improve our party style.
While the work of rectifying party style is to be carried out in party organizations at all levels and among all party members, emphasis should be on leading organs and cadres at the county level and above. We must first rectify the work style of leading organs and cadres and, according to the actual situation, resolutely deal with instances of bureaucracy and seeking private interests by making use of power and position among leading organs and cadres. We must deal seriously with those people who try to shield one another or bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends during the process of investigating and straightening our malpractices. Why should the emphasis be placed on leading organs and cadres at the county level and above? The reasons are obvious: One is that there is indeed a question of unhealthy practices among some leading organs and cadres. There are also cases of serious violation of discipline and law. Because they exercise overall leadership and supervision of work in an area or department, such malpractices can result in greater harm. Another reason is that the masses are watching our leading organs and cadres to see whether they can truly set examples and take the lead in rectifying unhealthy practices. If we fail to first seriously resolve the question of unhealthy practices among leading organs and leading cadres and make them examples for the grassroots party organizations and the masses inside and outside the party, it is likely that unhealthy trends and evil practices will spread because "those in subordinate positions will follow the examples of their superiors."
At present, in some areas, the malpractices are very serious. Some people who have committed serious crimes are protected by people at various levels. Is it enough to punish the criminals only? The broad masses of the people are indignant when they see violations of discipline and law, with cadres shielding one another and bending the law for the benefit of relatives or friends. Is this problem so serious as to warrant the attention of party committees at various levels? Comrade Chen Yun said: "If there are cadres who turn a blind eye or take a laissez-faire attitude toward the unhealthy tendencies that are harmful to socialist construction, party style, and social atmosphere, we must punish the individual cadres and investigate and Affix responsibility on the party committee, even on the party commission for discipline inspection of that unit and that area." Here, I would like to add that the leading organ of party rectification in that unit and that area should be included.
In a word, rectifying party style is an important task of the present party rectification and a major event in our party construction. We must mobilize the entire party membership to participate in it and pool the wisdom and efforts of all the party members. Prefectures and counties that are presently engaged in party rectification should do their work well. Units that have completed party rectification should continue to strengthen their work. The Hunan Provincial CPC Committee and some other areas have proposed to "review" the work of party rectification. I think this is a good idea because we should not think that once party rectification work is over, everything is all right. What should we "review"? We should mainly "review" whether the party style is correct or not and whether unhealthy tendencies have been checked or not. We should see whether the people or instances of serious violation of discipline and law have been dealt with or not, whether the work there conforms with party discipline or national law, whether the masses are satisfied or not, and whether there are any problems that need to be solved resolutely and immediately.
We must further strengthen the leadership of party rectification. A party should manage its affairs. This is an important principle that must be strictly followed and enforced in the work of party committees at all levels. In addition, implementation of this principle should be regularly checked and studied. Failure of a party committee to manage party affairs constitutes a serious and fundamental dereliction of duty. For a long time, this question was not resolved satisfactorily in our inner-party life. Now, leading comrades of party committees in some areas and departments are not paying attention to the work of party rectification and not strengthening the leadership of party rectification. What does this mean? It means the party committee has failed to manage its affairs. This is an old defect! We must correctly deal with the relationship between party rectification and reform of the economic structure, preventing them from becoming "two skins."
Some people think that party rectification, especially the move to straighten out malpractices, has affected and obstructed our reform and economic work. This view is absolutely wrong and groundless. If we cannot succeed in the work of party rectification and the work of straightening out malpractices, reform and the practice of invigorating the economy will not be able to create a good political or social environment. Instead, we will probably deviate from the correct orientation, being restricted, twisted, and destroyed by various kinds of so-called "countermeasures." As a result, some people will violate laws and discipline under the pretext of carrying out "reform." In the course of party rectification, we must seriously resolve questions in our inner-party life, especially the prominent questions of party style and discipline, vigorously strengthen ideological- political work, and push forward the party's ideology, work style, and organizational construction.