Effective Party work among China's 800 million peasants is a major prerequisite for its modernization. In a number of rural areas at present, some Party members are interested only in their own productive activities and neglect the interests of the Party and the masses, and some Party branches have relinquished leadership among the masses. Effective measures must be taken to check this unhealthy tendency. Party committees at all levels should face up to such new developments, further strengthen the rural Party organizations as well as the economic and administrative units and mass organizations at the grass roots and intensify ideological education among the peasants of different ages and in different localities, so that the political, economic and cultural life in the rural areas may develop soundly in the socialist direction.

In order to create a new situation in all fields of socialist modernization, we must lay special stress on the role of the intellectuals, improve the work of ideological and political education among them to suit their special characteristics, and actively recruit into the Party intellectuals who are qualified for membership.

China has now 200 million young people, who form the most active force in every field of work. Although the "cultural revolution" did them immense harm during their formative years, the overwhelming majority of them are good politically and they have made marked progress in the past few years; the negative features displayed by a small number of the young people can be changed through education. The problem now is that work among the young people falls short of the needs of real life. Party and Youth League organizations at all levels should establish closer ties with the masses of young people, become their close friends, show sincere concern for them and give them help politically, ideologically and in their work, study and personal life. The Party should be on the lookout for advanced young people, help them to become qualified for membership and then admit them to its ranks so as to bring new blood into the Party organizations. It should further strengthen its leadership over the Communist Youth League. support the League in the efforts to suit its work to the characteristics of the young people and help it play to the full its role as the Party's assistant and reserve force, so that the League can truly become a school where large numbers of young people will learn about communism through practice.

Women are not only an important force in national economic construction; they also have a particularly significant role to play in building socialist spiritual civilization. Owing to traditional prejudices, many women often do not receive due attention, protection and education. The Party must strengthen its work among women, concern itself with their special interests, pay attention to the training, selection and promotion of women cadres, and guide and support the women's federations at all levels in carrying out their tasks. The Women's Federation should become a prestigious mass organization, representing the interests of women and protecting and educating women and children.

Fourth, consolidate the Party organizations step by step in a planned way so as to effect a fundamental turn for the better in the style of the Party.

Our Party is the vanguard of the Chinese working class; it has been nurtured over the years by Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought and has matured through repeated tempering by successes and failures. Rallied in its ranks are outstanding elements of the Chinese working class and the Chinese people. The main body of our Party remains politically pure and strong despite the serious damage inflicted by the "cultural revolution." After recovery and consolidation in the past few years, the situation in our Party is now much improved, and its prestige is being restored and is rising. In these years, outstanding Communists on all fronts have led the masses in working hard to implement the Party's line, principles and policies and in many acts of heroism. Everywhere, in production and other work, in battles in defence of our motherland and against natural and other calamities, and in struggles against unhealthy tendencies and crimes, Party members have written soul-stirring paeans to communism through their own exemplary deeds. All the splendid successes of the Party and the people have been achieved precisely through the inspiring example given by such fine core members of the Party. This is the principal aspect of our Party, and whoever fails to see it, or deliberately denies it, is committing a grave error.

However, the pernicious influences of the 10 years of domestic turmoil have not yet been eradicated, and there has been some increase in the corrosive inroads of exploiting-class ideologies under new conditions. It is true that impurities in ideology, style and organization still exist within the Party and that no fundamental turn for the better has as yet been made in our Party style. In the leadership work of some Party organizations signs of flabbiness and lack of unity abound. Some primary Party organizations lack the necessary fighting capacity, and some are even in a state of paralysis. A small number of Party members and cadres have become extremely irresponsible or seriously bureaucratic; or live a privileged life and abuse the powers entrusted to them to seek personal gain; or commit acts of anarchism and ultra-individualism in violation of Party discipline; or obdurately indulge in factional activities to the detriment of the Party's interests. A few Party members and cadres have even sunk to corruption, embezzlement and other malpractices, committing serious economic crimes. In addition, a small remnant of the followers of the Lin Biao and Jiang Qing counter-revolutionary cliques still usurp some leading positions and are waiting for a chance to stir up trouble. All these phenomena have greatly impaired our Party's prestige. While we must not allow any exaggeration of this dark aspect of our Party, on no account should we be afraid to expose it. For ours is a staunch Party; we have ample healthy forces on our side to wage an uncompromising struggle against the dark aspect and are confident of our victory in the struggle.