Chairman Mao pointed out in 1971: "Our Party already has a history of 50 years and has gone through ten major struggles on the question of Party line. There were people in these ten struggles who wanted to split our Party, but none were able to do so. This is a question worth studying: such a big country, such a large population, yet no split. The only explanation is that the people, the Party and the entire Party membership are of one mind in opposing a split. In view of its history, this Party of ours has a great future."

Summing up our Party's experience in the ten struggles on the question of Party line, Chairman Mao pointed out that "the correctness or incorrectness of the ideological and political line decides everything" and put forward the three basic principles "Practise Marxism, and not revisionism; unite, and don't split; be open and aboveboard, and don't intrigue and conspire." These principles are our criteria for distinguishing correct from erroneous lines and our sharp weapon for identifying the bourgeoisie inside the Party. The whole history of our Party shows that only by adhering to the three basic principles can our Party march in step, win wholehearted support from the masses of the people and organize a mighty revolutionary contingent, and only by so doing can our revolutionary cause thrive. Whoever goes against the three basic principles betrays the cause of proletarian revolution and the vital interests of the Party and the people, inevitably loses the confidence of the people and brings ruin and shame upon himself. On ten occasions in the past, the chieftains of opportunist lines tried to split our Party, but they all failed. The present Wang-Chang-Chiang-Yao "gang of four" anti-Party clique, too, has come to an ignominious end because it practised revisionism and splittism, engaged in conspiracies to usurp Party and state power, and thus completely forfeited the confidence of the people and became extremely isolated. Historical experience has time and again shown that our Party cannot be easily destroyed. Our Party is worthy of its reputation as a Party founded, tempered and nurtured by Chairman Mao himself, as a politically mature Marxist-Leninist Party and as a great, glorious and correct Party.

While acclaiming our Party's great historic victory, the whole Party, the whole army and the people of all nationalities throughout the country, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee headed by Chairman Hua Kuo-feng, are determined to hold high the great red banner of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought, persist in taking class struggle as the key link, adhere to the Party's basic line and persevere in continuing the revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat. We must thoroughly expose the vile crimes of the Wang-Chang-Chiang-Yao anti-Party clique, penetratingly criticize their counter-revolutionary revisionist line and eradicate its pernicious influence. It is imperative to draw a strict distinction between the two different types of contradictions and handle them correctly, earnestly implement Chairman Mao's principles "Learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones and cure the sickness to save the patient" and "Help more people by educating them and narrow the target of attack," so as to unite with all those that can be united with. We should continue to criticize Teng Hsiao-ping and repulse the Right deviationist attempt to reverse correct verdicts. We should enthusiastically support socialist new things, consciously restrict bourgeois right and consolidate and develop the achievements of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. We should grasp revolution, promote production and other work and preparedness against war, go all out, aim high and achieve greater, faster, better and more economical results in building socialism, and continue to develop the excellent situation.

Having eliminated the "four pests," our Party has become even more united, even stronger and even more vigorous, and the dictatorship of the proletariat in our country is more consolidated. The masses of the people are in high spirits and militant; everywhere in our motherland, orioles sing and swallows dart. Before us arises "a political situation in which there are both centralism and democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will and personal ease of mind and liveliness." Since we have such a great Party, army and people, no difficulty whatsoever can stop our triumphant advance. Under the leadership of the Party Central Committee headed by Chairman Hua Kuo-feng, we are able to continue our advance in the socialist revolution in accordance with Chairman Mao's line and policies and, in accordance with the grand plan Chairman Mao mapped out, accomplish the comprehensive modernization of agriculture, industry, national defence and science and technology and build China into a powerful socialist country before the end of the century, so as to make a greater contribution to humanity and work for the final realization of communism.

(Beijing Review No.44, October 25, 1976)

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