The Lively Political Situation "In Six Aspects"

From July 17 to 21, 1957, the Central Committee of the CPC convened a meeting of provincial and municipal Party secretaries in Qingdao.

During the meeting, Mao Zedong wrote "The Situation in the Summer of 1957", and pointed out: "Our aim is to create a political situation in which we have both centralism and democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will and personal ease of mind and liveliness, and thus to promote our socialist revolution and socialist construction, make it easier to overcome difficulties, build a modern industry and modern agriculture more rapidly and make our Party and state more secure and better able to weather storm and stress. The general subject here is the correct handling of contradictions among the people and those between ourselves and the enemy. The method is to seek truth from facts and follow the mass line.

Before that, Mao Zedong said on March 19, 1957 that we should adopt the unity-criticism-unity method, that is, the democratic method, to solve the contradictions within the Party and among the people. He believed that " by adopting the present approach, literature, art, science will prosper, the Party will remain constantly vigorous, the people's cause will thrive, and China will become a great power yet relatable."

He said: "If we adopt these guidelines mentioned above, I believe that our culture, science, economy, politics, our whole country, will be able to prosper and develop, our country will become a modern agricultural, industrialized country, the people's life will be better, the people's political sentiment, the relationship between the people and the government will be a rational and lively relationship.” “We want to create such a China, we want to turn our country into such a lively country where people dare to criticize, dare to speak out, dare to express their opinions, and do not make people afraid to speak out. Along these lines, our hopes will certainly be realized.”

On January 30, 1962, Mao Zedong presided over the Plenary Session of the Enlarged Central Working Conference in the Great Hall of the People and made a long speech, revisiting the political situation of "Six Points": “As I said in 1957, ‘We must bring about a political climate which has both centralism and democracy, discipline and freedom, unity of purpose and ease of mind for the individual, and which is lively and vigorous’”. “Without this political climate the enthusiasm of the masses cannot be mobilized.” “Without democracy there cannot be any correct centralism because people’s ideas differ, and if their understanding of things lacks unity then centralism cannot be established.” “If there is no democracy we cannot possibly summarize experience correctly.” “If there is no democracy, if ideas are not coming from the masses, it is impossible to establish a good line, good general and specific policies and methods.” “Our centralism is built on democratic foundations.”