Struggle Against both the “Right” and “Left”

At the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held in October 1938, Mao Zedong summed up the historical experience since the founding of the Party and pointed out: “Broadly speaking, in the last seventeen years our Party has learned to use the Marxist-Leninist weapon of ideological struggle against incorrect ideas within the Party on two fronts—against Right opportunism and against ‘Left’ opportunism.” Only in the struggle on the two fronts can the Party be consolidated and strengthened. At the enlarged meeting of the Central Committee of the CPC held in Mizhi, Northern Shaanxi Province in December 1947, Mao Zedong once again pointed out: "We should oppose both the right and the ‘left’ so as to draw a clear line and avoid isolation and failure."

Mao Zedong emphasized: “In combating ‘Left’ and Right deviations within the Party, we must decide on our policy according to specific circumstances. For example, the army must guard against ‘Left’ deviations in times of victory and guard against Right deviations in times of defeat or when we are unable to win many battles. In land reform, Right deviations must be combated where the masses have not yet been aroused in earnest and the struggle has not yet unfolded, and ‘Left’ deviations must be guarded against where the masses have been aroused in earnest and the struggle has already unfolded.”

“When opposing one wrong right or ‘left’ tendency, we should pay attention to another tendency that may develop in a concealed manner. If you struggle against the ‘left’, it is likely that the right tendency may appear; if you struggle against the right, it is likely that the ‘left’ tendency may appear. Combat ‘left’ when ‘left’ tendency appears and combat right when right tendency appears; combat everything when it appears and combat nothing if nothing appears.” Mao Zedong said: “If you want to combat the ‘left’ or right, don't generalize this action from the top to the bottom at once.”