Oppose Stereotyped Style of Party Writing

One of the important aspects treated in the Yan'an Rectification Movement (1942-1945).

Mao Zedong said: subjectivism and sectarianism—both of them—use stereotyped Party writing or use, Mao Zedong summed up the eight major indictments against the stereotyped Party writing: the first indictment against stereotyped Party writing is that it fills endless pages with empty verbiage; the secondly, is that it strikes a pose in order to intimidate people; the thirdly, is that it shoots at random, without considering the audience; the fourth, is its drab and uses dull language that reminds one of an ugly creature ; the fifth, it arranges items under a complicated set of headings, as if starting a Chinese pharmacy shop; the sixth, it is irresponsible and harms people wherever it appears; the seventh, is that it poisons the whole Party and jeopardizes the revolution; the eighth, is that its spread would wreck the country and ruin the people.

“Viewed historically, stereotyped Party writing is a reaction to the May 4th Movement.” “Unless checked and transformed, the fanaticism and one-sidedness of petty-bourgeois revolutionaries can easily engender subjectivism and sectarianism, of which foreign stereotyped writing, or stereotyped Party writing, is one form of expression”. Mao Zedong pointed out: “The poison of subjectivism and sectarianism is hidden in stereotyped Party writing, and if this poison spreads, it will endanger both the Party and the country.” As a form, the Party stereotype is not only unsuitable for expressing the revolutionary spirit but is apt to stifle it. To develop the revolutionary spirit, it is necessary to discard stereotyped Party writing. He quoted a sentence from the CPC’s report on publicity: Foreign stereotypes must be abolished, there must be less singing of empty, abstract tunes, and dogmatism must be laid to rest; they must be replaced by the fresh, lively Chinese style and spirit which the common people of China love.