On inner-Party Struggle

Speech by Liu Shaoqi at the Party School of the Central Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on July 2, 1941. Some of the contents were published in the fifth issue of Truth, an internal journal of the Central Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, published on February 10, 1942. The full text was first published in Liberation Daily on October 9, 1942. It was included in the Rectification Literature and is listed as one of the required documents for the Yan'an Rectification Movement, and also in the Selected Works of Liu Shaoqi (Part I) published by the People’s Press in 1981.

The article analyzes the essence and content of the inner-Party struggle, pointing out that the inner-Party struggle consists principally of ideological struggles, and its content is made up of divergencies and antagonisms in ideologies and principles. In the Party, although divergencies and antagonisms in principle between comrades can develop into political divergencies and, in some cases, even inevitably into organizational divergencies within the Party, its character and its content are still basically ideological struggles.

The inner-Party struggle itself is an indispensable education within the Party. The article discusses the necessity and purpose of the inner-Party struggle. It is pointed out that in order to strengthen the Party members' exercise of Party spirit, we have to carry out some concrete ideological inner-Party struggles to oppose all kinds of undesirable phenomena that violate Party spirit.

The inner-Party struggle is completely indispensable to maintain the purity and independence of the Party, to ensure that its actions are conducted on lines representing the highest interests of the proletariat, and to preserve the proletarian character of the Party. To this end, the inner-Party struggle must be carried out in two ways, on two fronts, against Right-deviationist opportunism and against “Left” deviationist opportunism at the same time. This article expounds the correct principles and methods to conduct inner-Party struggle.

Firstly, we must understand that inner-Party struggle is a matter of the greatest seriousness and responsibility. We must conduct it with the strictest and most responsible attitude and should never conduct it carelessly. In carrying out inner-Party we must fully adopt the correct stand of the Party, the unselfish stand of serving the interests of the Party, of doing better work, and of helping other comrades to correct their mistakes and to gain a better understanding of the problems. We ourselves must be clear about the facts and problems by making a systematic investigation and study. At the same time, we must carry on systematic, well-prepared and well-led inner-Party struggles.

Secondly, we should understand that the struggle within the Party is basically a struggle between different ideologies and principles inside the Party, and the antagonisms between different ideas and principles. It is imperatively necessary to draw a clear line with regard to ideology and principle. But with regard to organization, the form of struggle, the manner of speaking and criticizing, we must be as little antagonistic as possible, must try our best to discuss or argue over matters in a calm way, and must try our best not adopt organizational measures and not to draw organizational conclusions. We should try our best to assume a sincere, frank and positive educational attitude in order to achieve unity in ideology and principle.

Thirdly, criticisms directed against Party organizations or against comrades and their work must be appropriate and well-regulated.

Fourthly, the holding of "struggle meetings", either inside or outside the Party should in general be stopped. The various defects and errors should be pointed out in the course of summing up and reviewing work. We should first deal with “the case" and then with "the person".

Fifthly, every opportunity to appeal must be given to comrades who have been criticized or punished. No Party organization can prevent any comrade who has been punished from appealing to a higher authority.

Sixthly, a clear line should be drawn between struggles waged inside the Party and those outside the Party. We should not take the way of inner-Party struggle outside the Party, nor take the way of outside-Party struggle inside the Party, let alone use the strength and conditions outside the Party to fight and intimidate the Party.

Seventhly, in order to prevent unprincipled disputes within the Party. The correct principles and methods for conducting intra-Party struggle, which were put forward in the article on the basis of summarizing historical experience, not only became the theoretical basis for the correct conduct of intra-Party struggle during the Yan'an Rectification in 1942, but also an important part of the CPC's theory of Party building.

Mao Zedong argued that this article "theoretically and practically solved the important problem of inner-Party struggle and is required reading for every comrade."