Part of the Speech at the Symposium to Commemorate the 120th Anniversary of Mao Zedong’s Birth

Speech delivered by Xi Jinping at the Symposium on Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong's Birth on December 26, 2013. Contained in Selection and Compilation of Important Documents since the 18th National Congress (Vol.1).

The “Speech” highly appraised Mao Zedong's historical status and his great achievements, and pointed out that Comrade Mao Zedong was a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionist, strategist and theorist, a great pioneer of the Marxism in China, a great patriot and national hero of modern China, the core of the first generation of central leading collective of the Party, who were the great generation of people who have completely changed their destiny and the face of the country, and a leader of the Chinese people.

The “Speech” pointed out that Comrade Mao Zedong had made tremendous contributions to the victory of China's new democratic revolution, the success of the socialist revolution and the full development of socialist construction, and to the realization of the independence and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the liberation of the Chinese people and their happiness.

Comrade Mao Zedong's most outstanding and greatest contribution in his life was leading to our Party and people for finding the correct path of the new democratic revolution, completing the task of overthrowing anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism, establishing the People's Republic of China, establishing the basic socialist system, achieving the basic achievements of socialist construction, and exploring the unique path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this period when Mao Zedong led our Party we have gained valuable experience and provided conditions for the successful development of our Party and people's industry and for the Chinese nation to catch up with the trend of development of the times, laying a solid theoretical and practical foundation.

His name and thought will motivate us to stride forward forever. Xi said: Mao made serious mistakes in his later years, especially during the “Cultural revolution”, and the mistakes were not only because of personal reasons, but also due to complex international and domestic factors, which should be judged from an overall and historical perspective. Building socialism in China was an unprecedented endeavor in Mao's era, and the Chinese leaders then, with no examples to follow, had to blaze trails all on their own.

On Comrade Mao Zedong's historical merits and demerits, the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC made a comprehensive evaluation in the “Resolution on Certain Historical Issues of the Party since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China”.

Xi mentioned in his speech that paramount leader Deng Xiaoping used to say that the banner of Mao Zedong Thought could not be cast away, if we do so the Party's glorious history will be challenged. Deng Xiaoping added that Comrade Mao Zedong's achievements are primary and his mistakes are secondary, his mistakes lie in his violation of his correctly solved issues by himself, they are mistakes committed by a great revolutionary and a great Marxist.

The “Speech” systematically expounded the living soul of Mao Zedong Thought and answered the question of how to adhere to and make good use of Mao Zedong Thought in the new situation. The living soul of Mao Zedong Thought is the standpoint, viewpoint and method that run through it. The living soul of Mao Zedong Thought has three basic aspects: seeking truth from facts, “mass line” and independence, keeping the initiative in one's own hands. Only by grasping these three aspects can we profoundly reveal the scientific connotation and practical significance of Mao Zedong Thought and truly understand the logical relationship between Mao Zedong Thought and the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The “Speech” expounded on the relationship between the two 30 years — before and after — the Reform and Opening-up and pointed out that the practical exploration of socialism before the Reform and Opening-up is the starting position for the Party and the people to grasp the reality and create the future in the new historical period. Without the pros and cons of historical experience it provides, without its accumulated ideological, material and institutional achievements, the Reform and Opening-up would not be smoothly promoted. Xi Jinping said: “Today, we can console Comrade Mao Zedong and other revolutionaries of the old generation. On the basis of building socialism with the Party and people, China's Reform and Opening-up and modernization drive have made remarkable achievements. We are closer to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than any other time in history.”