Resolution on Certain Historical Issues of the Party since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China

Important Party document adopted by the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC on June 27, 1981. Included in the Selection and Compilation of Important Documents since the Third Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee (Vol. 3).

In order to unify the thoughts of the whole Party and the people of all nationalities to the line, principles and policies of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, it is necessary to correctly understand the path the Party has taken since the founding of New China (1949), also recognize and correct Mao Zedong's mistakes in his late years, and scientifically evaluate Mao Zedong's historical status and the Mao Zedong Thought.

In November 1979, under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping, the Party Central Committee decided to draft the “Resolution on Certain Historical Issues of the Party since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China”. On the basis of extensive consultation and several discussions and amendments by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, it was unanimously adopted by the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee on June 27, 1981. The “Resolution” consists of eight parts: (1) Review of the history of the twenty-eight years before the founding of the PRC; (2) Basic appraisal of the history of the thirty-two years since the founding of the People's Republic; (3) Seven years of basic completion of the socialist transformation; (4) Ten years of initial building of socialism in all spheres; (5) Decade of the “Cultural Revolution”; (6) Great turning point in history; (7) Historical role of Comrade Mao Zedong's and the Mao Zedong Thought; (8) Unite and strive to build a powerful, modern socialist China.

The “Resolution” briefly reviews the previous twenty-eight years in which the Party led the people in waging the revolutionary struggle for the New-Democratic Revolution in order to scientifically analyze and correctly sum up its experience in the thirty-two years since the founding of the People’s Republic, evaluates the major historical events since the founding of New China in a realistic manner, and distinguishes merits from demerits. The “Resolution” pointed out that the years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China are years in which the Communist Party of China, guided by Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, has very successfully led the whole people in carrying out socialist revolution and socialist construction. The establishment of the socialist system represents the greatest and most profound social change in Chinese history and is the foundation for the country’s future progress and development. However, due to lack of experience, the Party's leadership has undergone subjective deviations in analyzing the situation and the understanding of the national conditions, and has made the mistakes that expanded class struggle and rush into economic construction, including such comprehensive and long term serious mistakes as the "Cultural Revolution". But what we have achieved successfully in the past thirty-two years is the major aspect, thus it would be a no less serious error to overlook or deny our achievements or our successful experiences by which we have scored these achievements. The “Resolution” fundamentally negated the wrong theories of "Cultural Revolution" and "continuing the revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat", and pointed out that the "Cultural Revolution" is not and cannot be evaluated as a revolution or social progress in any sense. It is a civil commotion initiated by the leaders by mistake and exploited by the counter-revolutionary groups, which has brought serious disasters to the Party, the state and the people of all nationalities.

The “Resolution” has realistically evaluated Mao Zedong's historical position in the Chinese revolution, and scientifically discussed the basic content of Mao Zedong Thought and the great significance of Mao Zedong Thought as the guiding ideology of the Party. The “Resolution” pointed out that Mao Zedong was a great Marxist and a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist and theorist. In his whole life, if we judge his activities as a whole, his contributions to the Chinese revolution far outweigh his mistakes. His merits are the primary and his errors secondary. Mao Zedong Thought is the application and development of Marxism-Leninism in China, the correct theoretical principle and experience summary of the Chinese revolution that has been proved by practice, and it is the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Communist Party of China. The “Resolution” has made a scientific summary of the contents of Mao Zedong Thought from various aspects and the positions, viewpoints and methods that run through its various components. It is pointed out that the living soul of Mao Zedong Thought is the standpoint, viewpoint and method that run through all the above-mentioned components leaning on three basic aspects which are seeking truth from facts, mass line and independence. The “Resolution” emphasized that Mao Zedong Thought is the precious spiritual wealth of our Party and will guide our actions for a long time. We should continue to adhere to the above ideological line formulated by Comrade Mao Zedong and enrich and develop our Party's theory with new principles and conclusions in line with reality.

The “Resolution” affirmed the correct path of building a socialist modern country which is suitable for China's national conditions and has been gradually established since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee and further pointed out the direction in which China's socialist cause and Party work would proceed. The “Resolution” summarizes the positive and negative experiences since the founding of new China, especially the lessons from the "Cultural Revolution” and the socialist road with Chinese characteristics which has been gradually established since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee for the first time. The “Resolution” made a comprehensive statement of the Party's goal in the new historical period, which is to gradually build our country into a socialist powerful country with modern agriculture, modern industry, modern national defense and modern science and technology, and a high degree of democracy and civilization. The adoption of the “Resolution” marked the victory of the CPC in rectifying the chaotic ideological situation and restored its guiding ideology.