Hua Guofeng Quotes

China completed in the main the socialist transformation of the ownership of the means of production in 1956. From then on, a new question confronted the Chinese revolution - whether contradictions, classes and class struggle still exist in socialist society, whether it remains necessary to continue the socialist revolution and how this revolution is to be carried on. This is also a question for which no correct answer has been found in the international communist movement for a long time.

The constant defeat of subversion and sabotage by imperialism, revisionism and reaction, the upholding of socialism and the consolidation of the dictatorship of the proletariat in the People’s Republic of China, a populous country with a vast territory--this is a great contribution of world historic significance made by chairman Mao Tse-tung to the present era and has at the same time provided the international national Communist movement with new experience in combating and preventing revisionism, consolidating the dictatorship of the proletariat, preventing capitalist restoration and building socialism.

During Chairman Mao’s lifetime, we united under his banner and fought victorious battles. Since he passed away, loyalty to his banner has become a guarantee for the victory of our revolutionary cause. All our comrades should fully understand this. We must always hold aloft and resolutely defend Chairman Mao’s banner so that our revolutionary cause, under the guidance of Mao Tsetung Thought, will continue to advance triumphantly along Chairman Mao’s revolutionary line.

Guided by Chairman Mao’s Marxist-Leninist line, our Party has steadily grown in strength. It has developed from small groups of a few dozen communists into a party with a membership of over 30 which now leads the People’s Republic of China, into a disciplined Party armed with the theory of Marxism-Leninism, using the method of self-criticism and closely linked with the masses of the people, and into a great, glorious and correct Marxist-Leninist Party.

The transformation of ownership was the central issue at that time for resolving the contradiction between the working class and the bourgeoisie and between the socialist road and the capitalist road. Chairman Mao in good time formulated for our Party the general line for the transition period. That general line set the task of the socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts and capitalist industry and commerce while our country was being industrialized.

In a word, the revolutionary committees elected must be good so that the people will rejoice and support them and feel encouraged when the lists of the members are announced. This will be conducive to mobilizing the initiative of all sections of the people, and the revolutionary committees will be able to play their role effectively.

Chairman Mao Tse-tung is a brilliant example of wholehearted devotion to the interests of the people of China and the world. Chairman Mao dedicated all his energies throughout his life till his last breath to the liberation of the Chinese people, to the emancipation of the oppressed nations and oppressed people the world over and to the cause of communism. A great proletarian revolutionary like Chairman Mao, who weathers all kinds of revolutionary storms, overcomes every difficulty and hardship, and always identifies himself with the workers, peasants and other labouring people and stands in the van of the revolutionary movement to guide it forward, is rare indeed in the annals of the proletarian revolutionary movement. The magnificent contributions Chairman Mao made in revolutionary theory and practice are immortal. Chairman Mao has passed away. This is a loss beyond measure to our Party, our army and the people of all nationalities of our country, to the international proletariat and the revolutionary people of all countries and to the international communist movement.

An important aspect of grasping the key link of class struggle and bringing about great order across the land is to do a good job in building up the political power and consolidate and strengthen leading bodies of state organs at the central and local levels.

The convocation of the Fifth National People's Congress and the Fifth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will be major events in the political life of the people of all nationalities in our country and in grasping the key link of class struggle and running the country well in order to bring about great order across the land. Through the two conferences, we must revive and carry forward the Party's fine traditions and tyle of seeking truth from facts, following the mass line, conducting criticism and self-criticism, practising democratic centralism and hard work and plain living and make these the practice among the people throughout the country, so as gradually to create a political situation in which we have both centralism and democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will and personal ease of mind and liveliness. This will be helpful to our struggle in further deepening the exposure and criticism of the "gang of four" in the political and ideological fields, uniting all the forces that can be united, mobilizing all positive factors and transforming passive factors into positive factors, overcoming the difficulties created by the "gang of four," rapidly developing our country's socialist revolution and socialist construction and further consolidating the dictatorship of the proletariat.

With socialism in the commanding position in the countryside, the state controlled the raw material and market needed by the capitalists and isolated the bourgeoisie politically, thus making them submit to socialist transformation.

Let us hold high the great banner of Chairman Mao and make further efforts to strengthen the great unity of the whole Party, the whole army and the people of various nationalities throughout the country and, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, strive to overcome all hardships and difficulties on our way forward and win one new victory after another in the socialist revolution and socialist construction.

The course of the Chinese revolution has not been plain sailing, for in the course of the advance we have had to vanquish many enemies at home at abroad and both inside and outside the Party, overcome various erroneous tendencies within our ranks and solve many new problems that our predecessors never met with. The victories won by our Party during the democratic revolution and the socialist revolution should be all attributed to Chairman Mao’s leadership. History proves that the banner of Chairman Mao is a great banner under which the proletariat leads the people in the united struggle to victory.

Over the last few days, the whole party, the whole army and the people of all nationalities throughout the country have been immersed in boundless sorrow at the passing of Chairman Mao Tse-tung. The cause that our great leader devoted his whole life to is linked by flesh-and-blood ties with the masses of the people. It was under Chairman Mao’s leadership that the Chinese people who had long suffered oppression and exploitation won emancipation and became masters of the country. It was under Chairman Mao’s leadership that the disaster-plagued Chinese nation rose to its feet. The Chinese people love, trust and esteem Chairman Mao from the bottom of their hearts. The international proletariat and progressive mankind all deeply mourn the death of Chairman Mao.

Socialist China will surely flourish and become powerful; the goal of the four modernizations will certainly be attained! Together with the people of all nationalities in our country, let us hold high the great banner of Chairman Mao, continue the revolution and make concerted efforts to achieve this great goal!

Socialism is far superior to capitalism. It enables us to go faster than capitalism in a comparatively short period and surpass capitalism in labour productivity step by step. We must expand production as quickly as possible under socialism, because this is the only way to satisfy the people’s growing needs gradually, and keep broadening the material basis of the socialist system. The consolidation of socialism requires, among other conditions, a strong material basis. In order to safeguard the socialist system it is imperative to have a powerful national defence, which presupposes great economic strength. Without a high degree of industrialization of the country, it is impossible for socialism to win final victory over capitalism.