Chapter 2 Discussion of the first standard of truth and the convening of the central working conference

In June 1981, the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee passed the "Resolution Concerning Certain Issues Concerning the History of the Party Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China," which clearly stated the major achievements and historical significance of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee in 1978.Here is the text of this part of the resolution: The Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee held in December 1978 was a great turning point with far-reaching significance in the history of our party since the founding of the People's Republic of China.The plenary session put an end to the situation in which the Party's work had been advancing hesitantly since October 1976, and began to comprehensively and conscientiously correct the "Left" errors during and before the "Cultural Revolution".This plenary meeting resolutely criticized the erroneous policy of "two whatevers", fully affirmed the scientific system of Mao Zedong Thought that must be fully and accurately grasped; , united and forward-looking guidelines; resolutely stopped using the slogan "taking class struggle as the key link" which is not applicable to socialist society, and made a strategic decision to shift the focus of work to socialist modernization; put forward We must pay attention to solving the requirements of the serious imbalance of major proportions in the national economy, and formulate a decision on accelerating agricultural development; put forward the task of improving socialist democracy and strengthening the socialist legal system; Misjudged cases and the merits and demerits of some important leaders are a matter of right and wrong.The plenary session also elected members of the central leadership body.These significant changes in the leadership work marked that the party re-established the Marxist ideological line, political line and organizational line.Since then, the party has grasped the initiative to set things right, solved many historical problems and new problems that have emerged in real life step by step since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and carried out heavy construction and reform work to make our country economically and politically All are in good shape.

I understand this plenary session.I also participated in many discussions in the process of drafting the "Resolution on Certain Issues Concerning the History of the Party Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China".I also paid attention to the passage of the Third Plenary Session of the draft resolution on historical issues, and believed that, except for a few words, the statements made in the text fully corresponded to the facts before, during, and after the Central Plenary Session.More than 20 years have passed since this plenary session was held.Now people are commemorating this meeting.When we use the social practice of our country for more than 20 years to test this meeting, I think it can be said without hesitation that the above evaluation is not too high, only shortcomings.This is because the depth and breadth of my country's reform and opening up over the past 20 years, as well as the progress brought about by reform and opening up to our country, were unimaginable when this resolution was drafted.With the passage of time, the significance of this plenary session has become more and more significant.

A central working conference was held before the Third Plenary Session.The Third Plenary Session was held from December 18 to 22, 1978, for a period of five days.The central working conference before the meeting was held from November 10 to December 15, 1978, for a period of 36 days. In this article, I would like to focus on remembering the situation of the Central Work Conference before the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee.Why do I want to do this?Comrades, please take a look at the "Communication" passed at the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee.This "Gazette" is the main document of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee. At the beginning of the "Gazette", after describing the attendees and chairpersons of the plenary meeting, there was a special natural paragraph immediately followed by only one sentence:

"Before the plenary session, a central working meeting was held to make full preparations for the plenary session." At the closing meeting of the Central Work Conference on December 13, Deng Xiaoping—who was the vice chairman of the Central Committee at the time—made a speech entitled "Emancipate the Mind, Seek Truth from Facts, and Look Ahead in Unity." "Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping" included this speech with a note: "This is Comrade Deng Xiaoping's speech at the closing meeting of the Central Working Conference of the Communist Party of China. This Central Working Conference has made full preparations for the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Comrade Deng Xiaoping's speech is actually the theme of the Third Plenary Session Report." ①

What is the meaning of "fully prepared for the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee" pointed out in the "Gazette" and "Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping"?Deng Xiaoping's speech at the closing meeting of the Central Work Conference actually became the keynote report of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, so what happened?Many people may not understand the specific meaning of these two questions today.I attended this Central Work Conference from beginning to end, and I also unofficially attended the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee that was held immediately.I think we should make these two points clear based on the facts that I have personally experienced, or make a long "footnote" on these two points.I think this is a responsibility I should fulfill as a witness to history.

I have an opinion, that is: Although the Third Plenary Session is the Third Plenary Session, and the Central Working Conference is the Central Working Conference, they are two conferences, each with its own functions, but because there is an unusual When discussing the results and significance of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the Central Work Conference had to be included.When commemorating the Third Plenary Session, we must also commemorate the Central Working Conference.The plenary sessions of the Central Committee and the Central Work Conference have different positions in the party constitution.For many major issues, the Central Working Conference has no right to make formal resolutions, and a plenary meeting must be held to make the various propositions put forward at the Central Working Conference formally become resolutions followed by the whole party.Therefore, we use the term commemorating the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee today.But in terms of historical facts at that time, the Central Working Conference had already made full preparations for the Third Plenary Session, that is, the line, principles and tasks to be determined by the Third Plenary Session had already been proposed at the Central Working Conference, and problems had been resolved. claims.There have been serious criticisms of erroneous views such as the "two whatevers", and Hua Guofeng, the main leader of the Party Central Committee at the time, admitted at the meeting that he had made mistakes and assumed responsibility.The list for improving the central leadership organization has also been prepared, and a consensus has been reached among the participants of the central work conference.Due to the high standard of this Central Working Conference, not only all members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee (including the five Standing Committee members) attended the meeting, but also among the Central Committee members and alternate members elected by the Eleventh National Congress, they are eligible to attend the Central Committee Plenary Session 45.4% of the people also participated in this meeting.In addition, the vice chairman of the National People's Congress, the vice premier of the State Council, the vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the president of the Supreme People's Court, and the chief prosecutor of the Supreme People's Procuratorate participated in this central working conference. Party members include the members of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission, and the principals in charge of all provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, major military regions, agencies directly under the Central Committee, state agencies at the central level, agencies directly under the Military Commission, and various services and arms. Consensus has been reached on many important issues within such a scope. It also means that the members of the entire Central Committee have basically reached a consensus.On this basis, the central committee members and alternate central committee members who were not notified to attend the meeting were notified to the meeting, and it became a plenary meeting of the Central Committee.

Of these two meetings, the Third Plenary Session was very short, and the Central Working Conference was very long, with the Central Working Conference taking seven times as long as the Third Plenary Session.But the Third Plenary Session is a formal meeting of the Central Committee, and the Central Work Conference only plays the role of making full preparations for the Third Plenary Session.Since the issues to be resolved at the Third Plenary Session are all prepared at the Central Working Conference, we must give full attention to the role of the Central Working Conference.The Central Working Conference is worth commemorating, but it does not have to and should not be commemorated separately, as long as we realize that the commemoration of the Third Plenary Session must include the commemoration of the Central Working Conference.

Here I first write down this view on the relationship between the two conferences.Let me illustrate this point with the historical facts of my own experience.