President Hu Jintao: Cultural Revolution was 10 Years of Rebellion

“The Cultural Revolution was a ten-year-long rebellious movement against the government that inflicted serious harm on the party, the nation and the people,” said Chinese President Hu Jintao in a recent sharply-worded denouncement of the Cultural Revolution.

The fourth generation of Chinese leadership led by Hu has made a revised assessment of the Cultural Revolution compared to earlier leaders like Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin. The reason behind Hu’s recent shift on the Cultural Revolution is said to be to check those opposing reform and to make public the party’s position on increasing social problems, like the inequality in development during the past 30 years.

○ “The Cultural Revolution was a rebellious movement”

Hu’s criticism of the Cultural Revolution first appeared in a speech addressed to the Chinese Communist Party Central School on December 17 last year. Hu made the address prior to the opening of a session discussing new leading members for the central committee and candidates of the 17th National People’s Congress.

The change in Hu’s stance is a notable departure from the position his generation of leaders has held thus far. Unlike the second and third generation leadership who completely denied the Cultural Revolution all together, the fourth generation leadership has maintained the position that “the Cultural Revolution is different from Maoism as it is not based on Marxist-Leninism or Maoism.”

China is undergoing numerous social challenges that its market economy has brought with it, like the income gap, unemployment, housing shortages, an inadequate health care system and educational deficiencies. China’s leadership hopes to overcome those challenges by focusing more on Maoism than their predecessors have done and are trying to draw a line between Maoism and the Cultural Revolution while maintaining a flexible attitude toward the revolution.

Last May around the time of the 40th anniversary of the Cultural Revolution, various opinions on the revolution were expressed. Yet, the fourth generation leadership led by Hu were ambiguous about the revolution by not endorsing any of the opinions. Instead, the leadership banned any open discussions or publications concerning the revolution.

○ Continuing reforms; Maintaining Chinese socialism

Hu stressed that, while criticizing the Cultural Revolution, China will adhere to reforms while firmly maintaining Chinese socialism. “The Cultural Revolution widened the production gap between China and the world,” Hu said. “Reform and opening is the only way to catch up with the world.”

Reform and opening is thus the only way to increase China’s production capability, to raise the living standard of the Chinese people, and to spur the modernization of the country. This is the only way for the Party to remain ahead of the new era.

“The initiation of reforms and opening does not mean the end of socialism. With reforms and opening well in place, China will continue to adhere to Chinese socialism which will ensure the country eliminates unhealthy social trends under the leadership of Chinese Communist party.”

○ Behind the sudden change

It is said that behind Hu’s recent criticism lies a growing opposition force demanding democracy and criticizing the success of current policies.

Some senior members of the party were said to demand the return to the pre-reform era, citing the increasing income gap, rising unemployment rate and housing shortage as key reasons. This is a demand that is clearly beyond what the current leadership can accept.

orionha@donga.com