Critique of the Report on the Struggle Against Counterrevolutionaries
(August 10, 1955)

To the Shanghai Bureau, all provincial and municipal Party committees, Party committees of autonomous regions, all departments of the Military Commission, and all Party groups of central state organs:

This document[1] is very good. It is issued to you for reference and may be forwarded to all units for emulation.

The Central Committee
August 10, 1955

[1] Refers to the report of the Chinese Writers' Association dated July 14, 1955, on the struggle against the "Hu Feng counterrevolutionary clique" and other hidden counterrevolutionaries. The report states that, following the publication of three batches of materials concerning the "Hu Feng counterrevolutionary clique," the Association's struggle against the "Hu Feng counterrevolutionary clique" and all other hidden counterrevolutionaries has broadly gone through three stages: The first stage, from the publication of the first batch of materials on May 13 to May 29, mainly involved repeated reading and discussion of the two batches of materials, and criticism of right-leaning thinking. The second stage began with the convening of the first mobilization meeting on May 30, primarily involving the launching of sharp exposure, criticism, and ideological confrontation, along with an initial sorting out. After the publication of the third batch of materials on June 10, a second mobilization meeting was immediately convened, steering the movement into the third stage of widespread exposure of problems.

To be reviewed by Liu, Chen, Deng, and Lu Dingyi[2]; to be dispatched by telegraph by Shangkun[3], with additional copies printed.

[2] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Chen refers to Chen Yun, then Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, then Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Lu Dingyi, then Head of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee and Head of the Central Ten-Person Group.

[3] Shangkun, namely Yang Shangkun, then Deputy Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.