Comments and Revisions on the Editor’s Note for the “Re-Criticism” Special Issue of the Literary Gazette [1] (January 19, 1958) I. Please send this immediately to Comrades Zhang Guangnian, Hou Jinjing, and Chen Xiaoyu of the Beijing Literary Gazette [2]:  I have read only a portion of it; since you are about to publish it, go ahead without waiting for me to finish. The note is rather dull and lacks sufficient political content. As writers yourselves, your prose is also inadequate—insufficient to capture the readers’ attention. Although there has been some improvement in writing style recently, this particular note has yet to reflect that change. The title is far too long; “Re-Criticism” alone would suffice. Please consider these points carefully. I am currently in the south, and I only just received your document. Tomorrow happens to be the printing deadline, so I am sending it off in haste. Wishing you every success! Mao Zedong January 19, afternoon  The language is too harsh, the phrasing too direct, and the adjectives overly aggressive, which actually diminishes the impact and may even discourage further reading. This should be given due attention. Printed according to the manuscript.

II. What exactly is being re-criticized? Wang Shiwei’s “Wild Lily Flowers,” Ding Ling’s “Reflections on March 8th,” Xiao Jun’s “On Comrades’ ‘Love’ and ‘Patience’,” Luo Feng’s “Still the Age of Essays,” Ai Qing’s “Understand Writers, Respect Writers,” along with several other pieces. All of these articles were published in the literary supplement of the Yan’an Liberation Daily. The person in charge of this supplement was Ding Ling, assisted by Chen Qixia.

III. Ding Ling, Chen Qixia, Luo Feng, and Ai Qing were all Party members. Ding Ling had previously written a letter of surrender in Nanjing, betraying the proletariat and the Communist Party to Chiang Kai-shek. She concealed this fact and thus deceived the Party into placing her in a position of trust, eventually becoming the editor-in-chief of the literary supplement of the Yan’an Liberation Daily, with Chen Qixia serving as her assistant.

IV. These articles were anti-Party and anti-people in nature. In 1940, during a particularly arduous phase of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Kuomintang was intensifying its campaign of anti-communism and anti-popular forces. The writings of Ding Ling, Wang Shiwei, and others served to aid Japanese imperialism and Chiang Kai-shek’s reactionary forces.

V. On May 5, 1958, the People’s Daily republished Ding Ling’s “Reflections on March 8th.” The other articles were not reprinted. “Strange writings are best appreciated when shared; doubts are best resolved through mutual discussion,” and many people wished to read this collection of “strange writings.” We gathered these materials together and reread them all. Indeed, there was something peculiar about them: they were revolutionary-sounding essays penned by counter-revolutionaries. Those with keen insight could easily see through this deception, while others were often misled. Foreigners familiar with the names of Ding Ling and Ai Qing might also want to understand the full story behind this matter. Therefore, we have chosen to republish this entire collection. Thanks to the efforts of Ding Ling, Wang Shiwei, and others, what was once poisonous weed has now become nourishing fertilizer, and they have become teachers for our broad masses. They can truly help the people understand how our enemies operate. Those whose minds had been clouded or who were naive and inexperienced—whether young or old—have thereby come to grasp many important truths.

Printed in the second issue of the Literary Gazette, published on January 26, 1958. (Based on Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft.) Notes [1] In mid-January 1958, while presiding over a meeting of the CPC Central Committee in Nanning, Mao Zedong received a report dated January 16 from the editorial board of the Literary Gazette. The report stated that, following Mao’s instructions, the journal was preparing a special issue for its second edition, titled “A Re-Criticism of ‘Wild Lily Flowers,’ ‘Reflections on March 8th,’ ‘In the Hospital,’ and Other Anti-Party Articles,” accompanied by an editor’s note for Mao’s review. This text (I) represents Mao’s comments on the editorial board’s report, while texts (II) through (V) consist of passages that Mao revised or added to the special issue’s editor’s note. The second issue of the Literary Gazette, published on January 26, 1958, featured the “Re-Criticism” special issue, and the People’s Daily introduced its main contents—including the added editor’s note—in its January 27 edition. Prior to this, Ding Ling and Chen Qixia had been branded as an “anti-Party clique” in 1955 and subsequently criticized again during the Anti-Rightist Campaign of 1957. Subsequently, in April and May 1958, Ding Ling, Chen Qixia, Ai Qing, and Luo Feng were each designated as “rightists.” Although Xiao Jun was not officially labeled a rightist, he was specifically mentioned as having “colluded with Ding Ling and Chen Qixia in Yan’an to engage in anti-Party activities.” In March 1979, the Chinese Writers Association reviewed the rightist accusations against Ai Qing and Luo Feng, obtaining approval from the CPC Central Organization Department to reverse those designations, restoring their Party membership, political reputation, and original salary grade. In May 1979, the Association also reviewed the case of Ding Ling and Chen Qixia regarding the alleged “anti-Party clique,” concluding that the claim of such a clique did not hold, that their designation as rightists had been erroneous, and that correction was warranted. Accordingly, in September 1979 and January 1980, with the consent of both the CPC Central Organization Department and the CPC Central Committee, their Party membership, political honors, and former salary level were restored. In August 1984, the CPC Central Organization Department issued another notice, “Regarding the Restoration of Comrade Ding Ling’s Reputation,” reaffirming that the earlier designations of Ding Ling as part of the “Ding-Ling-Chen anti-Party clique” and as a “rightist” were both incorrect and invalid. It also reiterated the 1940 conclusion of the Central Organization Department—that Ding Ling remained a loyal Communist Party member devoted to the Party and the revolution—and instructed relevant authorities to take appropriate measures to rectify any lingering negative impressions. As for Xiao Jun’s rehabilitation, in April 1980, after receiving approval from both the CPC Central Organization Department and the Publicity Department, the Beijing Municipal Party Committee issued an official political statement affirming that he was “a revolutionary writer who supported the Communist Party, socialism, and national dignity.” The statement further noted that the claim in the Literary Gazette’s January 1958 “re-criticism” editor’s note—that Xiao Jun had “colluded with certain individuals in Yan’an to engage in anti-Party activities”—was inconsistent with the facts at the time, thereby restoring his reputation.

[2] Zhang Guangnian was then the editor-in-chief of the Literary Gazette. Hou Jinjing and Chen Xiaoyu served as deputy editors-in-chief at the time.

[3] Wang Shiwei had been a researcher at the Literary Research Office of the Yan’an Central Academy. He was criticized during the Rectification Movement for publishing works such as “Wild Lily Flowers.” In October 1942, he was expelled from the Party and detained later that same year. In 1946, he was declared an “anti-revolutionary Trotskyist spy.” In July 1947, he was executed under wartime conditions. In his speech at the Expanded Meeting of the CPC Central Committee in 1962, Mao Zedong remarked: “We have consistently criticized the execution of Wang Shiwei, believing that it should not have taken place.” (From the 1986 New Edition of Selected Works of Mao Zedong.) This remark was included in the commentary with the note: “The allegation that he was a hidden Kuomintang spy or agent has been proven unfounded.” On February 7, 1991, the Ministry of Public Security issued a decision following a review of Wang Shiwei’s Trotskyist affiliation, stating: “No evidence was found to support the claim that Comrade Wang Shiwei had participated in Trotskyist organizations. Therefore, the 1946 determination that he was an ‘anti-revolutionary Trotskyist spy’ is hereby corrected, and his wrongful execution during wartime is hereby exonerated.”