Regarding
the annotations and revisions to “Some Current Issues Raised in the Rural Socialist Education Movement” and the Central Committee’s Notice [1]
(December 1964, January 1965)
Carry out as instructed.
Mao Zedong
11:00 PM, December 24
Distribute as is.
Mao Zedong
December 27, 1964

Regarding the annotations and revisions to “Some Current Issues Raised in the Rural Socialist Education Movement” and the Central Committee’s Notice
The text on page two, lines three from the bottom (line 121), has been reprinted with corrections.
Please have Comrade Shaoqi review it and then submit it to the Confidential Office for processing. This was suggested by Comrade Bo Da; I concur. If you also agree, please proceed accordingly.
Four
Mao Zedong
December 31

These two formulations neither specify which society’s contradictions of “four clears versus four unclarities” they refer to, nor do they clarify whether they involve intersecting intra-Party and extra-Party conflicts. On the surface, the notion of “four clears versus four unclarities” could apply to any society throughout history; similarly, the idea of “intersecting intra-Party and extra-Party conflicts” could be attributed to any political party. Neither explanation reveals the nature of today’s contradictions, and therefore they are not Marxist-Leninist.
Five
To forget this fundamental theory and practice of our Party over the past decade or so would lead us down a wrong path.
/\
In cities, the socialist education movement was previously known as the Five-Anti Campaign, later generally referred to as the Four-Clears Movement, thereby abolishing the name “Five Antis.”
Seven
Comrade Mao Zedong
said at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Political Bureau held in July 1964, attended by the first secretaries of the central bureaus of major regions:
What are the criteria for successfully carrying out the socialist education movement?
1.
We must see whether the poor and lower-middle peasants have truly been mobilized or remain unmobilized.
2.
Whether the issue of “four unclarities” among cadres has been resolved or not.
3.
Whether cadres participate in labor or abstain from it.
4.
Whether a strong leading core has been established or not.
5.
When elements such as landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, and bad elements engaging in sabotage are discovered, should the matter be escalated upward, or should the masses be mobilized to exercise strict supervision and carry out local transformation?
6.
We need to determine whether production has increased or decreased.
At that time, the expanded meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Political Bureau deemed these criteria appropriate for assessing whether our country’s socialist education movement was being conducted effectively. We continue to consider them suitable today.
Eight
Return to Comrade Chen Boda for handling.
Add the word “Public Security” on page twelve.
Mao Zedong
January 14

Annotations and Revisions to “Some Current Issues Raised in the Rural Socialist Education Movement” and the Central Committee’s Notice
[1]
“Some Current Issues Raised in the Rural Socialist Education Movement” (commonly known as the “Twenty-Three Articles”) is the minutes of a national working conference convened by the CPC Central Political Bureau. The CPC Central Committee issued it to the entire Party on January 14, 1965, under Document No. Zhongfa [65] 26. Its formation followed a process: on December 24, 1964, the second draft bore the title “Some Current Issues Raised in the Socialist Education Movement,” with the following note in parentheses beneath: “Minutes of a Meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Political Bureau—Unfinalized Draft. Comments Welcome for Further Revision.” The full text comprised sixteen articles. That evening at 10 p.m., Chen Boda submitted this document to Mao Zedong, appending the remark: “Please, Chairman, review it! Kindly advise whether it should be printed as revised!” After reviewing it, Mao Zedong penned the annotation found in Part One of this document. On December 27, the same document was again presented to Mao Zedong for review, but a seventeenth article had been added: “The above provisions shall, in principle, also apply to the urban Four-Clears Movement.” The title was changed to “Some Current Issues Raised in the Rural Socialist Education Movement,” and the parenthetical note was revised to read “Minutes of a National Working Conference Convened by the CPC Central Political Bureau.” On that day, Mao Zedong altered the parenthetical phrase to “Minutes of a National Working Conference Convened by the CPC Central Political Bureau,” replaced the date “December 24” with “December 27,” removed the words “Second Draft,” and wrote an annotation above the title, which constitutes Part Two of this document. On December 28, the CPC Central Committee published these minutes under Document No. Zhongfa [64] 811. By December 31, the CPC Central Office had issued a notice suspending the distribution of Zhongfa [64] 811, stating that “the Central Committee is still revising these minutes; please cease distribution and destroy the copies yourselves.” On the cover of the revised Zhongfa [64] 811 document, Mao Zedong penned the annotation appearing in Part Three of this document. On the same day, the CPC Central Committee issued the revised minutes under Document No. Zhongfa [64] 815. In January 1965, the Central Committee continued to deliberate and refine these minutes, expanding the original seventeen articles to twenty-three. Seven new sections were added—on the situation, criteria for successful implementation, concentrating forces for annihilation battles, conducting work across the board, issues concerning cadres, establishing associations of poor and lower-middle peasants, and methods of thinking—while one section on group issues was deleted. Numerous textual revisions were also made. Finally, on January 14, 1965, the CPC Central Committee issued these minutes under Document No. Zhongfa [65] 26. In its announcement regarding their publication, the Central Committee stated: “Any previous documents issued by the Central Committee concerning the socialist education movement that conflict with this document shall be superseded by it. This document is to be distributed to county-level and higher Party committees, as well as to work teams and squad Party committees.” Parts Four through Seven contain Mao Zedong’s revisions to the January 8, 1965 draft of the minutes. Part Eight consists of Mao Zedong’s annotations written on the January 12, 1965 draft of the minutes.
[2]
The original text read: “These power-holders include those operating openly, those acting behind the scenes, those at the grassroots level, and those in high positions. Among those at the grassroots level are landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, and other undesirable elements who have already been identified or overlooked.”
Chen Boda revised it to: “These power factions include those operating openly and those acting behind the scenes. Those behind the scenes may be at the grassroots level or in higher echelons. At the grassroots level, there are landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, and other undesirable elements who have already been identified, as well as those who have been missed.”
[3]
Bo Da, i.e., Chen Boda, was at that time an alternate member of the CPC Central Political Bureau, director of the Central Research Office, and Mao Zedong’s secretary.
[4]
The words “public security” were added after “health” in the sentence: “Thus, progress will be made in all areas—production, construction, science, culture, education, health, and militia work.”