Comrade Boda and fellow Cultural Revolution comrades:
This document seems suitable for forwarding to the countryside. Please proceed as
appropriate.
Mao Zedong
November 7

[1] This comment appeared in Express No. 5290, published by the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of China's Cultural Revolution Group Office on November 5, 1967. This
issue of Express contained a five-part speech by Chen Yonggui, Deputy Director of the Shanxi
Provincial Revolutionary Committee, on the "Rural Cultural Revolution Movement." First,
"The Rural Cultural Revolution Movement must target the largest handful of capitalist-roaders in power within the Party" and "their handful of black minions, who have extended
themselves into the provinces, prefectures, and counties. They must be severely criticized
and fought against, their pernicious influence utterly eradicated." Second, Chairman Mao's
directives must be resolutely implemented, trusting and relying on the majority of cadres,
ensuring they both lead the movement and organize production. The spearhead must
absolutely not be directed against the vast majority of grassroots rural cadres or against
one's own people. The Cultural Revolution is not about overthrowing everything. To
overthrow everything would not defeat the enemy; instead, it would expand their power
and undermine the Cultural Revolution in the countryside. Third, in places where
revolutionary committees have been established, the Cultural Revolution in the countryside
must be directly led by the county and commune levels. Revolutionary leading cadres must
go deep into the brigades and production teams to conduct investigations and research,
understand the situation, grasp the direction, and help resolve problems at the grassroots
level. Fourth, we must rely on the poor and lower-middle peasants and organize a large
Cultural Revolution army composed primarily of them to liberate and educate themselves.
At the same time, we must resolutely suppress the sabotage activities of landlords, rich
peasants, counter-revolutionaries, and bad elements. Fifth, we must hold extensive Mao
Zedong Thought study classes, focusing on "fighting selfish and repudiating revisionism," to
strengthen ideological education for brigade and production team cadres. On November 7,
1967, the CPC Central Committee and the Central Cultural Revolution Group forwarded Chen
Yonggui's speech.