Why are you comrades always so passive in criticizing Chen? You won't move unless you are
given a push. You should give this matter some thought and take steps to turn passivity into
initiative.
Why do you always lack understanding? The 38th Army's morale is vastly different from
yours. What's the reason? We should look into it.
These are good words.
After Zhou and Kang [2] have read it, return it to the Military Commission.

[1] On February 20, 1971, the Central Military Commission's Office Group wrote a report to
Mao Zedong, stating: "On the evening of February 19, Premier Zhou conveyed Chairman
Mao's directive that 'the focus of launching the Criticize Chen and Rectify Work Style
Movement should be on criticizing Chen, and only then on rectifying the work style. Don't
emulate the Military Commission symposium, which lasted a month and still didn't criticize
Chen at all.' We held a special meeting today to study and discuss this matter. We
unanimously agree that the Chairman's important criticism of us is completely correct. This
is the Chairman's kind care and education for us. We firmly support and sincerely accept it."
This section contains Mao Zedong's comments on this report. The Military Commission
Office Group's report stated: "Due to our insufficient understanding of the importance of
'criticizing Chen' at this Military Commission symposium, we did not prioritize 'criticizing
Chen' during the 'Criticize Chen and Rectify Work Style' campaign. This was a serious
mistake." Mao Zedong underlined the phrase "due to our insufficient understanding of the
importance of 'criticizing Chen'" and wrote a comment, which is Section 2 of this section.
The Military Commission's working group's report stated: "We resolutely implement the
Chairman's instructions and carry out the 'Criticize Chen and Rectify the Work Style'
campaign throughout the army." We have conveyed the Chairman's important instruction
that "the emphasis in launching the campaign to criticize Chen and rectify the style of work
should be on criticizing Chen, and only then on rectifying the style of work" to all the



headquarters and military branches currently in session. We demanded that they first
earnestly carry out the campaign to criticize Chen, resolutely criticize and discredit the anti-
Party element Chen Boda politically, ideologically, in terms of line, and theory, thoroughly
eradicate his harmful influence, and raise the consciousness of the entire army in class
struggle and line struggle. Next to this passage, Mao Zedong drew a line and wrote a
comment, which is the third part of this article. The fourth part of this article was written on
the envelope containing the report submitted by the Central Military Commission of the
Communist Party of China to the Military Commission's Working Group. At that time, the
head of the Central Military Commission's Working Group was Huang Yongsheng, the deputy
head was Wu Faxian, and Ye Qun, Li Zuopeng, and Qiu Huizuo were members. During the
Cultural Revolution, they, along with Chen Boda, actively participated in the conspiracy of
the Lin Biao counter-revolutionary group to seize supreme power in the Party and the state,
and were the main culprits in this counter-revolutionary group.
[2] Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Kang refers to Kang Sheng, then a member of the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Central
Organization and Propaganda Group.