Remarks on the Revised Draft of “On the Ten Major Relationships” [1]
(July 13, 1975)
Agreed. It may be circulated for review by members of the Politburo. For the time being, it should not be made public; instead, it can be distributed throughout the Party for discussion, without publication in the newspapers. It will be made public when a collected works volume is issued in the future.
Mao Zedong
July 13, 1975
[1]
On July 13, 1975, Deng Xiaoping, Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, who was then in charge of the daily work of the central leadership, submitted to Mao Zedong for review an article titled “On the Ten Major Relationships,” which had been reorganized under the direction of Hu Qiaomu, then the principal person in charge of the Political Research Office of the State Council. In his submission report, Deng Xiaoping stated: “During our reading and revision, we unanimously felt that this document is extremely important, possessing strong relevance and theoretical guiding significance both for the present and for the future, and also having considerable influence internationally, particularly within the Third World. Therefore, we have the following idea: We hope to finalize the draft as soon as possible and, once finalized, to publish it publicly, designating it as an important document for the entire country’s study of theory. We respectfully request your consideration of this matter.” Attached to Deng Xiaoping’s report was also Hu Qiaomu’s “A Few Brief Explanations Regarding the Revised Draft of ‘On the Ten Major Relationships,’” dated July, which noted: “This revised draft has been compiled based on two records—one of the Chairman’s speech at the expanded meeting of the CPC Central Political Bureau in April 1956, and another of his address to the Supreme State Conference in May 1956.” The explanatory note listed several revisions made to the content and wording of the draft. After reviewing the document, Mao Zedong wrote these remarks. This speech was later included in Volume Five of the Collected Works of Mao Zedong, published in April 1977. Prior to the publication of Volume Five, with the approval of the CPC Central Committee, it was published in the People’s Daily on December 26, 1976.

Conversations and Remarks Concerning Literary and Artistic Work [l]
(July 14 and November 15, 1975)
The Party’s policy on literature and art should be adjusted. Over the course of one, two, or three years, literary and artistic programs should be gradually expanded. There is a shortage of poetry, novels, prose, and literary criticism. As for writers, we should learn from past mistakes to prevent future ones and treat them as patients needing healing; unless they are counterrevolutionaries concealing serious anti-revolutionary activities, we should assist them.
Back then, Lu Xun was attacked by Hu Shi, the Creation Society, the Sun Society, the Crescent Moon Society, and the Kuomintang. Had Lu Xun still been alive, he would not have approved keeping people like Zhou Yang imprisoned for so long. They have become estranged from the masses. We already have editions of “Dream of the Red Chamber” and “Water Margin” available. There is no need to rush; things can gradually become more vibrant over the next year or two, or even three, four, or five years.
What are we afraid of? In 1957, the rightists launched a rampant offensive, and we responded by publishing their criticisms of us in the newspapers. Ultimately, we repelled their attack.
Previously, “Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” did not adequately portray the Second and Fourth Front Armies, which was problematic. I’ve heard that this has now been corrected.
Literary and artistic issues are ideological matters, but we must not act hastily. The people cannot offer commentary unless they have access to the relevant materials.
In “Anti-Dühring,” the University of Berlin dismissed Dühring (2) from his position, which angered Engels. Debate is debate—why remove someone from office simply because of disagreement? Dühring lived to be over eighty years old, yet his reputation remained poor.
When disciplining individuals, we must be cautious. Frequent dismissals or imprisonments indicate nervous exhaustion. If Lin Biao (3) hadn’t fled, we wouldn’t have killed him; criticism is necessary.
During Chiang Kai-shek’s era, newspapers, radio, schools, and films were all controlled by his forces, which deceived the people. We ourselves came from that background. I studied Confucianism and capitalism for thirteen years without ever encountering Marxism. It was only after the October Revolution that I began to study Marxist theory—I had been unaware of it before. Reactionaries do not possess much real power; they survive by exploitation, and their soldiers are mostly conscripts. Therefore, we have no reason to fear them.
[l]
“Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” is a ten-act play produced by the General Political Department Drama Troupe of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, first performed in 1955. It depicts the Long March of the Red Army. In 1964, Mao Zedong watched the performance, commended certain plot points and characters, and offered suggestions for better portraying the unity and combativeness of the various Red Army corps. Following repeated revisions, it was restaged on April 1, 1974.
[2]
Dühring refers to Karl Eugen Dühring, a German philosopher and vulgar economist who served as a lecturer at the University of Berlin. He advocated for a “comprehensive transformation” of philosophy, political economy, and socialist theory, openly opposing Marxism. In his book “Anti-Dühring,” written between 1876 and 1878, Engels systematically criticized Dühring’s theoretical system. In 1877, Dühring was stripped of his teaching position for publicly accusing Professor Helmholtz of the University of Berlin’s physics department.
[3]
Lin Biao was formerly Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission. During the Cultural Revolution, he formed a counterrevolutionary clique together with Chen Boda and others, colluding with and competing against Jiang Qing’s counterrevolutionary group in a bid to seize the highest leadership positions of the Party and the state. After their conspiracy was exposed, he fled abroad by plane on September 13, 1971, and died in a plane crash near Ulaan Kherkhe in Mongolia. In August 1973, the CPC Central Committee passed a resolution expelling Lin Biao from the Party. In 1981, a special tribunal of the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China formally designated him as the principal culprit in the counterrevolutionary clique case.

Conversation and Remarks Concerning Literary and Artistic Work
It was Lin Biao who was afraid to fight. When ordered to capture Jinzhou, he refused. Only in the final two days did he advance, capturing 100,000 enemy troops. We also eliminated Liao Yaoxiang (I). Changchun and Shenyang were liberated.
Releasing prisoners well is effective; it greatly frightens the Kuomintang.
Please circulate this among all members of the Politburo for discussion.
My remarks are incomplete. At the very least, we should mention Lu Xun’s essay “Peeling a Rotten Apple,” No. 121. Comrade Wen Yuan, please locate this text—No. 131—and arrange for its distribution so that it can be discussed.
Mao Zedong
November 15
[I]
Liao Yaoxiang was formerly the lieutenant general commander of the Ninth Corps of the Nationalist Army. He was captured after his entire force was annihilated during the second phase of the Liaoshen Campaign in late October 1948.
[2]
Lu Xun’s essay “Peeling a Rotten Apple” can be found in his collection of miscellaneous essays, “Miscellaneous Talks on Wind and Moon,” specifically in the section titled “On Translation (Part II).” In this essay, Lu Xun uses the metaphor of a rotten apple to criticize the tendency to demand absolute perfection—whether in people or in literary works—and the practice of excessively scrutinizing authors, texts, and translations. He argues that critics should not discard a piece outright just because it contains flaws, but rather strive to “peel away” those imperfections.
[3]
Wen Yuan refers to Yao Wenyuan.

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On July 24, 1975, Mao Zedong dictated Lu Xun’s poem “In Memory of Yang Zhui” and presented it as a gift to Tang Youzhi.

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In 1975, Mao Zedong was at Zhongnanhai with ophthalmologist Tang Youzhi (third from the left) and other medical staff A-pai Wang
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