Deng Xiaoping’s Forgotten Disquisitions 

on the Cultural Revolution

Original Author: Fengleiji 4785

Date & Time: April 20, 2026, 19:30

Note: The following are Deng Xiaoping’s commentaries on the Cultural Revolution made during Chairman Mao's lifetime. It must be said that these statements were highly correct; he admitted to making serious errors in direction, and his understanding of his own mistakes appeared, on the surface, to be sincere. It was precisely because the Party and the people believed he was a good leader capable of correcting his mistakes that he was rehabilitated. Regrettably, for reasons unknown, he later said and did the exact opposite of everything here, leading to the situation China faces today. History has a memory, and people do not forget. This is brought up again now to provoke deeper research into this bizarre phenomenon.

— Cao Shang Fei April 18, 2026

"The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was personally initiated and led by our great leader Chairman Mao. This is a great revolutionary movement to promote proletarian ideology and eradicate bourgeois ideology, to ensure that our country never changes its political color, and to avoid the danger of revisionism and capitalist restoration. This is a magnificent feat in the world proletarian revolution. Long live the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution!" — (Deng Xiaoping, "Self-Criticism at the Central Work Conference," October 23, 1966)

Listen to this: the Cultural Revolution is a "great revolutionary movement to avoid the danger of revisionism and capitalist restoration," a "magnificent feat in the world proletarian revolution," accompanied by the shout of "Long live the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution!" It can be said that his evaluation of the Cultural Revolution was not only correct, but highly precise.

"To me personally, the Cultural Revolution also saved me, preventing me from sinking into an even deeper abyss of sin." — (Deng Xiaoping, "My Self-Narration," June 20 to July 5, 1967)

An important task of the Cultural Revolution was to touch people's souls and reform their thinking. If he had truly recognized this and strived to correct his mistakes, he would not have gone down the wrong path. Unfortunately, he merely adopted a strategy of bending so that he could stretch later, just to get the Party and the people to liberate him.

"What is particularly grave is that for a long time, I failed to hold high the great red banner of Mao Zedong Thought. It was entirely right for the Cultural Revolution to expose and criticize me. For me personally, it was also a form of salvation. I fully support Chairman Mao’s words that the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was absolutely necessary and most timely." — (Deng Xiaoping, "Letter to Mao Zedong," August 3, 1972)

"For a long time, I failed to hold high the great red banner of Mao Zedong Thought"—this part is actually true. "I fully support Chairman Mao’s words that the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was absolutely necessary and most timely"—but these were not heartfelt words. His subsequent words and deeds have torn away his mask of hypocrisy.

"Our Party adheres to Marxism-Leninism and the socialist line. But some people do not want Marxism-Leninism, nor do they want socialism. These people often take advantage of times when we are calm and stable to secretly trip us up, leaving us flat on our backs. They use this opportunity to take China down the capitalist road. Liu Shaoqi is exactly this kind of person. If Chairman Mao had not launched the Cultural Revolution—allowing us to see clearly the struggle between capitalism, Marxism-Leninism, and socialism through big-character posters, speaking out freely, airing views fully, and holding great debates—many comrades would have made the same mistake. Now, things have basically been turned around. This is the primary achievement of the Cultural Revolution. Therefore, regarding the Cultural Revolution, its achievements primarily guaranteed the nature of the Party and ensured that the nation did not change its color. Chairman Mao's greatness is precisely manifested here." — (Deng Xiaoping’s speech at a forum of provincial Party leaders chaired by Hua Guofeng, July 20, 1977)

Here, he profoundly and bitterly criticized Liu Shaoqi, affirming that "regarding the Cultural Revolution, its achievements primarily guaranteed the nature of the Party and ensured that the nation did not change its color." This also hit the nail on the head. But why did he later completely overturn this verdict? This is a question worthy of serious concern by the people.

"The Chinese people will forever cherish the memory of Chairman Mao. The successes we have achieved are inseparable from his leadership. As for the Cultural Revolution, we affirm it. At the 11th National Party Congress, we reaffirmed the great significance of the Cultural Revolution. We pointed out that great revolutions of this nature will still be carried out in the future. Of course, how to do it and what methods to adopt will not be blindly copied. Chairman Mao made a correct evaluation of the Cultural Revolution during his lifetime. He said the Cultural Revolution had shortcomings, but was basically correct. In his words, it was 'seventy percent achievements, thirty percent mistakes.' We, the Chinese people, can feel that seventy percent achievement. Why was the Cultural Revolution launched? It was in light of the Soviet Union's experience of turning revisionist... Of course, within the Party, there was an opportunist line led by Liu Shaoqi that opposed Chairman Mao. Chairman Mao corrected it many times, but it could not be corrected." — ("Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s Talk with British Friend Jenkinson," July 17, 1978)

"Chairman Mao made a correct evaluation of the Cultural Revolution during his lifetime. He said the Cultural Revolution had shortcomings, but was basically correct. In his words, it was 'seventy percent achievements, thirty percent mistakes.'" How could he later totally negate the Cultural Revolution on the grounds that it was "overthrowing everything and a full-scale civil war"? This question is also worth exploring.

"At the Eleventh Plenary Session, Chairman Mao’s big-character poster was a bombardment of the headquarters of Comrade Liu Shaoqi and myself. In this big-character poster, Chairman Mao pointed out with piercing insight that the nature of the mistakes we made was 'taking a reactionary bourgeois stand, exercising a bourgeois dictatorship, striking down the surging movement of the great cultural revolution of the proletariat, turning facts upside down, confusing black and white, encircling and suppressing revolutionaries, suppressing different opinions, practicing white terror, and feeling self-satisfied. How poisonous it is to boost the arrogance of the bourgeoisie and deflate the morale of the proletariat!' Chairman Mao’s bombardment was highly accurate; it struck my vital point." — (Deng Xiaoping, "Self-Criticism at the Central Work Conference," October 23, 1966)

He admitted that "Chairman Mao’s bombardment was highly accurate; it struck my vital point." Why is it that after Chairman Mao passed away, he said that the Cultural Revolution "confused the enemy and ourselves" and "was not a revolution in any sense"?

"Long live the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution! Long live the great, invincible Mao Zedong Thought! Long live our great teacher, great helmsman, and great leader Chairman Mao!" — (Deng Xiaoping, "Self-Criticism at the Central Work Conference," October 23, 1966)

Since he shouted these three "Long lives," why did he later use his actions to smash them to pieces?

"At the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, Comrade Liu Shaoqi and I put forward a bourgeois reactionary line that struck at the revolutionary masses, struck at the revolutionaries, suffocated the mass movement, and suffocated the Cultural Revolution." — (Deng Xiaoping, "My Self-Narration," June 20 to July 5, 1967)

He admitted that he and Liu Shaoqi together executed a bourgeois reactionary line. Why did he later deny the objective existence of the Liu-Deng bourgeois headquarters, and claim instead that Chairman Mao had made a "Leftist" error?

Of course, a person's understanding can change over time. However, to go from one extreme to another like he did—a complete 180-degree turn—requires some sort of justification to be convincing. This is a historical subject worthy of research, and I hope everyone will participate in the discussion.

April 20, 2026