The Seventh National Congress of the CPC and the Building of the Party’s Work Style

The Seventh National Congress of the CPC [1]1 The Seventh National Congress of the CPC was held in Yan’an from April 23 to June 11, 1945. It is considered a landmark event that established Mao Zedong Thought as the Party’s guiding ideology and unified the Party’s leadership and direction during the final stages of the Anti-Japanese War. holds milestone significance in the history of the Party’s work style building. The “Three Great Work Styles” [2]2 The “Three Great Work Styles” refer to the Party’s tradition of integrating theory with practice, maintaining close ties with the masses, and practicing criticism and self-criticism, as formally articulated by Mao Zedong at the Seventh National Congress. summarized and established by Mao Zedong not only laid a solid foundation for the Party to lead the people in winning nationwide victory in the New Democratic Revolution, but also pointed the correct direction for building a Marxist governing party after the victory of the democratic revolution.

党的七大在中国共产党的作风建设史上具有里程碑意义。毛泽东总结并确立的“三大作风”，不仅为党领导人民争取新民主主义革命在全国的胜利奠定坚实基础，而且为民主革命胜利后马克思主义执政党的建设指明正确方向。

Mao Zedong and the Agenda of the Seventh National Congress

毛泽东与七大的议程

According to the Party Constitution adopted at the Sixth National Congress of the CPC [3]3 The Sixth National Congress of the CPC was held in Moscow in 1928, due to the difficult security situation in China under the Kuomintang regime., the National Congress of the Party was to be convened once a year. That is to say, the Seventh National Congress should have been held in 1929, but in fact it was not convened until 1945, a gap of 17 years from the Sixth National Congress. Regarding this, Hu Qiaomu [4]4 Hu Qiaomu (1912–1992) was a senior CPC theorist and propaganda official who served as Mao Zedong’s secretary and later played a key role in drafting Party documents and the 1982 Constitution. once explained: “Initially the main reason was war; later it was not war, the main reason was rectification [5]5 “Rectification” (zhengfeng) refers to the Yan’an Rectification Movement (1942–1944), a Party-wide ideological education campaign aimed at correcting subjectivism, sectarianism, and stereotypical Party writing, and establishing Mao Zedong’s authority., that is, to study historical issues. Only after historical issues were clarified could it be convened.”

按照党的六大通过的党章规定，党的全国代表大会每年召开一次。也就是说，党的七大应在1929年召开，而实际上到1945年才召开，这与党的六大时间相隔17年。对此，胡乔木曾解释说：“最初一个主要的原因是战争，后来不是战争，主要的原因就是整风，就是要研究历史问题。把历史问题研究清楚了才能开。”

In fact, as early as 1940, the Party Central Committee planned to convene the Seventh National Congress in the first half of 1941 to sum up the Party’s historical experience since the Sixth National Congress. It therefore decided to compile and print *Since the Sixth National Congress* (documentary materials) to prepare materials for the convening of the Seventh National Congress. This work was personally directed by Mao Zedong. It was precisely in this process that Mao Zedong gained a more systematic understanding and a deeper judgment of the “Left” deviation line [6]6 The “Left” deviation line refers to the adventurist and dogmatic policies pursued by some Party leaders, particularly under Wang Ming, during the early 1930s, which led to severe losses in the revolutionary base areas. in the history of the CPC. But his understanding could not yet become a consensus of the whole Party at that time.

其实，早在1940年，党中央就计划在1941年上半年召开党的七大，总结六大以来党的历史经验，于是决定编印《六大以来》（文献资料），为七大的召开准备材料。这项工作由毛泽东亲自负责。正是在这个过程中，毛泽东对中共党史上的“左”倾路线问题，有了更系统的了解和更深刻的判断。但他的认识当时还不能成为全党共识。

To unify the thinking of the whole Party, the Party Central Committee held an enlarged meeting of the Politburo in Yan’an in September 1941. The central topic of this meeting was to study the line issues in the Party’s history, especially in the later period of the Agrarian Revolution [7]7 The Agrarian Revolution (1927–1937) was the period of the Chinese Civil War when the CPC established rural soviets, redistributed land, and fought the Kuomintang, also known as the “Second Revolutionary Civil War” period., and to criticize subjectivism and sectarianism, thereby opening the prelude to the rectification movement at the central leadership level. After the meeting, Mao Zedong personally drafted the “Draft Conclusion” of the meeting, namely the *Draft Conclusion on the Line Issue of the Central Leadership since the Fourth Plenary Session* [8]8 The Fourth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee was held in January 1931; it marked the rise of Wang Ming’s “Left” line in the Party leadership.. The Party Central Committee also established a “Preparatory Committee for the Resolution on Historical Issues of the Party”. This committee, using the “Draft Conclusion” drafted by Mao Zedong as a base text and absorbing new understandings formed in various central meetings after the rectification, wrote a draft of the *Resolution on Certain Historical Issues* [9]9 The *Resolution on Certain Historical Issues* (the first “Historical Resolution”) was adopted in April 1945 at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee. It officially condemned the “Left” and Right deviations in Party history and affirmed Mao Zedong’s leadership.. The Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the CPC [10]10 The Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee was held in Yan’an from April 20, 1945, immediately before the Seventh National Congress, to finalize the first “Historical Resolution”. adopted this resolution. This is the origin of the Party’s first “Historical Resolution”.

为了统一全党思想，党中央于1941年9月在延安召开政治局扩大会议。这次会议的中心议题是，研究党的历史上特别是土地革命后期的路线问题，批判主观主义和宗派主义，从此拉开中央领导层整风运动的序幕。会后，毛泽东亲自起草会议的“结论草案”，即《关于四中全会以来中央领导路线问题结论草案》。党中央还成立了“党内历史问题决议准备委员会”。这个委员会以毛泽东起草的“结论草案”为底本，并吸收整风以后各次中央会议形成的新认识，写成《关于若干历史问题的决议》草案稿。党的六届七中全会通过了这个决议案。这就是党的第一个“历史决议”的由来。

The adoption of the first “Historical Resolution” indicated that the Party already possessed the conditions for convening a National Congress. It was also at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee that Mao Zedong presided over and discussed the agenda of the Seventh National Congress. Without the Yan’an Rectification Movement, it would have been impossible to form the first “Historical Resolution”; without the first “Historical Resolution”, it would have been impossible for the Seventh National Congress to be convened smoothly.

第一个“历史决议”的通过，表明党已经具备召开全国代表大会的条件。也正是在六届七中全会上，毛泽东主持并讨论党的七大的议事日程。没有延安整风运动，就不可能形成第一个“历史决议”；没有第一个“历史决议”，就不可能有党的七大的顺利召开。

On April 23, 1945, the Seventh National Congress opened at the Central Auditorium in Yangjialing, Yan’an. Mao Zedong delivered the opening speech *Two Fates of China* [11]11 *Two Fates of China* was Mao’s opening speech contrasting the possibility of a new-democratic China under CPC leadership with a semi-colonial, semi-feudal China under Kuomintang rule., submitted the written report *On Coalition Government* [12]12 *On Coalition Government* was Mao’s political report to the Seventh National Congress, outlining the Party’s program for a coalition government after the war., made oral reports on some issues in the political report and other issues, delivered the summary report of the Seventh National Congress, and gave the closing speech *The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains* [13]13 *The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains* is a fable Mao used in his closing speech to encourage perseverance in the revolutionary struggle, likening the Party to the old man who moves mountains through unyielding effort.. The Seventh National Congress lasted 50 days, closing on June 11, 1945, thus becoming the National Congress with the longest session time in the Party’s history.

1945年4月23日，党的七大在延安杨家岭中央大礼堂开幕。毛泽东致开幕词《两个中国之命运》，提交书面报告《论联合政府》，并就政治报告中的一些问题及其他问题作口头报告，作党的七大的总结报告，致闭幕词《愚公移山》。党的七大历时50天，至1945年6月11日闭幕，从而成为党的历史上会议时间最长的一次全国代表大会。

Summing Up the Past and Opening Up the Future

总结过去和开辟未来

The reason why the Seventh National Congress became “the most grand and most complete National Congress” since the founding of the Party was precisely because it truly carried on the past and opened up the future at a historical turning point. As mentioned earlier, the first “Historical Resolution” was originally to be submitted to the Seventh National Congress for discussion, but it was ultimately decided to be adopted by the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee. Regarding this, Mao Zedong explained: “This is a policy issue, not decided casually, because it can avoid the Congress focusing its attention on historical issues.” It can be seen from this that the general policy of the Seventh National Congress was “to look forward, not backward”. The Congress determined the Party’s political line as: boldly mobilize the masses, expand the people’s forces, under the leadership of the Communist Party, defeat the Japanese aggressors, liberate the entire Chinese people, and build a new-democratic China.

党的七大之所以成为建党以来“最盛大的最完满的一次全国代表大会”，就是因为它在历史转折关头真正做到继往开来。如前所述，第一个“历史决议”本来是要提交给七大讨论的，但最终决定由六届七中全会通过。对此，毛泽东解释说：“这是一个政策性的问题，不是随便决定的，因为这样可以避免大会把重心放在历史问题上。”由此可见，七大的总方针是“要向前看，而不是向后看”。大会确定党的政治路线是：放手发动群众，壮大人民力量，在共产党的领导下，打败日本侵略者，解放全国人民，建设一个新民主主义的中国。

In fact, looking deeper, the fundamental reason why the Seventh National Congress could carry on the past and open up the future at a historical turning point was that the Party Central Committee at that time had formed a consensus on the issue of the Chinese revolution, especially on the issue of Party building, and had applied it to the discussion of the Congress agenda and various policies. This is mainly manifested in three aspects.

其实，再向深一层看，党的七大之所以在历史转折关头能做到继往开来，其根本原因还在于当时党中央在中国革命问题上，尤其是在党的建设问题上已经形成共识，并把它应用到大会议事日程和各项方针政策的讨论中。这主要表现在三个方面。

First, adhere to “democratic centralism”. Mao Zedong pointed out: “Leading comrades in the Central Committee and leading organs at all levels should pay attention to listening to what people say; it is like a house, often opening the windows to let in fresh air.” What is referred to here is “democracy”, but he also emphasized “centralism”, because the whole Party is an integral whole, must “unify thinking”, and must “act in unison”. Mao Zedong pointed out: “You must understand that a contingent is often not very neat, so we must often call out ‘dress right, dress’, ‘dress left, dress’, ‘dress center, dress’. We must dress right towards the central benchmark, dress right towards the Congress benchmark.”

第一，坚持“民主集中”。毛泽东指出：“中央和各级领导机关的领导同志，要注意听人家的话，就是要像房子一样，经常打开窗户让新鲜空气进来。”这里说的是“民主”，同时他也强调“集中”，因为全党是一个整体，必须“统一思想”，必须“一致行动”。毛泽东指出：“要知道，一个队伍经常是不大整齐的，所以就要常常喊看齐，向左看齐，向右看齐，向中看齐。我们要向中央基准看齐，向大会基准看齐。”

Second, emphasize “uniting comrades”. Mao Zedong pointed out: “All comrades who have made mistakes politically in the past but have now corrected them, we must all unite with them. The whole Party should be united like a harmonious family, as stated in the resolution.” Regarding this, he further explained at the preparatory meeting of the Seventh National Congress: “In the past, we often said, united like one person; that was the rhetoric of writing articles. This time we say, united like a harmonious family… We should regard comrades as brothers and sisters; from this we can find comfort, when tired, we can rest here, ask about this and that, very cordially.”

第二，强调“团结同志”。毛泽东指出：“凡是政治上过去犯过错误现在改正了的同志，我们都要团结他们，全党要像决议上所说的团结得如同一个和睦的家庭一样。”对此，他在七大预备会上作进一步说明：“过去常说，团结得像一个人一样，那是写文章的词藻。我们这回说，团结得像一个和睦的家庭一样……我们要把同志看成兄弟姊妹一样，从这里能得到安慰，疲劳了，可以在这里休息休息，问长问短，亲切得很。”

Third, emphasize “the superior setting an example for the subordinate”. This was especially manifested in the issue of “self-criticism”. Mao Zedong also set an example personally, making self-criticism at the Congress: “I myself have also made mistakes. In 1927 I wrote an article; it had Marxist viewpoints, but on economic issues it lacked Marxist viewpoints, so the economic issues were written incorrectly. In addition, in over twenty years of work, whether in military, political, or Party affairs work, I have made many mistakes. These things were not written down; not writing them does not mean denying them. Because according to real history, real circumstances, I have made mistakes.” In Party building, this guiding role of “the superior setting an example for the subordinate” is of crucial importance.

第三，注重“以上率下”。这尤其表现在“自我批评”问题上。毛泽东还亲身示范，在大会上作自我批评：“我这个人也犯过错误。一九二七年我写过一篇文章，有马克思主义的观点，但是在经济问题上缺乏马克思主义的观点，所以经济问题写错了。此外，在二十多年的工作中，无论在军事、政治各方面，或在党务工作方面，我都犯了许多错误。这些东西都没写上去，不写并不是否定它。因为按照真实历史，真实情形，我是有错误的。”在党的建设中，这种“以上率下”的导向作用是至关重要的。

The “Three Great Work Styles” and Speaking Truth

“三大作风”和实话实说

The Communist Party of China, in its long revolutionary practice, formed unique fine traditions and work styles, mainly including the “Three Great Work Styles”: integrating theory with practice, maintaining close ties with the masses, and criticism and self-criticism. The Seventh National Congress, for the first time, wrote its basic spirit into the new Party Constitution adopted by the Congress. Integrating theory with practice means combining the basic principles of Marxism with the concrete reality of China, shooting the arrow at the target, and using the Marxist stand, viewpoint, and method to solve concrete problems. Maintaining close ties with the masses means that Party organizations at all levels and the vast number of Party cadres and members should be closely integrated with the masses of the people, proceed from the fundamental interests of the masses of the people in everything, and serve the people wholeheartedly. Criticism and self-criticism means that Party organizations and Party members should adopt a serious attitude towards shortcomings and mistakes existing within the Party and in themselves, actively carry out inner-Party ideological struggle, constantly eliminate various non-proletarian ideologies and work styles within the Party, and maintain the purity of the Party’s ideology.

中国共产党在长期的革命实践中，形成了独特的优良传统和作风，主要包括理论联系实际、紧密联系群众、批评和自我批评“三大作风”。党的七大第一次把它的基本精神写入大会通过的新党章中。理论联系实际，就是把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合，做到有的放矢，运用马克思主义的立场、观点、方法去解决具体问题。密切联系群众，就是党的各级组织和广大党员干部要同人民群众紧密结合在一起，一切从人民群众的根本利益出发，全心全意为人民服务。批评和自我批评，就是党的组织和党员对于党内和自身存在的缺点和错误，要采取严肃的态度，积极地开展党内思想斗争，不断地清除党内各种非无产阶级思想和作风，保持党的思想的纯洁性。

The “Three Great Work Styles” are the concentrated expression of the nature and purpose of the Communist Party of China and are the distinctive signs distinguishing the Party from other political parties. At the Seventh National Congress, Mao Zedong not only summarized them in written language in the political report, but also expressed them in colloquial language in his oral report. This is “to speak the truth”, to speak frankly. Mao Zedong put it vividly, called “no stealing, no pretending, no boasting” [14]14 “No stealing, no pretending, no boasting” is Mao’s colloquial formulation of the principle of truthfulness: no plagiarism, no false claims of knowledge, and no exaggeration of achievements..

“三大作风”是中国共产党性质和宗旨的集中体现，是党区别于其他政党的显著标志。在党的七大上，毛泽东不仅在政治报告中用书面语言将之概括出来，而且在口头报告中还以通俗语言把它表达出来。这就是“要讲真话”，实话实说。毛泽东讲得很形象，叫作“不偷、不装、不吹”。

What is “no stealing”? Mao Zedong pointed out: taking an entire pamphlet written by someone else, changing a few terms, claiming it as one’s own, putting one’s own name on it and publishing it. This kind of thing has always existed; it is called “plagiarism”. This is a manifestation of dishonesty. What is Marx’s is Marx’s, what is Lenin’s is Lenin’s; none of it should be stolen and turned into one’s own.

什么是“不偷”？毛泽东指出，把别人写的整本小册子，换上几个名词，就说是自己写的，把自己的名字安上就出版了。这种事情历来就有的，叫作“抄袭”。这是不诚实的表现。马克思的就是马克思的，列宁的就是列宁的，都不要把它偷来变成自己的。

What is “not pretending”? Mao Zedong pointed out that stealing is a social phenomenon, and pretending is also a social phenomenon. Our Party has never allowed pretending. It does not matter if one does not know; it does not matter if one knows little; even if one knows very little about Marxism-Leninism and has read very few Marxist-Leninist books, it does not matter — one should know as much as one knows. One must never “stick an onion in a pig’s nose and pretend to be an elephant.” [15]15 A Chinese folk saying meaning to pretend to be something one is not, often used to describe bluffing or putting on airs.

什么是“不装”？毛泽东指出，偷是社会现象，装也是社会现象。我们党内历来不允许装。不知道不要紧，知道得少不要紧，即使对马列主义知道得很少、马列的书读得很少也不要紧，知道多少就是多少。千万不要“猪鼻上插根葱——装象”。

There is also “not boasting,” that is, reporting the real numbers and not telling lies. In the past, when fighting battles, some units issued victory bulletins, reporting the number of prisoners taken and the amount of booty seized, and they liked to exaggerate their achievements to boost morale. But at the Seventh National Congress of the CPC, Mao Zedong explicitly demanded “reporting actual figures and settling accounts accordingly,” [16]16 A metaphor drawn from business accounting, meaning to report facts honestly without exaggeration or concealment. requiring not only an objective reflection of one’s own achievements but also the courage to openly disclose the shortcomings in one’s work to everyone.

还有一个“不吹”，就是报实数，不要扯谎。过去打仗时，有的部队发捷报，讲俘虏多少、缴获多少，喜欢虚报战绩，以壮声势。但在党的七大上，毛泽东明确要求“实报实销”，不仅要客观反映自己的成绩，而且也要敢于将自己工作中的缺点向大家公开。

Mao Zedong pointed out: “Once this problem is solved, our Party’s work style can become more practical.” From this, it can be seen that regarding the Party’s work style, Mao Zedong at the Seventh National Congress not only summarized and generalized but also advocated and practiced it. In his opening address to the congress, he emphasized: “We should be modest, prudent, and free from arrogance and rashness, and serve the Chinese people wholeheartedly.” [17]17 A quotation from Mao Zedong’s opening address to the Seventh National Congress, April 23, 1945. In his closing address to the congress, he again borrowed the fable of “The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains” [18]18 A Chinese fable from the Liezi, about an old man who persistently digs away two mountains blocking his path, symbolizing perseverance and collective effort. to call on the entire Party to “be resolute, fear no sacrifice, and surmount every difficulty to win victory.” [19]19 A quotation from Mao Zedong’s closing address to the Seventh National Congress, June 11, 1945, which uses the fable to inspire the Party to overcome difficulties. All this shows that in the history of the CPC’s work style building, the Seventh National Congress indeed has a landmark significance.

毛泽东指出：“这个问题解决了，我们党的作风就可以更切实了。”由此可见，对党的作风，毛泽东在七大上不仅有总结和概括，而且有倡导和践行。在大会开幕词中，他强调“我们应该谦虚，谨慎，戒骄，戒躁，全心全意地为中国人民服务”。在大会闭幕词中，他又借用“愚公移山”寓言，号召全党“下定决心，不怕牺牲，排除万难，去争取胜利”。这都表明在中国共产党作风建设史上，党的七大确实具有界碑性的特别意义。

(The author is a professor at the School of Marxism, Peking University)

（作者系北京大学马克思主义学院教授）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心