China's Official Newspaper: The Cultural Revolution Must Never Be Repeated

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Cultural Revolution of the People's Republic of China, the official newspaper of the Communist Party described it as a "mistake" that "must never be repeated." The "People's Daily" stated on May 28, "We must never forget the lessons learned from the Cultural Revolution... We cannot and must not allow a mistake like that to happen again." Over the past decades, it has been very rare for any official newspaper or media in China to directly comment on this event. The government has effectively placed discussions about this period of Communist China’s history on the list of "taboo topics." May 16 (May 27) marks the anniversary of one of the "deadliest" and "most violent" political events in contemporary China; the time when Mao Zedong ordered the start of the "class struggle." During this "revolution," schools were closed, and the economy of the "Middle Kingdom" faced recession. Estimates indicate that this "revolution" led to the deaths of 1.5 million people and the arrest and trial of millions more. A group of analysts considers its goal to be the cleansing of the government from Mao's opponents and his ideology. After Mao's death (1893-1976), the Cultural Revolution effectively ended with the arrest of his wife and three others (known as the Gang of Four). Jiang Qing, Mao's wife, who played a key role in the Cultural Revolution, was sentenced to death and then commuted to life imprisonment. She committed suicide in 1991. Mao remains the most iconic figure of the People's Republic of China, with his images visible in streets, public places, banknotes, and government offices. The "People's Daily" now states, after fifty years, that "history always moves forward." According to this newspaper, "We learn from history to make better progress." The newspaper has called on everyone to support President Xi Jinping and stated that "right" and "left" should not exploit the Cultural Revolution for their own interests. Although Mao's death and the end of the "Cultural Revolution" concluded part of his policies, especially in the economy and market, groups loyal to his thoughts, sometimes referred to as "radical leftists" or "neo-Maoists," still exist in the political scene. These individuals believe that over the decades, the class gap in China has not only persisted but has widened. Earlier this month, during a concert at the "Great Hall of the People" (located at the corner of the famous Tiananmen Square in Beijing), parts of songs and propaganda from the Mao era and the Cultural Revolution were played, leading to media controversies in the country. The article published in the comments section of the Communist Party's official newspaper was released one day after the anniversary of the Cultural Revolution, without any reference to the events during the anniversary itself.