Whatever the Chairman Said: 11th Politburo of the Communist Party of China

September 9th, 1976. The words "Carry on the cause left by Chairman Mao and carry on the cause of proletarian revolution to the end." are left on a banner hung up on the wall of the Great Hall of the People. Chairman Mao Zedong is dead. For nearly three decades, Mao dominated Chinese politics. He shaped the young country through communist revolution and sweeping social reforms, which transformed one of the poorest countries on earth into a unified state. For the first time since 1949, China is without its founding leader. His final, most radical movement, the tumultuous Cultural Revolution, has left the nation fractured, plunged into a decade of political violence. Power now rests in the hands of the 11th Politburo. Under interim Chairman Hua Guofeng, Mao’s supposed successor, the Party adheres to the doctrine of the “Two Whatevers,” maintaining Mao’s policies and ideology. This has created deep divides in the party, with conservative figures such as Deng Xiaoping advocating for modernization and economic restructuring. Delegates will represent members of the Politburo, deciding whether reform or Maoism is the correct path. Topics include the restructuring of China’s economy, maintaining stability, and the rehabilitation of institutions devastated by the Cultural Revolution, ultimately deciding what China’s future ought to look like.

For any questions, please email the director at ccp@markmun.ca.