As Vice-Chairman Yeh points out, the new Party Constitution stresses that the whole Party must always hold high and resolutely defend the great banner of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought and ensure that our Party's cause will continue to advance triumphantly along the Marxist line. The Constitution emphasizes that the Party persists in combating revisionism, and dogmatism and empiricism, and that it upholds dialectical materialism and historical materialism as its world outlook and opposes the idealist and metaphysical world outlook. The Constitution gives prominence to the question of adhering to the basic principles of the "three do's and three don'ts" and stresses the need for revolutionary boldness in daring to go against any tide that runs counter to these three basic principles. It points to the extreme importance of democratic centralism, stipulating that democracy should be given full scope, that it is absolutely impermissible for anyone to suppress criticism or to retaliate, and that those guilty of doing so should be investigated and punished. It emphasizes that the Party must have not only democracy, but also and still more so, centralism, and that it is imperative to strengthen Party discipline. To safeguard the principle and discipline of democratic centralism, the new Party Constitution stipulates that commissions for inspecting discipline are to be set up. It also stipulates that the Party must train and bring up in mass struggles millions of successors in the revolutionary cause of the proletariat in accordance with the five requirements put forward by Chairman Mao and form leading bodies at all levels according to the principle of combining the old, the middle-aged and the young. The Constitution stresses the need to keep to and carry forward the fine traditions of following the mass line and seeking truth from facts. It provides that all probationary members without exception may become full members only after a probationary period of one year, so as to ensure their political quality.

Vice-Chairman Yeh points out that the draft of the revised Party Constitution, holding high the great banner of Chairman Mao, fully embodies his teachings on Party building and the theory and line of continuing the revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat, and reflects the fruits of victory in the great struggle to smash the "gang of four." The new Party Constitution to be adopted at this congress, he says, will be an important weapon for strengthening our Party building ideologically and organizationally. Party organizations at all levels and all Party members must conscientiously study the Party Constitution, abide by it strictly, implement it resolutely, and fight against any words and deeds running counter to it.

The reports delivered by Chairman Hua and Vice-Chairman Yeh and the draft of the revised Party Constitution were conscientiously and warmly discussed by the congress. The minds of the delegates were at ease and they spoke freely. The congress proceeded in an atmosphere of liveliness and vigour. It gave full expression to our Party's fine tradition and fine style of work and to its unity and vitality.

In the course of the discussions the delegates warmly praised the monumental contributions of our great leader and teacher Chairman Mao and praised our wise leader Chairman Hua for his great service in leading our Party in smashing the "gang of four," thus saving our Party and country. The congress considers that in his political report Chairman Hua, holding high the great banner of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought, comprehensively summed up the basic experience in the eleventh struggle between the two lines in the Party, accurately expounded Chairman Mao's great theory of continuing the revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat, profoundly analysed the international and domestic situation and explicitly set forth the tasks for the present and for some time to come. It is a programme which guides our Party, army and people in their struggle to win new victories in the socialist revolution and construction.

Speaking of what had happened on various fronts, the delegates indignantly laid bare and criticized the heinous crimes of the "gang of four" against the Communist Party, the people and the revolution. The congress warmly hailed the great victory our Party scored in the eleventh struggle between the two lines by smashing the Wang-Chang-Chiang-Yao anti-Party clique. The congress fully approved the measures taken by the Party Central Committee headed by Comrade Hua Kuo-feng to smash the "gang of four" and the Resolution on the Anti-Party Clique of Wang Hung-wen, Chang Chun-chiao, Chiang Ching and Yao Wen-yuan, adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the Tenth Central Committee. It pledged to carry the struggle to expose and criticize the "gang of four" through to the end.

The delegates discussed the international and domestic situation and pointed out that the Party's great victory in the eleventh struggle between the two lines is the basic indicator of the excellent situation in our country. The mass movements to learn from Taching in industry and from Tachai in agriculture are surging ahead vigorously on an unprecedented scale. A socialist revolutionary campaign to emulate, learn from, catch up with, help and in turn surpass each other is unfolding everywhere. Good news keeps pouring in that new records have been set on the industrial and agricultural fronts. The congress expressed the determination that under the leadership of the Central Committee headed by Chairman Hua, we must advance from victory to victory, grasp revolution and promote production and other work and preparedness against war, and achieve outstanding successes to offset the losses caused by the interference and sabotage of the "gang of four," so as to render a bigger contribution to making China a powerful modern socialist country.

At 3:00 on the afternoon of August 18, the congress held its third plenary session. After full consultation and discussion, the delegates elected the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China by secret ballot. The congress unanimously adopted a resolution on the political report and the new Constitution of the Communist Party of China and the report on the revision of the Party Constitution. When Comrade Teng Hsiao-ping, the Executive Chairman of the congress, announced the election of our wise leader Comrade Hua Kuo-feng to the Central Committee, the hall resounded with a prolonged and stormy ovation. Altogether 201 Members and 132 Alternate Members of the Central Committee were elected.

Vice-Chairman Teng Hsiao-ping gave the closing address amid warm applause. He says that the congress will go down in the glorious history of our Party as a congress that has carried out Chairman Mao's revolutionary line correctly and comprehensively, revived and carried forward our Party's fine tradition and fine style of work and ushered in a new period of development in our socialist revolution and socialist construction.

Vice-Chairman Teng says that we must revive and carry forward the fine traditions and style of work which Chairman Mao fostered in our Party - following the mass line, seeking truth from facts, conducting criticism and self-criticism, being modest and prudent and free from arrogance and impetuosity, keeping to plain living and hard struggle and practising democratic centralism. We must strive to bring about a political situation in the whole Party, the whole army and the whole country in which there are both centralism and democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will and personal ease of mind and liveliness.

Vice-Chairman Teng points out that the smashing of the "gang of four" has changed the face of the whole Party and the whole nation. We have scored tremendous victories. But there are many problems to be tackled and many difficulties to be surmounted. We are full of confidence that so long as we really have faith in the masses and rely on them we can surmount these difficulties one by one and go on to one new victory after another.

Vice-Chairman Teng calls on the whole Party, the whole army and the people of all our nationalities to hold high and defend the great banner of Chairman Mao, carry out his behests, rally all the more closely round the Party Central Committee headed by Comrade Hua Kuo-feng, persist in continuing the revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat, mobilize all positive factors inside and outside the Party, and at home and abroad, and strive to implement the strategic decision, "grasp the key link of class struggle and bring about great order across the land," consolidate the dictatorship of the proletariat and make China a great, powerful, modern socialist country by the end of the century, so as to make a greater contribution to humanity.

To the stirring strains of The Internationale, the Eleventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China drew to a triumphant close.

(NO.  35 AUGUST 26, 1977)