Abstract
Ever since the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), it has been a great tradition of the party to conduct investigations. This is the most important means by which Chinese communists gain an accurate grasp of social and historical processes in their country. The central collective leadership conducts research at a grassroots level to understand specific conditions, and this provides a factual basis for formulating correct strategies. As was advocated by Chen Yun, when discussing and deciding on major issues, the leadership devotes more than 90 % of their time to research and less than 10 % to deciding on the policy (Jiadong Liu 2004). Xi Jinping declared that investigation and study are more than just methods: they are also decisive elements for the cause of the party and the people. Through investigation and research, the leading cadres improve their ability to think, make judgments, and carry out their work (Xi Jinping 2011). On-the-ground investigations are of great significance for the CPC in terms of ensuring systematic, long-term rule.
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Notes
- 1.
Mao Zedong: “Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society” (December 1, 1925); Mao Zedong: “Investigative Report of the Peasant Movement in Hunan.” (1927 March): Xunwu; Mao Zedong “Survey” (1930 May); Mao Zedong “East Pond and Survey” preface (1930 November); Mao Zedong: “Country” preface, investigation (January 26, 1931); Mao Zedong: “Pay Attention to Economic Work” (August 12, 1933); Mao Zedong: “How to Analyze the Classes in Rural Areas” (1933 October); Mao Zedong: “Long Town” (1933 November) survey; Mao Zedong: “Survey of Tsaihsi Township” (1933 November); Mao Zedong: “Care for Life, Pay Attention to Methods of Work” (January 27, 1934).
- 2.
Mao Zedong said, “Many comrades inside the party don’t carry out investigations, and so they have no right to speak. They don’t know that systematic, thorough social investigation is the foundation of policy. They also don’t know that the basic task of leading bodies is to understand situations and policies and that without a proper understanding of these, the policies would be wrong. They also don’t know that the Japanese imperialists conduct detailed investigations and studies in China, as do the KMT, and they know a lot more than we do. They also don’t know that a crude and careless opinionated style deviates from the requirements of the party, whereas seeking truth from facts and closely combining theory with practice is the basic attitude of party members. Mao Zedong:” The Central Committee of the CCP’s Decision on Investigations” (August 1, 1941).
- 3.
Mao Zedong: “The Central Committee of the CCP’s Decision on Investigations” (August 1, 1941).
- 4.
Mao Zedong’s speech at the enlarged meeting of Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, February 18, 1958.
- 5.
Deng Xiaoping: “Build a Good Special Economic Zone, Be More Open to the Outside World” (February 24, 1984), see Xiaoping Deng (1993).
- 6.
These include the following: reform, development, stability, speed and benefits, economic construction and population, resources, environment, primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, eastern and western regions, market mechanism and macro-control, state-ownership and other economic components, income distribution among Chinese households, enterprise and the individual, expanding opening-up to the outside world and relying on one’s own efforts, central and local issues, national defense and economic construction, construction of material and spiritual civilization, and 12 major relationships that may affect the overall situation. Jiang Zemin (2006a).
- 7.
Hu Angang: “The Guizhou Phenomenon Calls for a Major Policy Adjustment”, in 1994 November, the Xinhua News Agency: Domestic Dynamic Report, in 1994 December, Hu Angang et~al. (1995).
- 8.
The main sources of Political Bureau leaders’ survey statistics are xinhuanet.com, people.com.cn, CPC, the central government portal and other major state-run media outlets.
- 9.
Mao Zedong said that the method was to investigate one or two or more villages and spend a few weeks there to gain an understanding of the rural class forces, economic situation, living conditions, and so on. He believed that as the secretary-general of the party leadership, it was important to do this—finding the time to understand one or two villages was well worth the effort. He said that though there are plenty of sparrows, you don’t need to analyze every single sparrow: to anatomize one or two is sufficient. The secretary-general‘s investigation of one or two rural areas to understand the situation there can help comrades understand rural conditions and the specific situations in rural areas. Mao called this process “anatomy.” Mao Zedong “Conversation with Foreign Comrades,” quote from Shi Zhongquan (1998, p. 286).
- 10.
Liu Shaoqi said that only by mastering the method of investigating typical cases can one achieve a thorough understanding instead of simply following slogans. An understanding of moral issues demands going deep into provincial areas. Visiting all provincial factories is not possible, but visiting one or two factories in provincial areas is certainly possible. He thought that it was important to select one or two areas, gain experience there, summarize that experience, and then promote it. He believed that working in this way it was possible to do well and improve, but that if this approach was not followed, the work will not be done well. Liu Shaoqi said this when talking with a foreign delegation. Quote from Shi Zhongquan (1998, pp. 300–301).
- 11.
See Pang Xianzhi (2003) chap. 27 and 28 of “Carrying out Investigation and Study”.
- 12.
Mao Zedong makes the following summary in “On Practice”: “Seek truth through practice, prove truth and develop truth through practice. Move from perceptual knowledge to rational knowledge, which in turn is actively used in guiding our revolution, and in improving the subjective world and the objective world. Practice and gain knowledge, which is an infinite cycle always spiralling up to a higher level. This is dialectical materialism, which combines knowledge and practice.” Mao Zedong (1991b).
- 13.
Mao Zedong summarized the mass line as: “In all the practical work of our party, all correct leadership must be from the masses, to the masses. That is to say, collect the opinions of the masses (their sporadic and unsystematic views), and refine them (refined and systematic ideas based on research). Then publicize and explain these ideas back to the masses. Translate them into actions by the masses and prove through practice whether these ideas are correct or not. Then once again collect ideas from the masses. Hence an infinite cycle is developed, through which the ideas become increasingly more correct, more vivid, and more abundant. This is Marx’s “epistemology”. “The ideas are from the masses and adhered to by the masses. This is the basic method of leadership”. Mao Zedong (1991c).
- 14.
Wang Shaoguang thinks that the mass line is actually a decision-making model. Hardin, an American scholar, thinks that the mass line is equivalent to the decision-making process model in Western social science, as it includes information collection, agenda setting, policy planning, policy adoption, policy implementation, and policy evaluation. They are different only in terms of jargon. However, there are problems with comparing the Western model to the mass line, resulting in the failure to grasp the essence of the mass line. First, in the mass line decision model, a clear decision-making stage does not exist; the decision-making process is regarded as constant and ongoing, so the leader and the masses constantly interact. Second, the mass line is based on the premise that decision makers should take the viewpoint of the masses prior to the forming of any specific decisions, and they should sharpen their views and ideas through interactions with the masses. Third, compared with any other model, the mass line model pays more attention to the role of the masses in the decision-making process, and calls for a closer relationship between the cadres and the masses. Fourth, in the mass line model, the decision maker is not decisive, because their decision is to be interpreted and publicized among the masses and tested by the masses, with a view to making future decision making more correct. In short, the masses have the dominant role in the mass line decision model. Wang Shaoguang (2012).
- 15.
I think that from China’s reform and opening-up practice, local innovation appears first, and central innovation comes after. Local innovation is the innovation of the “fountainhead,” whereas central innovation is the point to which all local innovations flow. The central leadership respects, supports, and encourages local innovation; it does not allow local innovation to fail. The central leadership guides local innovation in its trials and errors; it does not punish people because of failures but encourages all new innovative efforts across the country. Hu Angang (2010).
- 16.
In 1978 Anhui and Sichuan provinces carried out agricultural reform, contracting the arable land to individual households. Controversy was fierce, but the local innovation got Deng Xiaoping’s clear support. He advocated and actively encouraged local innovation and solving agricultural problems with new concepts and new ideas. Wang Ruipu (1998).
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Hu, A. (2014). Collective Research. In: China’s Collective Presidency. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55279-3_6
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