"With you in charge, I'm at ease" (simplified Chinese :你办事，我放心; traditional Chinese :你辦事，我放心) [1] is reportedly a phrase written by Chairman Mao Zedong of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on a note before his death. This statement provided a significant basis of legitimacy for Hua Guofeng to succeed as the top leader. [2] [3] However, its authenticity has been widely debated, [3] and the phrase played a central role in the political struggles that followed Mao's death.
On 30 April 1976, Mao Zedong met with New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon during the latter's visit to China. Hua Guofeng, then the First Vice Chairman of the CCP and Premier of China, accompanied Mao during the meeting. Following Muldoon's departure, Mao discussed domestic matters with Hua. Due to Mao's declining health and difficulty speaking, he often communicated through written notes. On this occasion, Mao wrote three notes to Hua: [4]
Zhang Hanzhi recounted that Hua Guofeng shared Mao Zedong's notes with Qiao Guanhua, the Chinese foreign minister and Zhang's husband. When Qiao inquired about the meaning of Mao's statement, "With you in charge, I'm at ease," Hua interpreted it as Mao's directive to intervene in the ongoing criticism of Deng Xiaoping in Sichuan and Guizhou. Hua further explained that Mao had entrusted him with this responsibility to intensify the critique. Subsequently, Qiao conveyed the contents of the notes to Zhang. Zhang expressed concern about the possibility of the notes being misinterpreted or manipulated in the future. However, Qiao dismissed this apprehension, asserting that Hua's integrity and moral character would likely prevent any distortion of their original meaning. [5]
These notes, especially the third, were later cited as evidence of Mao's endorsement of Hua as his successor. [4] On 9 September, Mao Zedong passed away. Intense political struggles erupted within the CCP. [6] On 6 October, Hua Guofeng and his allies arrested Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan and their allies within an hour. The Politburo announced that Hua would be the new party and military chief. [7] On 24 October, grand celebrations were held across China to commemorate Hua Guofeng's succession and the defeat of the Gang of Four. At a mass rally in Beijing, Hua ascended Tiananmen for the first time as the nation's supreme leader, receiving cheers from the crowd chanting, "At ease, at ease, at ease..." During the rally, Wu De, then Director of the Beijing Revolutionary Committee, declared in his speech, "Our great leader Chairman Mao personally wrote to Comrade Hua Guofeng, 'With you in charge, I'm at ease,' expressing Chairman Mao's boundless trust in Comrade Hua." This announcement was seen as a formal endorsement of Hua's succession and legitimisation of his leadership. [8]
Local governments across China sent telegrams expressing their "full support" for Hua Guofeng. On 29 October, Jiefang Daily published an editorial titled Comrade Hua Guofeng Is the Undisputed Leader of Our Party. This editorial was widely reprinted in newspapers across the country, and study groups were organized nationwide. The official rhetoric unified around the phrase: "Chairman Mao had boundless trust in Chairman Hua, and the people of the entire nation wholeheartedly support Chairman Hua." Hua was credited with having "the courage of a proletarian revolutionary" in decisively crushing the Gang of Four, and was lauded for announcing the establishment of the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the publication of the fifth volume of the Selected Works of Mao Zedong , and the preparation for the publication of The Collected Works of Mao Zedong. He was hailed as "Mao Zedong's good student and successor," "the brilliant leader of our Party and people," and "the wise commander of our army." [9]
During the first year of Hua's leadership, almost every newspaper headline featured Mao Zedong's phrase "With you in charge, I'm at ease" in bold type. People across the country expressed their support for Hua in various forms, including the famous poem Chairman Mao Is at Ease, We Are at Ease, written by "Hu Gong," and the well-known oil painting With You in Charge, I'm at Ease by renowned artist Li Yansheng. The painting, which depicted Mao and Hua having an intimate conversation on a sofa, was printed in the tens of millions in 1977, and many households displayed it. [10]
The authenticity of this statement has been widely questioned. When Hua Guofeng succeeded Mao, it was noted that Qiao Guanhua had mentioned that Hua only produced two other notes during a Politburo meeting, leading to doubts. Qiao was later accused of "resisting Chairman Mao’s final instructions, opposing Hua Guofeng as Mao's successor, and colluding with the 'Gang of Four' to usurp power," and was isolated and investigated in his later years. Zhang Chunqiao has since claimed that the statement never existed. Meanwhile, Mao's wife Jiang Qing, when she was tried on 3 December 1980, acknowledged the statement's existence but claimed the full version was "With you in charge, I’m at ease; if there’s a problem, ask Jiang Qing." [11] [12]
Additionally, according to Mao's secretary Zhang Yufeng, in early May 1976, Hua Guofeng reported to Mao that he was "feeling overwhelmed" as disagreements during Politburo meetings made it difficult to reach a consensus, and even a decision on importing 50,000 tons of sugar was delayed for a month. Mao allegedly advised him, "Take your time, don’t rush!" This remark was recorded by Wang Dongxing. After the fall of the Gang of Four, Wang sought to "verify" the matter with Zhang Yufeng, urging her to recall this as a political test, and presented a note supposedly written by Mao for confirmation. However, Zhang later confirmed in her recollections that, after 10 April 1976, Mao had not written anything by hand. [13]
The Gang of Four was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to their responsibility for the excesses and failures in the Cultural Revolution. The gang's leading figure was Jiang Qing. The other members were Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, and Wang Hongwen.
Jiang Qing, also known as Madame Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary, actress, and political figure. She was the fourth wife of Mao Zedong, the Chairman of the Communist Party and Paramount leader of China. Jiang was best known for playing a major role in the Cultural Revolution as the leader of the radical Gang of Four.
Hua Guofeng was a Chinese politician who served as chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and the 2nd premier of China. The designated successor of Mao Zedong, Hua held the top offices of the government, party, and the military after the deaths of Mao and Premier Zhou Enlai, but was gradually forced out of supreme power by a coalition of party leaders between December 1978 and June 1981, and subsequently retreated from the political limelight, though still remaining a member of the Central Committee until 2002.
The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), officially the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Historically it has been composed of five to eleven members, and currently has seven members. Its officially mandated purpose is to conduct policy discussions and make decisions on major issues when the Politburo, a larger decision-making body, is not in session. According to the party's constitution, the General Secretary of the Central Committee must also be a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.
Zhang Chunqiao was a prominent Chinese political theorist, writer, and politician. He came to the national spotlight during the late stages of the Cultural Revolution, and was a member of the ultra-Maoist group dubbed the "Gang of Four".
Wang Hongwen was a Chinese labour activist and politician who was the youngest member of the "Gang of Four". He rose to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), after organizing the Shanghai People's Commune, to become one of the foremost members of national leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The "Two Whatevers" refers to the statement that "We will resolutely uphold whatever policy decisions Chairman Mao made, and unswervingly follow whatever instructions Chairman Mao gave" (凡是毛主席作出的决策，我们都坚决维护；凡是毛主席的指示，我们都始终不渝地遵循).
The chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. The position was established at the 8th National Congress in 1945 and abolished at the 12th National Congress in 1982, being replaced by the general secretary. Offices with the name Chairman of the Central Executive Committee and Chairman of the Central Committee existed in 1922–1923 and 1928–1931, respectively.
Hu Qili is a former high-ranking politician of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), known as a champion of the country's economic reform program in the 1980s. He was the first secretary of the CCP Secretariat from 1985 to 1989 and a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee from 1987 to 1989. Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, he was purged for his sympathy toward the student protesters and his support for General Secretary Zhao Ziyang's opposition to the use of armed force. However, he returned to politics in 1991. In 2001, he became chairman of the Soong Ching-ling Foundation.
The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, also known as the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, is the final resting place of Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party from 1943 and the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from 1945 until his death in 1976.
The Stinking Old Ninth is a Chinese dysphemism for intellectuals used at two major points, the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) and the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976).
Wang Dongxing was a Chinese military commander and politician, famous for being the chief of Mao Zedong's personal bodyguard force, the 9th Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. Wang held many important positions, both in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the government; he was Deputy Minister of Public Security in 1955–1958 and again in 1960–1970 and notably served as CCP Vice Chairman from 1977 to 1980, under Chairman Hua Guofeng.
The 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was in a five-year session from 1977 to 1982. The 10th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party preceded it. It held seven plenary sessions in the five-year period. It was formally succeeded by the 12th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
The 10th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was in session from 1973 to 1977. It was preceded by the 9th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. It held three plenary sessions in the four-year period. It was formally succeeded by the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
The 9th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was in session from 1969 to 1973. It was preceded by the 8th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. It was the second central committee in session during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Even amidst partial cultural disintegration, it was succeeded by the 10th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. It held two plenary sessions in the 4-year period.
Wu De, born Li Chunhua (李春华), was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and politician of the People's Republic of China. He served in provincial-level leadership positions in Pingyuan Province, Tianjin municipality, Jilin Province, and Beijing municipality, and was a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party from 1973 to 1980. After the Cultural Revolution, Wu was a key supporter of Hua Guofeng and was forced out of politics after Deng Xiaoping ousted Hua from his leadership position.
Qiao Guanhua was a politician and diplomat in the People's Republic of China and played an important role in the talks with United States on the opening of China and the drafting of the Shanghai Communiqué.
Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, died on 9 September 1976 at the age of 82, following a period of ill health. The government ordered a week of national mourning following his death.
The Secretary-General of the Chinese Communist Party was a senior leadership position of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to assist in the daily work of the Central Committee. The secretary-general was established at the beginning of the founding of the CCP. However, due to the loss of information during the Long March and the Chinese Civil War, the records of the early secretaries-general were incomplete. Deng Xiaoping, the second-generation leader of China, served three times in the early years as the secretary-general of the Central Committee. The position of the secretary-general was renamed as general secretary from 1956 to 1966 and from 1980 to 1982. At that time, the leader of the Communist Party was Chairman of the Central Committee. The general secretary assisted the party chairman and vice chairmen in handling works of the Secretariat. Deng Xiaoping and Hu Yaobang successively served as the secretary-general and general secretary during the period of Chairman Mao Zedong and Chairman Hua Guofeng respectively.
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