"In order to further deepen the exposure and criticism of the
Gang of Four, we must simultaneously expose and criticize Lin 
Biao. Lin Biao and the Gang entered into collusion very early
in their plot to usurp Party and state power. But Lin Biao,
who did such great harm to the army, has scarcely been 
criticized, because his crimes were covered up by the Gang
of Four. They refused to criticize him but instead, on the
pretence of criticizing Confucius, directed their real attack
at Comrades Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying. It is only natural
that Lin Biao should be exposed and criticized along with
the Gang of Four. This in no way means that we are wasting a
lot of time settling old scores."

Deng Xiaoping, "Speech at All-Army Conference on Political Work," June 2, 1978,
Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping: 1975-1982 (Beijing: Foreign Language Press,
1984), p. 136.

[International Minister comments:
This is important in rebutting some mistaken lines of thinking in the
international communist movement. The CPI(ML) of India has said that
the "Gang of Four" did nothing to help Lin Biao. Obviously the revisionists
who restored capitalism in China did not agree and tried them together.

If anything, according to Deng, there was not much to say about Lin
and this was a problem for him. When it came to writing the line of
Maoism, it was the "Gang of Four" who did the most work.

The 10th Party Congress reaffirmed the line of the 9th. The only
difference was the official change of Lin's biography to having
been successor to Mao to having carried out a coup.

One has to suspect that the reason the pro-Lin CPI(ML) blames
the "Gang of Four" is that they adopt Deng's strategy of
attacking Mao. There is no way that the "Gang of Four" by themselves
could have handled Mao, Deng and Zhou Enlai. For Lin's biography
to change, the nod had to come from Mao. This is what the 
CPI(ML) won't admit. Since capitalism came to China in 1976,
should just consider that possibly Mao made an error in his
political alliances. However, the CPI(ML) does not believe capitalism
came to power in China in 1976 or even 2006, so there is still no reason
to reconsider what happened with Lin, according to the logic
of their own position. After all, if capitalism were not restored
in China, then some would say there should be some aspect of the
party that was untouchable to signify the unity of the party and
establish a line not to cross in causing disunity. So perhaps
Mao was untouchable. Surely if China is still socialist today as
CPI(ML) claims then Mao is still untouchable including his verdict
on Lin.

The CPI(ML) position on the "Gang of Four" is quite unreasonable.
If the "Gang of Four" were so powerful that it could push aside
Lin by siding with Zhou and then push aside Mao, surely after Zhou
died and Deng landed in disgrace there would be no one who could challenge
the "Gang of Four" anymore. This implied analysis in the CPI(ML) position is
unrealistic. More realistic is that Mao gave the nod to downgrading
Lin.]