On January 18, Hu Yaobang, Minister of Propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee, presented the Preamble to the Consensus-Building Conference on Theory Work on behalf of the CCP Central Committee. He spoke highly of the Great Discussion of the Standards for Truth campaign and called on everyone to "be liberated from rigid and semi-rigid thinking, from the habitual powers of small production, and from all manner of bureaucratic 'control, blockade, and pressure'; break into all forbidden areas, break free from all spiritual shackles, and fully develop democracy of theory."
Later, during the meeting, he questioned the Maoist line, criticized the Two Whatevers principle, and gave a thorough reflection on the value system established by the CCP since the founding of the People's Republic of China.
During the same Consensus-Building Conference on Theory Work, Deng Xiaoping severely criticized the "extreme democratization" of society and also criticized the weakness of theory work.
On March 30, during the second part of the Conference, Deng Xiaoping delivered his "Upholding the Four Cardinal Principles" report. The Four Cardinal Principles were:
- The socialist path must be upheld
- The people's democratic dictatorship must be upheld
- The leadership of the CCP must be upheld
- Marxism–Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought must be upheld
Deng Xiaoping stated that these Four Cardinal Principles were principles that the CCP had consistently upheld all along. In order to steady the social order and stabilize the political power, he argued, these Principles must be adhered to. The Four Cardinal Principles were to constitute China's highest political program, and were the four issues on which debate would not be allowed. A few days later, the Conference came to an abrupt end, and Democracy Walls were banned by force.
References: Yang Jisheng, "The World Turned Upside Down: A History of the Chinese Cultural Revolution"; ibid., Yang Jisheng, "Political Struggles During the Age of Reform in China"
