Culture

The year 1984 was one of cultural extremes in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It began with the cultural official and Politburo member, Hu Qiaomu, issuing an authoritative statement on the evils of “spiritual pollution,” a term associated with Western culture, and it ended with the Fourth Congress of the Chinese Writers Association calling for freedom of expression and openness to the West. While the dramatic shifts reflected the divergent approaches in the leadership coalition of conservative and radical reformers, they also were a microcosm of the twists and turns that have characterized the PRC since 1949. Although the campaign was not conducted as a mass movement and did not engage in the devastating personal attacks of the Maoist era, those who were criticized had to write self-criticisms, and some lost their official positions. The rectification of cadres was accompanied by an effort to enhance the position of intellectuals.