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Qi Benyu Qi, who died at 85 in Shanghai on April 20, was the last surviving member of the ultra-left Cultural Revolution Group. He was among the few writers Mao trusted with key documents and commentaries essential to the start of the Cultural Revolution.

Mao Zedong’s former propaganda aide regrets death of two intellectuals during Cultural Revolution

Memoir of Qi Benyu, who died last week, reveals that he felt responsible for their suicides

Mao Zedong’s former right-hand man for propaganda, Qi Benyu, “regretted” the death of two intellectuals he attacked during the Cultural Revolution, according to his memoir published on Thursday.

Qi, who died at 85 in Shanghai last week, was the last surviving member of the ultra-left Cultural Revolution Group, which superseded the Communist Party’s Politburo and Secretariat to emerge as the country’s top power organ at the height of the turmoil between 1966 and 1976.

His death comes amid debate on Mao’s rule and the Cultural Revolution, which marks its 50th anniversary on May 16.

Qi was among the few writers Mao trusted with key documents and commentaries essential to the start of the Cultural Revolution. Intellectuals targeted in his articles faced persecution, often with deadly consequences. Qi wrote that he regretted the suicides of historian Jian Bozan and his wife, and journalist Deng Tuo.

Jian and his wife] did not commit suicide because of our article, but our article did exert pressure on them. I’ve always regretted it
Qi Benyu in his memoir

“[Jian and his wife] did not commit suicide because of our article, but our article did exert pressure on them. I’ve always regretted it,” Qi wrote.

In December 1966 in the magazine Red Flag, Qi and two other writers accused Jian of “sheltering his landlord family” and of being an “alien class element”.

Deng Tuo, a former editor of People’s Daily, killed himself in 1966 a week after Qi Benyu wrote that he was a ‘traitor’.

Jian and his wife killed themselves two years later while under pressure to confess in a state-led purge. Jian was 69.

Qi wrote that Mao encouraged him to write the article, which was based on unverified accusations by lower-level cadres. But by the time of Jian’s suicide, Qi was himself behind bars after a row with Mao’s wife Jiang Qing.

Qi also regretted the death of Deng, a former editor of People’s Daily, who killed himself in 1966 a week after Qi wrote that he was a “traitor”. He was 54.

“Speaking from my heart, I felt responsible for the death of Deng Tuo,” he wrote in his memoir. The article was the culmination of a six-month-long smear campaign against Deng.

The wording of the article had been approved by then president Liu Shaoqi and vice-premier Deng Xiaoping. Liu was later purged – an action in which Qi was said to have had a role – and persecuted until his death in 1969.

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