The Role of the Cadres and “Pastoral” Leadership set up by Mao at this early stage

The local CCP official or cadre (ganbu – 幹部 (later 干部 with Mao’s introduction of simplified Chinese from 1949)) was accorded great significance in Chinese Communism by Mao as a pastor and in maintaining the links required by the “mass line” discussed in earlier posts.

Each ganbu had responsibility for his or her particular ‘flock’ (e.g. an army unit, a village or a factory, or part thereof) and their ‘pastoral’ needs. The ganbus were, of course, expected to be models of ethical behaviour, selfless and devoted to the flock and the revolution, as they put party policies into effect at the local level and sought feedback. Their objective was salvation of all members of the relevant group and utopia by bringing on the arrival of true Communism (as per the model of the USSR that was held up). A called-for spirit of self-sacrifice for the sake and salvation of the group and the centrality to CCP discourse of the cult of the Communist martyr began here. This began with the eulogising of ‘the Yan’an Spirit’. Cadres in particular were expected to solve problems of individuals as counsellors and social workers up to and including providing direct help and aid to peasant families in difficulty. As pastors, they were responsible for the minds, souls and Communist education, class consciousness (and propagandising) of the whole group.