The following is a translation prepared by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China of the Decision Regarding the Handling of the China Youth Daily Freezing Point Weekly Mistake in Publishing "Modernism and History Text Books" issued by the Communist Party Youth League Publishing House Communist Party Committee on January 24, 2006. The Chinese text was retrieved from the Voice of America Web site on March 27, 2006.
On January 11, 2006, the China Youth Daily's "Freezing Point" published an essay by Zhong University history professor Yuan Weishi entitled "Modernism and History Text Books," which spared no effort to reverse the verdict on the crime of the great imperialist powers' invasion of China, severely contradicted historical facts, severely violated news propaganda discipline, severely harmed the nation sentiments of the Chinese people, severely harmed the image of the China Youth Daily, and had a detrimental social influence. The relevant department of the Central Committee raised severe criticisms.
In light of the severe error the China Youth Daily committed in publishing "Modernism and History Text Books," it has been decided as follows:
1. A report shall be submitted criticizing Li Erliang, deputy secretary of the China Youth Daily Publishing Housing Party Committee and editor-in-Chief, and Li Datong, chief editor of the China Youth Daily Freezing Point weekly; and
2. The China Youth Daily is ordered to suspend publication and undertake rectification of the Freezing Point weekly, and impose economic sanctions on those parties responsible, with the suspension and rectification period commencing from January 25, 2006.
It is hoped that the China Youth Daily Publishing House will draw a deep lesson from this affair, carry out the suspension and rectification of the Freezing Point weekly in an earnest manner, improve the guiding ideology of the publication of the Freezing Point weekly, strengthen their political consciousness, awareness of the larger issues, and sense of responsibility, and resume publication of the Freezing Point weekly on the basis of having done the work of suspension and rectification well and endeavoring to correct their mistakes.
Communist Youth League Central Propaganda Department.
January 24, 2006.