Editing Hua Guofeng (section)

==Power struggle and ousting==
Though Deng consistently supported Hua's policies, he later started to subtly criticize Hua, aiming to increase his own power. He was supported by [[Hu Yaobang]], head of the [[Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP Organization Department]] starting from 1977, who criticized Hua as too dogmatic and contrasted him with Deng.{{Sfn|Gewirtz|2022|p=18–19}} This eventually led to the major editorial titled "[[1978 Truth Criterion Controversy|Practice Is the Sole Criterion for Testing Truth]]", drafted by philosopher [[Hu Fuming]] and published in May 1978, which argued that significant errors were committed in CCP history because there was insufficient focus on "testing truth" through "practice". Though criticized by some Party members, the article was soon endorsed by Deng.{{Sfn|Gewirtz|2022|p=18–19}}

On 10 November, the Central Work Conference was held, in which Hua attempted to move away from the CCP's emphasis on class struggle towards economic and technological development.{{Sfn|Gewirtz|2022|p=18–19}} Though succeeding, he was reprimanded by elderly CCP members for not focusing enough on reckoning with the Cultural Revolution as well as the 1976 Tiananmen incident.{{Sfn|Gewirtz|2022|p=20}} Hua, encouraged by Ye Jianying and Party elders [[Chen Yun]] to accept the demands, gave a speech at the conference on 25 November, where he stated that the Tiananmen incident was an "entirely a revolutionary mass movement, and it is necessary to reevaluate it openly and thoroughly." Significantly boosting Deng, this led to posthumous rehabilitations as well as reinstating of leaders including [[Bo Yibo]] and [[Yang Shangkun]]. Many elderly Party members talked about their suffering during the Cultural Revolution, criticizing Hua for not clearly breaking with Maoism. Hua gave [[Self-criticism (Marxism–Leninism)|self-criticism]] on 13 September for siding too closely with Mao's positions.{{Sfn|Gewirtz|2022|p=20}}

Hua effectively lost power at the [[3rd plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|3rd plenary session of the 11th Central Committee]], after which Deng Xiaoping became the ''de facto'' leader of China with his idea for economic reform being adopted by the Party.{{Sfn|Li-Ogawa|2022|p=134}}  He continued to hold some power, notably blocking additions critical of him to the "Historical Resolution" drafted by the CCP leadership to evaluate the Cultural Revolution.{{Sfn|Gewirtz|2022|p=26–27}} He was replaced as Premier by [[Zhao Ziyang]] in September 1980, while the Politburo issued a formal criticism of Hua in December, casting him as a figure that opposed modernization and sought simply to parrot Mao. This was further reinforced by the [[Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since the Founding of the People's Republic of China|Historical Resolution]] adopted by the 6th plenary session of the 11th Central Committee on 27 June 1981, which said that Hua did too little to change things after Mao's death.{{Sfn|Gewirtz|2022|p=26–27}} It also stated that he had done good work by removing the Gang of Four, but afterwards, he committed "serious errors".

As Deng  gradually gained control of the CCP, Hua was denounced for promoting the Two Whatevers policy. As early as January 1979, state media had stopped referring to him as "the wise leader" and he was replaced as Premier by [[Zhao Ziyang]] in September 1980,{{Sfn|Gewirtz|2022|p=26–27}} was replaced as Party Chairman by Hu Yaobang and was replaced as chairman of the Central Military Commission by Deng himself in 1981. Hua Guofeng was demoted to the position of junior Vice Chairman; and when this post was abolished in 1982, he continued to serve as an ordinary member of the Central Committee, a position which he held until the 16th Party Congress of November 2002, despite having passed the unofficial mandatory retirement age of 70 in 1991.
[[File:Tomb of Hua Guofeng 4.JPG|thumb|Tomb of Hua Guofeng at Jiaocheng County]]