Page "Lin Biao" Paragraph 85

Like many major proponents of the Cultural Revolution, Lin's image was manipulated after Mao's death in 1976, and many negative aspects of the Cultural Revolution were blamed on Lin.

After October 1976, those in power also blamed Mao's supporters, the so-called Gang of Four.

In 1980, the Chinese government held a series of " special trials " to identify those most responsible for the Cultural Revolution.

In 1981, the government released their verdict: that Lin Biao must be held, along with Jiang Qing, as one of the two major " counter-revolutionary cliques " responsible for the excesses of the late 1960s.

According to the official Party verdict, Lin and Jiang were singled out for blame because they led intra-Party cliques which took advantage of Mao's " mistakes " to advance their own political goals, engaging in " criminal activity " for their own self-benefit.

Lin has been officially remembered as one of the greatest villains of modern China since then.

Lin was never politically rehabilitated, so the charges against him continue to stand.