What happened when Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping made public self-criticisms in 1966?

During the early stages of the Cultural Revolution in 1966, Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping were targeted as "capitalist roaders" by Mao Zedong and his supporters, who sought to purge them from the party leadership.12

When Liu and Deng made public self-criticisms in 1966, these actions did not satisfy the radical Maoist leadership, nor did they halt the political attacks against them. Instead, these self-criticisms were viewed as insufficient or insincere, and the campaign against them intensified as part of a broader effort to dismantle the existing party apparatus. Both men were ultimately purged, with Liu being stripped of his party positions in 1968 and labeled "China's Khrushchev," while Deng was also removed from his roles. This process decimated the cohesive leadership that had previously governed China, as Mao sought to eliminate those he perceived as revisionist opponents to his revolutionary vision.12