Zhou 121:
Comment on the Relief Issue Chuan
(22 January 1951)
This request should be approved.
Mao Zedong
22 January


[1] This comment was written on the report dated 14 January 1951 from Yang Xiufeng, Chairman of the Hebei Provincial People’s Government, to the Provincial People’s Government for transmission to the Government Administration Council of the Central People’s Government and others, concerning the disaster situation and relief measures in Fuping and Quyang counties. The report stated:
In the mountainous areas of Fuping and Quyang in Hebei, disasters from hail, flood, wind, and insects have all been severe this year, and the people’s livelihood is extremely difficult, especially in Fuping. Historically, the mountain people have faced clothing shortages, and after the disasters, the situation of tattered cotton-padded clothes and a severe lack of cotton quilts has become even more serious. Many disaster victims are barely clothed or stuff their jackets with cotton, unable to go out to engage in production in the icy snow and freezing weather. The entire county of Fuping and the mountainous area of Quyang are both old areas among old areas; North China organs were once stationed here for a long time, and the masses are linked to us as flesh and blood. The amount of winter clothing previously allocated by the central government to our province is very small compared to the total amount raised. Could an additional allocation of over 100,000 sets each of cotton quilts and winter clothing be made? At the same time, the mountain fields and riverbank lands in Fuping and Quyang counties have been washed away and covered by sand, and animal husbandry is far from comparable to pre-war levels. If we do not start with long-term support for production and closing hillsides to facilitate afforestation, the difficulties in the mountain areas will not be easily resolved. Therefore, it is truly necessary to provide annual loans to support production. For Fuping and Quyang counties, a loan of 1.5 million jin of grain this year, and for the entire province’s mountain area production loan subsidies, an amount of 20 million jin of grain, would enable many things to be accomplished. In this way, after three to five years, significant results can be achieved, and it will not cost much more than providing relief every year.


[2] Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai, who was then Premier of the Government Administration Council of the Central People’s Government.