Telegram on Democratic Personages’ Visits to Land-Reform Areas (March 18, 1951)

Comrades Shushi, Zihui, Xiaoping, and Zhongxun: [1] Those democratic personages and university professors who express a desire to visit the land-reform areas should be given free rein to do so.
There is no need for prior arrangements; they should be allowed to go wherever they wish.
We should not restrict their visits to only the “good” examples, but also let them see the less satisfactory ones, so as to educate them through such experiences.
The recent trip by Wu Jingchao, Zhu Guangqian, [2] and others to the vicinity of Xi’an to observe the land-reform work has had a very positive impact.
We should use such instances to educate our cadres and break down the closed-door mentality.

Mao Zedong March 18 Based on the manuscript.
Included in Selected Letters of Mao Zedong.
Notes [1] Shushi refers to Rao Shushi, who at the time served as First Secretary of the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
Zihui refers to Deng Zihui, who at the time was Third Secretary of the Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
Xiaoping refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at the time was First Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
Zhongxun refers to Xi Zhongxun, who at the time was First Secretary of the Northwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. [2] Wu Jingchao was then a professor in the Department of Sociology at Tsinghua University.
Zhu Guangqian was then a professor in the Department of Western Languages and Literature at Peking University.