Letter to Yang Lisan [1] (December 14, 1951)Comrade Yang Lisan:Your letter of December 13 has been received.
I very much approve of your attitude—conducting a comprehensive self-criticism of your own shortcomings and mistakes in your work, while at the same time offering criticism of the deficiencies and errors throughout the entire logistics system.
Of course, achievements should also be properly acknowledged.
In this way, you will take the initiative.
By doing so, it may encourage other comrades to engage in both self-criticism and mutual criticism; once they too take the initiative, it will help advance the reform of the entire logistics system.As far as I know, our army’s entire logistics system has long lacked this kind of democratic self-criticism and mutual criticism, resulting in an extremely thin political atmosphere, an extremely unsound Party life, and many leading comrades who are narrow-minded, have undeveloped thinking, undemocratic styles, and who focus only on local interests rather than the overall situation.
Corruption, waste, and bureaucratic practices are extremely serious within the logistics system—no less so than in the government’s financial and economic sectors or in the public security apparatus.All of this should be thoroughly criticized and reformed, beginning with the present logistics conference.
Therefore, I strongly support the stance you have taken in your letter, and I was very pleased to read it.If you agree, please have your letter to me and my reply printed together and distributed to all comrades attending this logistics conference for their information.
After printing, please send me a copy as well.With communist greetings!Mao ZedongDecember 14, 1951Printed from the manuscript.Notes[1] Yang Lisan was then Minister of the General Logistics Department of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission.