Commentary on Nie Rongzhen’s Report〔1〕 Concerning the Reallocation and Establishment Plan for Various Engineering and Reclamation Troops (January 4, 1952) This plan〔2〕 is very good. Drawing on the experience of the Railway Corps, it is entirely feasible to convert four hundred thousand troops into engineering and reclamation forces; moreover, such a conversion would be highly economical and immensely beneficial, as it would immediately add four hundred thousand industrial workers and machine-using agricultural laborers to the national workforce. Arrangements should be made without delay, with Soviet assistance sought. The Central Financial and Economic Commission should procure engineering and agricultural machinery and establish engineering schools and agricultural technical schools. Mao Zedong January 4 Based on the manuscript copy. Notes 〔1〕 Nie Rongzhen was at the time acting Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. 〔2〕 Refers to the report submitted by Nie Rongzhen on January 2, 1952, to Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, and Lin Biao, outlining a plan for the reallocation and establishment of various engineering and reclamation units. The plan proposed increasing the nationwide engineering forces to twenty-one divisions, totaling 210,000 personnel, and organizing another nineteen divisions, also numbering 190,000, into reclamation troops.