The Chinese People's Liberation Army has victoriously accomplished the great undertaking of liberating the mainland of China.
The Chinese People's Volunteers, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Korean People's Army, have thwarted the aggressive schemes of U.S. imperialism and driven it back from the banks of the Yalu River to the 38th Parallel. [2]
The three great revolutionary movements—the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, the agrarian reform, and the suppression of counterrevolutionaries—have won great victories.
Prices have remained stable, and industrial and agricultural production has been greatly restored.
The patriotic revolutionary movement against corruption, waste, and bureaucracy is now unfolding on an unprecedentedly massive scale throughout the country.
All these victories, won through the heroic struggle of the army and people of the whole country under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, have paved the way for the building of our national defense and economic construction and have laid the foundation for the establishment of a new China that is independent, free, prosperous, and strong.
But we are never content with the victories already won; we are always consolidating and extending them.
Comrades, you must understand that for the Chinese nation and people to achieve complete liberation, the industrialization of the country must be realized, and the work we have done so far is only the first step in this direction.
Comrades, you must understand that in the course of the New Democracy construction and the future transition to socialist construction, enemies at home and abroad will resort to every possible means to sabotage and resist. We must therefore vigorously strengthen our national defense, consolidate the people's democratic dictatorship, and consolidate national defense so as to safeguard the construction of our motherland; and the development of industrial and agricultural production is the material foundation for strengthening national defense.
Comrades, you must also understand that a victorious China bears an international responsibility for peace in the East and in the world, and to better shoulder the great responsibility of safeguarding peace in the East and in the world, we must rely on our efforts in the construction of our motherland.
From the day of its founding, our People's Liberation Army, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, has possessed a high spirit of patriotism and internationalism, and, guided by the purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, has fought heroically and arduously.
Today, on the foundation of the victories already won, our People's Liberation Army will stand at the forefront of national defense and at the forefront of economic construction, and, in coordination with the people of the whole country, will continue to struggle for a new China that is independent, free, prosperous, and strong!
To this end, apart from the various special arms and the greater part of the ground forces, which should continue to strengthen their regularized and modernized training and vigilantly stand at their combat posts to defend the national defense of the motherland, I approve the reorganization plan for converting certain army corps and divisions of the Chinese People's Liberation Army into divisions of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and assign to you the glorious task of the economic construction of the motherland.
You were once a combat force long tempered and possessed of a high degree of organization and discipline; I am confident that on the front of production and construction you will become shock brigades of construction with proficient skills.
Following heroic examples, you will struggle on the new front for the future happiness of the people of the whole country, which is also your own, and win brilliant victories.
You may now put away your weapons of combat and take up the weapons of production and construction.
When the motherland has need of you and summons you, I shall order you to take up your weapons of combat once more and defend the motherland.

This order is issued by Chairman Mao Zedong
Printed from the original document preserved in the Central Archives.

Note
[1] This is an order of the People's Revolutionary Military Council of the Central People's Government.
[2] The 38th Parallel, see note [5] on p. 99 of this volume.