Notes and Amendments to An Ziwen’s Speech Draft on Opposing Bureaucracy (February 6 and 7, 1953) I To Comrade Li Weihan [2]: Please have this document [3] immediately printed and distributed at the meeting on the 7th, so that each attendee and observer receives a copy. Also, please make arrangements for Comrade An Ziwen to deliver his speech. The sections requiring revision should be proofread by a designated person to ensure there are no errors. Mao Zedong February 6, 10:00 p.m. Printed from the manuscript. II By “higher-level leading organs” I mean the central organs of the Party and the government, the organs at the level of major administrative regions, those at the provincial (municipal) level, those at the prefectural level, and the county-level organs. Within these five tiers of organs there is quite a bit of bureaucracy; they focus only on assigning tasks but pay little attention to supervising their implementation. Some leading organs even adopt a style of coercive command,

[4] issuing orders without regard for reality, and some may even harbor elements who violate laws and discipline. Printed from Mao Zedong’s manuscript. III To Comrades Li Weihan and Xu Bing [5]: There will be a report this afternoon at three o’clock by An Ziwen criticizing bureaucracy. Please notify all ministers, vice ministers, and other cadres at the central level—representing the Party, government, military, and various democratic parties and people’s organizations—that they must all attend; absence is permitted only on medical grounds. Mao Zedong February 7, 9:00 a.m. Printed from the manuscript. Notes [1] An Ziwen was then Deputy Minister of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Personnel of the Central People’s Government. [2] Li Weihan was then Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary-General of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. [3] This refers to An Ziwen’s speech draft, entitled “We Must Launch a Decisive Struggle Nationwide and in Organs at All Levels Against Bureaucracy, Commandism, and Violations of Laws and Discipline,” which he delivered at the Fourth Session of the First National Committee of the CPPCC on February 7, 1953. The title was suggested by Mao Zedong. It was subsequently published in the People’s Daily on February 10, 1953. [4] This is a passage added by Mao Zedong when reviewing An Ziwen’s speech draft for the Fourth Session of the First CPPCC. [5] Xu Bing was then Deputy Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.£´