Comments on the Central Committee’s Transmission of the North China Bureau’s Directive on Spring Ploughing Production (March 4, 1953) To all Central Bureaus and Sub-bureaus, with copy to provincial and municipal party committees: At present, spring ploughing is the overriding task in the countryside, and all other work should be carried out in coordination with it. The document issued by the North China Bureau on March 2[1] is correct. You are requested to make your own arrangements along similar lines. The Central Committee March 4

Based on Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft for publication.

Notes [1] Refers to the directive dated March 2, 1953, from the CPC Central Committee’s North China Bureau concerning spring ploughing production, addressed to the Inner Mongolia–Suiyuan Sub-bureau, all provincial party committees for transmission to county (banner) party committees, and also submitted to the Central Committee. The directive states that there are numerous urgent central tasks in the countryside at present, while leading organs are simultaneously concentrating their efforts on campaigns against bureaucracy, commandism, and violations of law and discipline. Without proper planning, spring ploughing production will inevitably suffer serious setbacks. Therefore, the Sub-bureau and all provincial party committees should issue clear instructions to the county (banner) party committees, emphasizing that the most pressing and paramount task in rural areas at this time is to intensify preparations for and commence spring ploughing, thereby laying a solid foundation for increased agricultural output this year. All other work must be organized around and integrated with spring ploughing; any plans that interfere with or obstruct this central task should be revised, postponed, or scaled down to ensure the smooth progress of spring ploughing.