Instructions for the Report on Anti-Bureaucratism by the Second Ministry of Machine Building
(March 15, 1953)

Comrades Huang Kecheng, Dehuai, Zihui, Xiaoping, Zhongxun[1]: for your reading; return to Comrade Bo Yibo[2] for handling:

Please take a look at this document[3]; it holds a profound lesson.

Please ask Comrade Huang Kecheng to direct the General Logistics Department, the logistics departments of the various greater military regions, the Logistics Department of the Volunteer Army, and the logistics departments of the various special arms to conduct a thorough inspection of warehouse materials, following the method of the Second Ministry of Machine Building, and oppose bureaucratism. Please ask Comrade Zhongxun to direct the Central Ministry of Health and all departments with material holdings (such as the Film Bureau) to inspect their bureaucratism situation. Please ask Comrade Zihui to direct the three ministries of agriculture, forestry, and water conservancy to inspect their own bureaucratism. Please ask Comrade Yibo to direct the other ministries under the Financial and Economic Commission to emulate the method of the Second Ministry of Machine Building and thoroughly inspect their own bureaucratism.

Mao Zedong
March 15

[1] Huang Kecheng, then Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Dehuai, i.e., Peng Dehuai, then Vice Chairman of the People's Revolutionary Military Council. Zihui, i.e., Deng Zihui, then Director of the Rural Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and Deputy Director of the Financial and Economic Commission of the Government Administration Council. Xiaoping, i.e., Deng Xiaoping, then Vice Premier of the Government Administration Council. Zhongxun, i.e., Xi Zhongxun, then Deputy Director of the Culture and Education Commission of the Government Administration Council.
[2] Bo Yibo, then Deputy Director of the Financial and Economic Commission of the Government Administration Council and Minister of Finance.
[3] Refers to the report sent on February 20, 1953, by the Second Ministry of Machine Building of the Central People's Government to the Central Financial and Economic Commission, with copies to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee, regarding the situation of launching the struggle against bureaucratism. The report stated that the following problems were initially discovered during the anti-bureaucratism inspection:
(1) Severe overstocking of warehouse materials. By the end of 1952, the total value of overstocked materials and raw materials had reached over 2,198 billion yuan. Among this, materials stored in seven directly subordinate warehouses were worth over 1,200 billion yuan.
(2) There was blindness in the 1953 plans for both domestic supply and imports from abroad.
(3) There were also errors in the compilation of plans. The primary reason for these problems was the bureaucratism of the leadership, their divorce from reality, and their divorce from the masses. To oppose bureaucratism and improve future work, in addition to continuing the in-depth inspection of bureaucratism, it is necessary to establish a work style of looking downward and facing reality and the masses, and to conscientiously implement in specific work the method of combining general calls with typical demonstrations.