We must unite with all the various nationalities; no matter whether it is
a large or small nationality, we must be united with it. For example, the Olunchun people may be no more than four thousand people, but we must be
mind with regard to anything with which you disagree and which you believe
to be detrimental to the interests of the people, so as to help us correct [these
mistakes]. [When we] have committed a mistake, we [seek to] correct it immediately; this is where we differ from the Kuomintang.
China as a whole is still very backward at the moment, and is in need of being developed. This is because of the oppression by imperialism and the Kuomintang in the past. They have now been driven away by us, and, in the last

four years, we have made great improvements. After the [period of] national
economic recovery, we have inaugurated, this year, the First Five-Year Plan for
National Construction. We estimate that after three five-year plans, our major
industries will have been established. The Soviet Union chased away imperialism and the bad people at home thirty-six years ago, and it took them thirty-six
years of construction to achieve what they have now achieved. We are going to
be a bit faster in our construction because we will have the Soviet Union’s assistance. The population in China is very large; we have over five hundred million
people and are the most populous country in the world. We also have a very
vast territory. Given three five-year plans we shall be able to do quite well in
our construction, and then we shall be able to give greater assistance to Tibet.
If there is anything that the central [government] can do to assist you, it
is bound to do so. It is in the interests of the entire country for us to aid the
various minority nationalities, thus enabling them to develop and improve.
The development and improvement of the various minority nationalities is a
hopeful matter.
The political, economic, cultural and religious development of Tibet must
be carried out primarily on the shoulders of the leaders and people of Tibet
themselves and through the discussions [among themselves]; the Center can
only give assistance. This is an item written into the Agreement on the Measures
for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet. However, it will be some time before [these
things] can be carried out, and, moreover, [they] must be carried out on the
basis of your volition and gradually. Whatever can be done will be done; if
something cannot be done [as yet], we will wait a bit. If there is something
that can be done, and on which the majority has agreed, it would not be good
not to get it done. [However] it can be done somewhat slow; so that everyone
will be happy about it, and, in that way, in reality it may actually be done more
quickly. In any case, our policy is one of being united in our progress and further development.
Source: Selected Compilation of Materials—January 67, Red Guard Publication,
pp. 8-9.



Letter to Yang Shangkun
October 22, 1953
Comrade Shangkun:303
Please take the six points in the conclusion of [the book] Liangong Dang Shi
(History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union [Bolshevik]) and print
them as a single leaflet to be sent tonight or tomorrow to the various comrades
attending the organizational meeting.304 Please ask them to make use of the
two or three days recess in the meeting to read, study, and where possible, even
discuss [these points], so that when Comrade Liu Shaoqi and others reach
this issue in their speeches in the conference, they [the attending comrades]
may already have some understanding of this matter. When the leading group
meets this afternoon, please notify Comrades Liu, Rao, and Hu Qiaomu305 of
this matter (i.e., the matter of printing and distributing the concluding points
[of the book]). While you are it, you may print some extra copies (you may
print one or two thousand copies) and distribute [the surplus] to cadres in
Beijing, and charge the General Party Committee306 with notifying the various
departments and Party groups, urging them to read and discuss [the subject].
(Signed and dated)
Source: Selections from Mao Zedong’s Letters, p. 469.

--- Notes

united with them just as well302. As long as they are Chinese people, regardless
of national distinction, we must be united with all those who are opposed to
imperialism and who stand for patriotism and advocate unity. We should be
united [first], and [then] carry out our work [in separate ways] in accordance
with the varying conditions in the various nationalities’ areas. In some places
[work] can be done a bit more quickly, in other places somewhat more slowly. In either case, things should be discussed first before they are carried out
Without discussion, [they] should not be forcibly carried out. When they have
been discussed and approved by the majority, then they can be carried out
with deliberation. Even good things must be discussed first before they can be
implemented. Doing things after discussion is what distinguishes the Communist Party from the Kuomintang. The Kuomintang oppresses people whenever
they hold the upper hand. Not only do they oppress the minority nationalities;
they even oppress the majority of the Han people as well. The Kuomintang
does bad things. We shouldn’t do bad things; those among our cadres who
have committed mistakes ought to be criticized. Please speak up concerning
the shortcomings and mistakes in our work in Tibet; you may speak your