Letter to Yang Shangkun [I]

(December 4, 1953)

Comrade Shangkun:

Of today’s meeting documents [2], I have read all except the one from the Academy of Sciences. Please telephone and urge all comrades to read them once before the meeting to facilitate discussion. The Academy of Sciences document is postponed until next time.

This evening, one item should be added: the report Comrade Peng Dehuai [3] is preparing for the military conference. It should be discussed and approved. Also, tentatively arrange for Comrades Liu Bocheng, Ye Jianying, Nie, Huang, and Zhang [4] to attend as observers. Please inform all comrades to read the documents. The meeting time will be set after I get up; it may be delayed by one or two hours.

Mao Zedong
December 4, 6:00 a.m.

[I]
Yang Shangkun, then Director of the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

[2]
Refers to the documents prepared for discussion at the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on December 4, 1953. The main ones were: the report of the Party Group of the Ministry of Labour of the Central People’s Government on reviewing past work and suggestions for improving future work; the report of the Physical Culture and Sports Commission of the Central People’s Government on strengthening people’s sports activities; the report of the Party Group of the General Administration of Publication of the Central People’s Government on the state of publication work in 1953 and the principles and tasks for future work; the directive of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approving the report of the Party Group of the Ministry of Higher Education on the national administrative conference of higher industrial schools; and the report of the Party Committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on its work in 1953.

[3]
Peng Dehuai, then Vice Chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission.

[4]
Liu Bocheng, then member of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission, President and Political Commissar of the People’s Liberation Army Military Academy. Ye Jianying, then member of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission, Commander of the South China Military Region of the People’s Liberation Army. Nie, refers to Nie Rongzhen, then member of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission, Acting Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army. Huang, refers to Huang Kecheng, then Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army. Zhang, refers to Zhang Zongxun, then Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army.