Letter to Yang Shangkun [1] Regarding the Preparation of Documents for the Meeting of the Central Political Bureau (December 4, 1953) Comrade Shangkun: I have reviewed all the documents for today’s meeting [2], except for the one from the Academy of Sciences. Please follow up by telephone to ensure that each comrade reads them once before the meeting, so that we can proceed with discussion. As for the document from the Academy of Sciences, let us postpone it until the next session. Tonight, we should also include the report prepared by Comrade Peng Dehuai [3] to be delivered at the military conference, discuss and adopt it, and temporarily invite Comrades Liu Bocheng, Ye Jianying, Nie Rongzhen, Huang Kecheng, and Zhang Zongsun [4] to attend as observers. Kindly inform all comrades to read the documents. The time of the meeting will be determined after I get out of bed; it may need to be delayed by one or two hours. Mao Zedong December 4th, 6:00 AM Printed from the manuscript. Notes [1] Yang Shangkun was then Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee. [2] Refers to the documents prepared for discussion at the meeting of the CPC Central Political Bureau on December 4, 1953, mainly including: the report by the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Labor of the Central People’s Government on the inspection of past work and suggestions for improving future work; the report by the Sports Commission of the Central People’s Government on strengthening mass sports activities; the report by the Party Leadership Group of the General Administration of Publications of the Central People’s Government on the publication situation in 1953 and the guidelines and tasks for future work; the directive issued by the CPC Central Committee approving the report of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Higher Education concerning the National Conference of Administrators of Higher Industrial Schools; and the report by the Party Committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on its work in 1953. [3] Peng Dehuai was then Vice Chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission. [4] Liu Bocheng was then a member of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission and President and Political Commissar of the Military Academy of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Ye Jianying was then a member of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission and Commander of the South China Military Region of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Nie refers to Nie Rongzhen, who was a member of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission and Acting Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Huang refers to Huang Kecheng, who was Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Zhang refers to Zhang Zongsun, who was also a Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.