Telegram to Zhu De Regarding Amendments to the Closing Address of the National Conference of Senior Party Cadres in the Military System (January 25, 1954) To Comrade Zhu De: Your telegram of January 24 and the draft closing address have been received. Comrades Luo Ruiqing and Chen Boda[1] have suggested adding a few sentences concerning the relationship between the Party and the army, as well as regarding the study of the Soviet experience.[2] After reviewing these suggestions, I find them acceptable. Please deliberate on this matter together with Comrade Peng Dehuai[3] and others. Mao Zedong January 25 The following paragraphs containing the proposed revisions are hereby transmitted as they stand. Printed from the manuscript. Notes [1] Luo Ruiqing was then Minister of Public Security of the Central People’s Government. Chen Boda was then Deputy Minister of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee. Both were accompanying Mao Zedong in Hangzhou. [2] The additional sentences proposed by Luo Ruiqing and Chen Boda for inclusion in Zhu De’s closing address read as follows: “With regard to the relationship between the Party and the armed forces, the original draft stated: ‘The most important key to the unity of the entire Party lies in the unity among senior cadres of both the Party and the armed forces. Therefore, senior Party and military cadres should possess a high degree of consciousness regarding Party unity and fully recognize the gravity of their responsibilities.’ Comrade Chen Boda further suggested adding the following passage after this: ‘It is imperative that the entire army understand that our armed forces were built and developed under the leadership of the Party and achieved victory over the enemy only through such leadership. Without the Party’s leadership, there would be no revolutionary armed forces. Our Military Commission carries out its work under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee. Senior officers of our armed forces must always bear in mind Comrade Mao Zedong’s instruction: “Our principle is that the Party commands the gun; we will never allow the gun to command the Party.” In other words, our armed forces and all their officers must loyally obey the Party’s leadership and remain closely united under the guidance of the CPC Central Committee.’ As for studying the Soviet experience, the original draft said: “We must earnestly learn from the Soviet Union’s advanced military science and technology, its sophisticated combat experience, its modern command techniques, its highly centralized organization and strict discipline, as well as its profound spirit of patriotism and internationalism.” Comrade Luo Ruiqing proposed adding the following sentence after this: “An attitude of rejecting any learning from the Soviet Union is entirely wrong and must be opposed. However, to talk grandly about studying the Soviets while completely disregarding the actual conditions of our own army is also an incorrect approach to learning and will inevitably lead to failure.” [3] Peng Dehuai was then Vice Chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission.£´

Letter to Liu Shaoqi et al., Transmitted via Yang Shangkun[1], Concerning the Revision Status of the Documents for the Fourth Plenary Session and Related Opinions (January 27, 1954) Comrade Liu Shaoqi, and comrades of the Secretariat: Please ask Comrade Yang Shangkun to report to you on the current state of document revisions and my personal views. I and the other comrades here are all well. Respectfully submitted! Mao Zedong January 27 Printed from the manuscript. Note [1] Yang Shangkun was then Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee. In late January, he traveled from Beijing to Hangzhou carrying the documents for the Fourth Plenary Session.

Telegram to Malenkov Congratulating Him on the Fourth Anniversary of the Signing of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance (February 11, 1954) To Comrade Malenkov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance, please accept my heartfelt gratitude and warmest congratulations. The events of the past four years have increasingly demonstrated that the great alliance between China and the Soviet Union constitutes a reliable foundation for safeguarding peace and security in the Far East and throughout the world. The sincere and selfless assistance rendered by the Soviet government and people to China has been of immense significance in accelerating China’s socialist industrialization, enabling China to steadily transition to socialism, and strengthening the ranks of the peace-loving democratic camp led by the Soviet Union. I sincerely hope that the great friendship and solidarity between the peoples of China and the Soviet Union will continue to develop and grow ever stronger. Mao Zedong February 11, 1954, Beijing Printed according to the edition published in the People’s Daily on February 14, 1954.

Telegram and Letter to Liu Shaoqi et al. Regarding Discussion and Revision of the First Draft of the Constitution (February 17, 1954) 1 To Comrade Liu Shaoqi, and comrades of the Secretariat: I am sending five copies of the first draft of the Constitution. Please arrange for additional copies to be made and distributed to members of the Politburo and Central Committee members residing in Beijing. A series of meetings should be convened within one week starting from February 20 to discuss the draft, after which comments and amendments should be compiled by Comrades Deng Xiaoping and Li Weihan[1] and brought back here for further deliberation—approximately seven days should suffice. Following this, the revised draft will be submitted to the Central Committee for preliminary consideration, after which it can be forwarded to the Constitution Drafting Committee. Consequently, the original plan for Deng Xiaoping and Li Weihan to depart for Hangzhou on the 20th may be postponed until the end of the month. The person delivering the draft will leave on the 18th and is expected to arrive in Beijing on the 20th. Mao Zedong, 10:00 p.m., February 17 2 To Comrade Liu Shaoqi: I am dispatching Comrade Zhang Yiping to deliver five copies of the first draft of the Constitution. Please acknowledge receipt and take appropriate action. For further details, refer to the above telegram. Respectfully, Mao Zedong, February 17, 1954 Printed from the manuscript. Notes [1] Deng Xiaoping was then Vice Premier of the State Council. Li Weihan was then Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee. [2] Refers to Zhang Yiping, who was employed at the Guard Bureau of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.

Letter to Liu Shaoqi et al. Regarding Revisions to the First Draft of the Constitution (February 24 and 26, 1954) 1 To Comrade Liu Shaoqi: I am submitting the second reading version of Chapters II and beyond of the constitutional draft, along with the report from the drafting group, for circulation among all comrades. Mao Zedong, 2:00 a.m., February 24 2 To Comrade Hu Qiaomu: Please ensure that the points discussed today are incorporated into tomorrow’s revisions. The drafting group should convene once more to deliberate on these changes and prepare a clean copy by midnight tonight, so that it can be submitted to the Central Committee the day after tomorrow (the 26th). Mao Zedong, February 24 £´ 9

3 To Comrade Liu Shaoqi, and comrades of the Secretariat: In order to facilitate the Central Committee’s discussion of the constitutional draft over the next few days, our working group has undertaken another round of revisions within two days, resulting in a third draft. This version is now being circulated for the Central Committee’s review. Respectfully, Mao Zedong, 2:00 a.m., February 26 Printed from the manuscript. Note [ ] Hu Qiaomu was then Deputy Minister of the CPC Central Committee’s Propaganda Department and Mao Zedong’s secretary, actively participating in the work of the constitution drafting committee.