Comments on the Issuance of Peng Yihu’s Letter Reflecting on Rural Work [1] (May 16, 1955) To Comrade Yang Shangkun [2]: Please immediately circulate Peng Yihu’s letter [3] to all comrades attending tomorrow’s (the 17th) meeting at the Hall of Longevity. Mao Zedong, May 16. Comrades from various provinces and municipalities may return by train either late on the 17th or early on the 18th. Also, please have the central notice revised by Xiaoping [5] (regarding the nationwide deputies’ fact-finding missions) printed and distributed to all comrades tomorrow. Printed according to the manuscript. Secondly, distribute it to the standing committee members, certain staff members, and the CPPCC standing committee members present in Beijing. [8] Printed according to Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft. £± 8

--- Notes

Comments on the Draft Central Notice Concerning People’s Deputies’ Inspection Tours to Various Localities [1] (May 16, 1955) Shangkun [2] asked by telephone whether Zhou, Chen, and Peng Zhen [3] had any objections; if not, it should be issued immediately. Returned to Shangkun for issuance on the 17th, with copies to be promptly distributed to all provincial and municipal deputies present in Beijing. Printed according to Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft. Notes [1] These comments by Mao Zedong were written on a letter dated May 16, 1955, from Deng Xiaoping, Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee, to Mao Zedong, submitting for review the draft central notice concerning people’s deputies’ inspection tours to various localities. The central notice stated that the Second Session of the First National People’s Congress would be convened in early July 1955. Prior to the session, all deputies of the National People’s Congress would be dispatched to different regions or conduct nearby inspections in both urban and rural areas. In cities, the focus of these inspections would primarily be on issues related to grain supply and construction, especially wasteful practices; in rural areas, the main concerns would include unified procurement and marketing of grain, public order, agricultural production, and mutual-aid cooperation. Local authorities were instructed to adopt an active and welcoming attitude toward the deputies’ inspections. [2] Shangkun refers to Yang Shangkun, who at that time served as Deputy Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Central Office.


Notes [1] Peng Yihu was at the time a member of the Central Standing Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. [2] Yang Shangkun served as Deputy Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Central Office. [3] This refers to a letter dated April 24, 1954, in which Peng Yihu requested Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Huang Yanpei to forward it to the State Council. The letter described conditions in his hometown region in eastern Hunan Province: First, the retained grain quota was set too low. During the 1954 unified purchase campaign, farmers were left with insufficient food, resulting in malnutrition, diminished physical strength, and low morale, thereby hindering production. Farmers were unable to raise pigs, and their side businesses also suffered. Second, there were problems with yield assessment. In 1952, when land was surveyed and yields were determined, excessively high quotas were assigned for paddy fields in flat areas. Coupled with excessive rainfall in 1954, actual yields fell short of the official estimates, creating a gap between the prescribed and actual outputs. Insufficient consideration of this discrepancy during the unified purchase process further reduced the amount of grain remaining with farmers. Third, there were issues with the work style of district and township cadres. Some of them failed to engage deeply with the masses to understand the real situation and disregarded legitimate opinions and demands. In order to complete their tasks, they often resorted to coercive orders, provoking resentment among the population. [4] This refers to the upcoming meeting of secretaries of the party committees of fifteen provinces and municipalities, which the CPC Central Committee was preparing to convene. [5] Xiaoping refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at the time held the post of Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee. [6] This refers to the CPC Central Committee’s notice dated May 16, 1955, concerning people’s deputies’ inspection tours to various localities. See Note [1] on page £± 6 of this volume. [7] Peng Zhen was then Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. [8] These comments were written on a copy of the letter forwarded by Huang Yanpei to Vice Premier Chen Yun, originally sent by the CCP Central Office’s Confidentiality Department to report Peng Yihu’s letter. In his own letter, Huang Yanpei also shared his views on the grain issue, stating: “Based on my synthesis of various reports and logical inference, it appears that those with surplus grain are few, while those lacking it are many, and the former group tends to follow the latter. These two groups must be addressed separately, but they cannot be ignored.” £± 9

[3] Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Chen refers to Chen Yun, who at the time was a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Peng Zhen was then an alternate member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. £± 7