Commentary by the Central Committee on the Report from the Ministry of Construction Regarding the Launch of a Rectification Campaign Among Technical Personnel in Design Departments (August 5, 1955) To all departments of the Central Committee and the Military Commission, as well as to the provincial and municipal Party committees and the Party committees of autonomous regions: The report submitted by the Five-Person Group of the Ministry of Construction [1] is very good; it is hereby circulated for your reference.
You may also forward it to all units employing engineering and technical personnel for implementation by analogy.
August 5, 1955, Central Committee Printed from Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft.
Reviewed by Liu, Zhou, Chen, and Deng [2]; transmitted by telegram to Shangkun [3], with additional copies distributed.
Printed from the manuscript by Mao Zedong on August 5.

Notes [1] Refers to the report dated July 25, 1955, submitted by the Five-Person Group of the Ministry of Construction concerning the launch of a rectification campaign among technical personnel in design departments.
The report states that the design departments of the Ministry of Construction have few core Party members but a large number of technical cadres.
Many of these technical cadres returned from overseas, maintain extensive foreign contacts, and have unclear backgrounds.
Starting June 10, we spent more than forty days preparing, reorganizing our ranks, conducting surveys, studying relevant documents, repeatedly mobilizing the masses, and issuing a general call to action.
More recently, we have been carrying out the struggle in a planned and focused manner.
The lessons learned are as follows: First, leadership must firmly recognize that the vast majority of technical personnel are good people.
It is essential to distinguish between undesirable ideological tendencies and errors arising from limited technical expertise, on the one hand, and the subversive activities of counterrevolutionaries, on the other.
Only in this way can we muster both enthusiasm and patience in mobilizing the masses.
Second, leaders must take personal charge, primarily through repeated mobilization, clear explanation of policies, elevation of political awareness, alleviation of concerns, and clarification of the role and responsibilities engineers should assume in this movement, while skillfully tailoring approaches to different groups.
Third, great importance should be attached to engaging technical personnel in the campaign.
Fourth, a “campaign to win over hearts and minds” should be launched, fostering a mass-based persuasion effort. [2] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi; Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai; Chen refers to Chen Yun, who at the time served as Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council; Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at the time was Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. [3] Shangkun refers to Yang Shangkun, who at the time held the positions of Deputy Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Central Office.