Commentary by the Central Committee on the Gansu Provincial Party Committee’s Report on Agricultural Collectivization (September 9, 1955) 1. Forward this immediately to Liu, Zhu, Chen, Peng Zhen, Xiaoping, Zikui, and Boda [1] for their review; Shang Kun [2] is to transmit it by telegram. A separate copy is to be printed as previously instructed. Since Gansu has been pressing very urgently, all comrades are requested to read it during the day of this very day [3] and dispatch it in the afternoon or evening. Mao Zedong, night of September 8, published from the manuscript.

2. To the Shanghai Bureau, the party committees of all provinces and municipalities directly under the central government, and the party committees of autonomous regions: We are now transmitting herewith one copy of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee’s report dated August 20 on the issue of agricultural collectivization [4], for your reference. The Central Committee considers the Gansu Provincial Party Committee’s policy to be correct. In its own report, the Gansu Provincial Party Committee has also laid down a number of specific policies and measures, which the Central Committee deems may be implemented in Gansu as outlined. Should any parts requiring amendment be discovered in the course of implementation, they may be revised at that time. All provinces throughout the country may, according to their respective conditions, make appropriate use of these guidelines. Published by the Central Committee on September 9, 1955, based on Mao Zedong’s manuscript.

Notes [ ] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Zhu refers to Zhu De. Chen refers to Chen Yun, who at that time served as Secretary 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. Xiaoping is Deng Xiaoping, who at that time held the posts of Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Zikui is Deng Zikui, who at that time was Minister of the Department for Rural Work of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Boda is Chen Boda, who at that time was Deputy Minister of the Department for Rural Work of the CPC Central Committee.

[2] Shang Kun refers to Yang Shangkun, who at that time was Deputy Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.

[3] Refers to September 9.

[4] Refers to the report submitted by the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee on August 20, 1955, concerning the issue of agricultural collectivization, addressed to its subordinate organizations and also forwarded to the Central Committee. The report focuses on the discussions and views expressed at an enlarged meeting of the provincial party committee regarding the development of agricultural production cooperatives, reviews the backwardness, sluggishness, and vacillation that have appeared in leadership thinking since this spring, and revises the cooperative development plan. It sets the goal of establishing 11,101 new cooperatives across the province before the spring sowing of 1956, so that the proportion of farming households joining cooperatives will reach 23 percent of the province’s total number of farming households; and by the winter of 1957, the number of cooperatives is to be increased to 35,000, with the proportion of participating households rising to over 45 percent. Furthermore, it is planned to pilot several livestock and forestry cooperatives in certain old revolutionary base areas, to upgrade a number of relatively well-established cooperatives into higher-level ones, and to gain experience through these trials. To ensure the successful completion of the above plan, the following specific measures are decided upon: First, within two to three years, activists among three groups—the old poor peasants; the lower-middle peasants among the newly middle peasants; and the lower-middle peasants among the old middle peasants—are to be organized in batches. Second, the cooperative management committees should be primarily composed of politically conscious elements from among the old poor peasants, supplemented by politically conscious members from the other two groups. Third, cooperatives must continue to demonstrate higher yields compared with mutual aid teams and individual farmers working independently. Fourth, the principle of voluntary participation and mutual benefit must be firmly upheld, and all economic matters within the cooperatives must be resolved fairly in accordance with this principle. Fifth, regular rectification work should be emphasized, with three rounds of rectification carried out annually. Sixth, great efforts must be made to resolve accounting problems; in addition to intensive training, accounting guidance personnel should be promptly appointed. Seventh, the centrally designated ratio of one full-time cadre assigned to each ten cooperatives should be rapidly established, with particular attention paid to quality—ideally, these cadres should all be Party members. Eighth, year-round mutual aid teams and joint mutual aid teams should be actively developed to lay the foundation for the establishment of new cooperatives. Ninth, ethnic minority cooperatives should continue to be run effectively. Tenth, permanent people’s schools should be well managed, and rural cultural and recreational activities promoted. Eleventh, organizational structures should be adjusted to free up more cadres for cooperative work. Twelfth, the work of rectifying and rebuilding Party organizations should be closely integrated with the work of rectifying and establishing cooperatives. Thirteenth, cooperatives should also be established in backward townships; this should be combined with the campaign against counter-revolutionaries, organizational rectification, and mass mobilization, so as to thoroughly transform existing backward townships. In addition to the above provisions, the report also makes specific stipulations on several matters: (1) As for landlords and rich peasants in old revolutionary base areas and early land reform zones who have already changed their class status, renounced exploitation, abide by labor laws, and enjoy the consent of cooperative members, they may, with the approval of the county party committee, be individually admitted into cooperatives. However, newly enriched peasants shall not be admitted. (2) Religious leaders whose class status falls below that of the middle peasants, provided they are capable of engaging in manual labor, may be permitted to join cooperatives. (3) In mountainous areas of old revolutionary base areas, as well as on common wasteland reclaimed jointly or on public land under cultivation, where the masses are unwilling to contribute land as shares, land need not be counted as a share, nor shall profits be distributed accordingly. (4) In remote mountainous regions and sparsely populated areas, small cooperatives of around ten households may be established, and linkages may be formed among several such small cooperatives under unified leadership. (5) Provided it does not undermine the overall production plan of the cooperative, members should be allowed to engage in certain sideline production activities to supplement their income, but commercial operations must not be encouraged. (6) Livestock should not be brought into the cooperative during the first year. (7) Regarding labor organization, depending on local conditions, methods such as “fixed quotas with flexible evaluation,” temporary piecework, and even long-term contracted work may be gradually introduced and upgraded. (8) As for private plots, the general regulation limiting them to no more than five percent of total cultivated land should be maintained; however, in areas where fodder crops are grown on private plots, a slightly wider allowance may be made.