SUMMING-UP SPEECH AT 6TH EXPANDED PLENUM
OF 7TH COP CENTRAL COMMITTEE
(September 1955)
a
I. This session has involved a very wide range of things, and has
been one big debate.
This session has resolved a large number of problems, and has been
one great debate. It has been a great debate on whether the Party's General
Line during the transition period is entirely correct or not. This big
debate by the whole Party stemmed from the question of general policy of
agricultural cooperation. It has involved a very wide range of things —
heavy industry, light industry, finance, money, trade, communications,
culture and education, public health, science, suppression of counter
revolutionaries, transformation of handicraft industries, transformation
of capitalist industry and commerce. Party, League, trade unions, youth,
women, internal affairs, the army, and so forth. We should have this big
debate. Since the proclamation of the General Line, we had not developed
such a debate.. We should extend this debate to the comrades of Party branches
in the rural areas. The debate must also be developed among Party members of
branches in the cities so that the tempo and quality of work in all fields can
conform with the tasks prescribed in the General Line. There must be overall
planning in all work.
The socialist transformation of agriculture will take about three fiveyear plans to complete. The socialist transformation of capitalist industry
and commerce will also be completed at the same time. By then, the alliance
of industry and agriculture and of workers and peasants can be consolidated
on the basis of new socialism. Accordingly, it will be possible to cut off
completely the relations between peasants and the bourgeoisie, to isolate
fully the bourgeoisie,, and to root out thoroughly for the last time the
sources of capitalism on the vast expanse of land in the countryside.
At present, we have not yet completed the organization of cooperatives
in agriculture, and workers and peasants have not yet formed a strong
alliance. The old worker-peasant alliance established on the basis of

agrarian reform is now in a state of flux. Peasants have already become
dissatisfied with the gains of agrarian reform. Some of them have already
forgotten these gains. We have not given new gains to the peasants. (New
gains will be socialism.) Peasants still are not collectively well-off.
Staple foods and industrial raw materials still are not plentiful. The
bourgeoisie will still be looking for a setback on our part to launch an
attack against us.
After a few years we will see a new situation. Workers and peasants
will have formed a stronger alliance on a new basis. The old worker-peasant
alliance set up on the basis of agrarian reform is a temporary affair and
therefore not solid. If we do not change the production relationships in
the countryside we cannot increase the productive forces of agriculture and
the peasants cannot become collectively well-off. Thus, classes will split
up and turn toward two extremes, both the poor and the well-to-do will have
no faith in us, and the worker-peasant alliance can not be strengthened.
After a number of years, landlords and rich peasants might believe us. When
all peasants prosper year after year, and commodities and staple foods in
crease, an entirely new situation will have arisen and the mouth of the
bourgeoisie will have been stopped up.
We now have two alliances. One is the alliance with the peasants and
the other is with the bourgeoisie. Under the conditions of China's economic
backwardness, both these alliances are necessary. Our alliance with the
bourgeoisie, under which we exercise utilization and restriction in dealing
with them and for the time being we do not confiscate their property, is for
the purpose of continuing the manufacture of their industrial goods so as to
amply provide the peasants with what they need. Like us, the peasants have
to eat and be clothed. They are paying for many things (industrial products)
with coupons alone. This will not do. They will still conceal their grains
and not sell them. We are making use of the alliance with the bourgeoisie
to cope with the peasants' thought of being stingy in selling their grains.
We are also utilizing the alliance with the peasants to acquire the grains
and industrial raw materials to subjugate the bourgeoisie. We want them to
turn out the industrial products and accept remolding. If you do not turn
but the industrial products, we will not give you the grains and the indus
trial raw materials. In this way we curb the bourgeoisie economically by
organizing a free market.. And we isolate the bourgeoisie politically. With
out this provision, they will be reluctant to submit. This is the inter
relation of the two transformations.
The two alliances. The alliance with the peasants is a basic one,
a permanent one. The alliance with the bourgeoisie is a temporary one, be
cause the bourgeoisie is to be liquidated. In the future, the ranks of the
proletariat will be augmented by several million people of the bourgeoisie.
However, the struggle against bourgeois ideology is a protracted one. The
agrarian reform was a democratic revolution of a bourgeois nature. It
destroyed feudalist ownership, but it did not destroy capitalist ownership
and individual ownership. It enabled the peasants to receive a share of the
land, caused the workers and the peasants to form an alliance on the basis

of a democratic revolution, and made the bourgeoisie feel isolated for the
first time. In 1950, the 3rd Plenum [of the 7th CCP Central Committee]
already pointed out that if we did not carry through agrarian reform, we
would not be able to attack on all sides. After the completion of agrarian
reform, the peasants were drawn to our side and because of that, we were
able to launch the "3-anti" and the "5-anti" movements. After the realiza
tion of agricultural cooperation, it was on the basis of socialism that the
worker-peasant alliance was finally consolidated. This new worker-peasant
alliance has. caused the bourgeoisie to be isolated at last and capitalism to
die out in China with its population of 600 million. Some people say that
we were too ungrateful. We say that a Marxist's gratitude toward the bour
geoisie isn't much. In this respect, it is better to have a little less
gratitude. Some of our comrades are too kind. We want to make capitalism
die out on this earth and the bourgeoisie a thing of history. This is very
significant. It is a good thing. All things that occurred in history must
be liquidated. Capitalism likewise must be liquidated.
International conditions today are favorable to our accomplishing our
tasks during the transition period. In another 12 years, we will be able to
build up socialism in the main. Every year we will be able to produce 18-20
million tons of steel, about 73 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, about
280 million tons of raw coal, about 18 million tons of crude oil, about
60,000 metal-cutting machine tools, 183,000 tractors (converted to 15-hp
each), 208,000 motor vehicles, about 16.8 million tons of cement, about 7.5
million tons of chemical fertilizers (these levels correspond to the 1940
levels of the Soviet Union; speaking of tractors alone, the output is about'
the same as that of the Soviet Union in 1954), 600 billion catties of grains,
an increase of 100 percent, over 6 million tons of cotton, an increase in
excess of 100 percent (all compared with 1952 yields), and 600,000 tractors.
Also by then, we will have increased the acreage under mechanized cultivation
to 61 percent of the total arable land. After another two five-year plans,
we will have accomplished technical transformation and increased the acreage
under mechanized cultivation to 100 percent. To carry out these tasks, we
need a period of peaceful construction. Can we have this period of peaceful
construction? Our comrades in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Inter
national Liaison Department, and in the army will have to exert themselves
before we can achieve it.
During these five years, the class struggle at home and abroad will
be very acute. In this struggle we have already won a very big, very big
victory, and will gain even more and even bigger achievements. In the past
few years we scored victories in four sectors, namely; the opposition to
idealism and the propaganda for materialism, the suppression of counter
revolutionaries, the unified purchasing and marketing of grains, and the
organization of cooperatives in agriculture. The victories in these four
sectors, which bore anti-bourgeois characteristics, have dealt a heavy blow
to,,the bourgeoisie and will, in the days to come, deal it a shattering blow.
The campaign against idealism will have to be continued for a long time.
Through three five-year plans we can uproot idealism and establish the ranks
of Marxist materialism. This year and the next, we will carry out suppres
sion of counterrevolutionaries among 11-12 million people.

Counterrevolutionaries cannot be seen. But once you investigate you will
find out. The Organization Department and the Public Security Department
of the Central Committee have detected counterrevolutionaries. All over the
country, 110,000 counterrevolutionaries have been discovered from among 2.2
million people. There are 50,000 major suspects still around. The work
of suppressing counterrevolutionaries must be in conformity witb specifica
tions and standards. It must be for real. To let a few people escape
punishment is unavoidable. But these must be kept to a minimum. On the
question of grains we won a big victory. We also won a victory on the ques
tion of agricultural cooperation. On all of these four questions, we launched
an even bigger struggle against the bourgeoisie to deal a blow to the bour
geoisie so that it could no longer rear its head and that we could gain the
initiative. Otherwise, we would be in a state of passivity.
II. This session has smashed many erroneous viewpoints and exposed
many outworn myths.
During the session many opinions were voiced to expose a multitude of
outworn myths and smash a great number of erroneous viewpoints.
First of all, whether to develop rapidly or slowly? The question was
resolved this time. The masses demanded rapid development. Agriculture,
which is conforming with the needs of industry, also demanded rapid develop
ment. Those who advocate slow development are erroneous.
Can new areas be developed? New areas also can be developed.
Can mountainous areas be developed? Mountainous areas also can be
developed.
Can disaster areas be developed? Disaster areas also can be developed.
Can backward rural areas be developed? Backward rural areas also can
be developed.
Can areas populated by minority nationalities be developed? Aside
from Tibet and Greater and Lesser Liang-shan [0404 1472], areas populated
by minority nationalities also can be developed.
Can we organize a cooperative without capital? Yes, we can.
Can we organize a cooperative without culture? Yes, we can.
Can we organize a cooperative without a small number of cadres? Yes,
we can.
In the past, some people said: "To build is easy, but to consolidate
is hard." To build is not altogether easy and to consolidate is not neces
sarily hard. If you say it is hard, then it is a bit hard. If you say it
is easy, then it is a bit easy. Why insist on saying "To consolidate is
hard"? That is to say not to organize a cooperative.

That a cooperative cannot be organized without machinery is not being
aired much now.
Faulty cooperatives, third-class, fourth-class or fifth-class coopera
tives. Aside from dissolving them, what roads are open to us? Aside from
individual cooperatives which are impossible not to dissolve and bogus
cooperatives set up by rich peasants, the rest need not be dissolved. After
readjustment, they can be run well.
The Rural Work Department of the Central Committee does not turn out
rural ditties alone. It also deals out reason. Some people say; "If we
do not dismount quickly, w6 will destroy the worker—peasant alliance." We
will dispute only one character. We say: "If we do not mount [the horse]
quickly, we will destroy the worker-peasant alliance."
The death of a draft animal is in part a "misdeed" of the cooperative.
But the main.reason does not lie with the cooperative. The reason for its
death is a question of grains, a question of the price of cowhide, a question
of the senility of the animal, a question of floods and drought.
In spring this year there was tension in the countryside. Some people
said that this was caused by the many cooperatives being set up. In no way
can this be said. Primarily, it was due to the clamor of landlords, rich
peasants and well—to—do peasants who rushed to buy up grain when no shortage
existed. Partly it stemmed from the grain problem and partly from false
appearances. It was good that they clamored a bit. We got to acquire an
understanding of the grain problem. Last year, owing to natural calamities,
there was a decrease in output and we purchased 6 billion catties more. This
year there was an increase in production of 20 billion catties and we pur
chased 6 billion catties less. As a result, on the part of the peasants,
there was an increase of 26 billion catties of grain.
The sentiment that "the superiority of cooperatives can last only
three years" is pessimism. The Soviet Union has been working at socialism
for several decades and it still retains its superiority. As I see it, the
superiority of socialism generally will endure several decades. At the end
of that period, when socialism loses its superiority, we will be working at
communism..
Should we in the next few years establish some cooperatives of an
advanced type or not? We should. As to how many, people in different places
should decide at their own discretion.
Wooden sailing vessels and animal-drawn carts can also form coopera
tives. The several million Working people should all organize themselves.
III. Overall planning and strengthening of leadership.
We must have overall planning. In my article I deal with cooperative
planning. Apart from this, agricultural production, overall economic
- 18 "

planning (subsidiary occupations, handicraft, diversified economy, land
reclamation, migration of people over short distances, afforestation of
mountains — especially the barren mountains of North China and rocky
Pei-tai-ho [0554 2071 3109] and Hsiang-shan [7449 1472], which also can be
afforested — supply and marketing cooperatives, credit cooperatives, and
technical dissemination centers), culture and education (current events,
elimination of illiteracy, primary schools, traditional Chinese medicine,
operas, movies, radio and publications). Party consolidation and Party
building. League consolidation and League building, suppression of counter
revolutionaries (you may read the talk given by the Secretary of the Chiang-chin Local Committee, Szechwan Province), women's work (if there are no
women there will be no children; we were all born to a woman; to look down
upon women is to oppose mothers and to oppose mothers is to be unfilial),
and youth work all should have plans.
Each cooperative must have its own plan. Each township must have its
overall plan. Therefore, throughout the land there should be 220,000 town
ship plans. Some people say that plans are not needed for districts. It
seems to me that it is good for them to have ona, otherwise they do not have
any possibilities. Each country must have a plan for the whole country. The
different provinces should work out one or two plans for the townships and
the counties, send them out and ask everybody to follow suit.
Rate of development. According to everybody's opinion, this should be
divided into three areas; the majority of areas, certain minority of areas,
and the other minority of areas.
1. The majority of areas: Three waves in the three winter-spring
periods of 1956, 1957 and 1958. Before one wave subsides, another wave rises.
Between two waves there is a trough, between two mountains there is a valley.
There should be a break. By 1958, semi-socialist cooperativization is to be
virtually accomplished.
2. Certain minority of areas (North China, the Northeast, and
suburban areas): It is to be divided into two waves, one each in the two
winter-spring periods of 1956 and 1957. Isolated areas may be allowed one
wave. Semi-socialist cooperativization is to be accomplished by and large
in one winter-spring period.
3. The other minority of areas (except Tibet and Greater and Lesser
Liang-shan): Four, five or even six waves are required. Semi-socialist
cooperativization is to be accomplished in the main by 1960. Although it
is like this, it cannot be considered as socialism because it requires such
a long time, which cannot be shortened. In a word, if conditions are not
ripe, don't work at it.
What is meant by virtually accomplishing semi-socialist cooperativiza
tion?
It simply means accomplishing 70, 75 or 80 percent.

Either too slow or too fast is no good. Both are called opportunism.
There is slow opportunism and there is fast opportunism.
Leadership needs to be strengthened. At the provincial, district and
county levels, it is necessary to grasp the state of development of a campaign
at all times. The moment we spot a problem we solve it then and there. When
ever there is a problem, solve it right away. Don't fire the cannon, after the
enemy is out of sight. (Half a province still can call a meeting.) Don't
take a liking to criticizing only after the event. It is best to criticize
as soon as the problem crops up. Don't wait until problems pile up before
you criticize. When conditions are not right, you must immediately apply the
brakes. Province, district, and county levels have the right to apply the
brakes.
It is necessary to keep in mind guarding against the "left." Guarding
against the "left" is also Marxism. Marxism is not guarding against the
right alone. When the pace is as fast as what has been mentioned before, it
will be all right. Later, both quality and specifications will be compared.
The criterion of quality is increased production. We don't want dead cattle.
(I didn't say we don't want dead pigs, but pigs cannot be dead [sic].) How
can we achieve this criterion? 1) Implement the policy of voluntariness and
mutual benefit; 2) overall planning; and 3) flexible guidance. The leadership
must grasp well these three items. Some people caution us that the Soviet
Union previously committed "leftist" mistakes. We must not forget the experi
ence of the Soviet Union.
The key lies in the two years ahead. The next five to six months
(from October to March next year) are crucial. We must not have a big problem
"crop up in these five to six months.
We should consider the dead cattle practice as something that is past
and will not be repeated. Cattle, too, care about clothing, food and lodging.
They need someone to look after them. Whether a price is set on them or not
when they join a cooperative, we don't want dead ones. If the Chinese Commu
nist Party has the ability, the dead cattle practice will not occur again in
the future. We have to accomplish "three don't call out": people don't call
out, cattle don't call out, and pigs don't call out. If they call out, they
are likely to die.
During the next five months, the principal responsible persons, above
all the secretaries and deputy Secretaries of provinces, areas, counties,
districts and townships, must go into cooperatives and become experts. If
they cannot do that, they will have to change jobs. Then we won't ask them
to enter deeply into cooperatives any more.
I
Five months later, the Central Committee perhaps will call another
such meeting. Various provinces perhaps will ask a few county committee
secretaries to take part, meaning an increase of 200 to 300 people for the
whole country. Everyone will have to prepare a speech. It must contain
something new and deal with a new topic, such as overall planning or manage
ment.

Some suggestions regarding the method of leadership (on how to achieve
greater, faster and better results):
1. Call several meetings each year — big meetings as well as small
meetings.
2. When you encounter a problem, solve It Immediately. Don't wait
until problems pile up. You only have to get a clear understanding of a
few cooperatives, then you can already form a conclusion. Catch a sparrow
and dissect It. Although the sparrow Is small, the gall and liver are all
complete. Chinese sparrows and foreign sparrows are alike. You don't have
to dissect every one of them.
3. Use the telegram and the telephone.
4. Go on tours of Inspection. You may do so by riding In a jeep,
riding in a horse-drawn carriage or walking.
5. Improve the periodicals. I have seen all of the provincial
periodicals. Some are well edited. One shortcoming Is that the editors are
Irresponsible. They see an article and publish it, without regard for Its
contents. The type used In a periodical should not be too small, and the
lines should not be too close together. Don't use the New No. 5 type, but
use the Old No. 5 type to make them easy to read. When the articles on "How
to Run an Agricultural Producer Cooperative" were written, the Rural Work
Department of the Central Committee read 1,200 of them. I closed my door
for 11 days and read 120 articles. I seemed to be making a tour of various
countries. I appended notes and wrote prefaces. As I see It, each province
and each autonomous region should compile a book annually. Each county should
contribute an article to the book, which should be published for public con
sumption. It Is said that "party secrets" will be Involved. To me, there
are no secrets. We will have the People's Publishing House put out "How to
Run an Agricultural Producer Cooperative" and send a copy to each of the
democratic personages.
6. Issue brief reports. County committees should submit to the area
committees, and the latter to the provincial committee, a brief report every
10 days, or In an emergency every five days. Its contents should Include
what troubles arose and what progress has been achieved In resolving them.
Provincial committees should submit to the Central Committee a brief report
every fortnight, or In an emergency every 10 days. Its contents should be
terse and concise. A few hundred characters should be sufficient.
IV. Concerning Ideological struggle.
At this meeting we have crossed swords Ideologically. This Is very
good. Historical experience has proved that Ideological struggle should be
sound and that Ideas should cross swords, you with a sword and I with a gun.
If no swords are crossed, there will be a lack of definitiveness and thorough
ness. After swords are crossed. It will help the majority of comrades to
I  i

understand the problem and those comrades who have committed mistakes to
rectify them.
There were two kinds of people who made mistakes In history. One kind
consisted of those who were willing to correct their mistakes; the other kind
consisted of those who were unwilling to correct their mistakes. We should
stand for those people who are willing to rectify their mistakes. There
are two lines of comrades who have made mistakes. One line comprises those
who themselves are willing to continue the revolution; the other line com
prises those who would like to approve who should make revolution. All
those who disallow others to make revolution are very dangerous people. Wang
Lun, the accomplished scholar in white, and District Magistrate Chao would
not allow people to make revolution. So did Ch'en Tu—hslu Chaiig Kuo—t'ao,
Kao Rang, and Jao Shu-shlh. As it turned out, they lost their lives In so
doing. Historically, people who committed mistakes of empiricism and dogma
tism were for the most part able to make corrections. Some did their own
rectification. Some needed the assistance of others. They, of course, had
to assume an attitude of welcoming criticism. Apart from a handful, like
Ch'en Tu-hslu and Tal Chl-t'ao, all could rectify their mistakes.
Some of the comrades of the Rural Work Department of the Central Com
mittee committed mistakes, first and foremost being Teng Tzu—hul [6772 1311
18631. The nature of their mistakes was rightist empiricism. In the past.
Comrade Teng Tzu-hul performed much work in the prolonged struggle and scored
many achievements. But do not treat achievements as a burden. If only one
becomes a little modest and not put on the airs of a veteran, he can rectlfy-hls mistakes.
The "Four Great Freedoms" and "consolidation of the new democratic
order" are the programs of the bourgeoisie, and run counter to the resolu
tions of the 2nd Plenary Session. That such slogans were put forth was a
^
program mistake. There should be restrictions on the "Four Great Freedoms.
They should be changed Into "Four Small Freedoms." After being utilized,
restricted and transformed, the bourgeoisie should ultimately be eliminated.
It cannot be neither restricted nor transformed. To eliminate It, It Is
necessary to make preparations. We must have something to replace It. If
we eliminate It before we find something to replace it, we will be committing
"leftist" mistakes.
Some comrades are "used to saying something which Is not what they
actually mean" and "fond of doing things that call for a little cleverness.'
These comrades do not study well and they will not listen to what takes
place outside their windows. They do not follow Party resolutions at all.
They themselves do not turn to their books and will not ask their secretaries
to look It up for them.
I
,1
Some comrades delight In excessive decentralization, love to set up
Independent kingdoms, and have a fancy for dictatorship. They do not like
to confer with other people, and do not exchange views with others. They are
always lecturing to people. These comrades cannot sense the political

climate. Although things have existed everywhere in quantity, they are not
aware of them. This is what is called catching a political cold.
V. Concerning certain isolated problems.
1. To change the leading position of well—to—do middle peasants in
the cooperatives, we have to be careful about steps and methods. We must
make them and the masses realize that they are not fit to be leaders. Be
sides, we must have substitutes for them who are comparatively better. With
regard to methods of handling these well—to—do middle peasants, we must
differentiate disparity in conditions and not drag them all down in a gust
of wind. Some people may be dragged down, some may be demoted to minor
positions or appointed as committee members. Do not touch those who have
performed well, let them remain. Do not treat well-to-do middle peasants
as rich peasants. Their attitude toward cooperativization is different from
that of rich peasants. They are vacillating while rich peasants are in
opposition. They are laboring people and not exploiters.
fi
2. In Party branches and among the masses, we must offer the explana
tion that our division into the strata of upper-middle and lower-middle
peasants is not a redrawing of class lines. It is being done because the
economic positions and political attitudes of the upper-middle and lower-middle peasants are not the same and there is a difference between their
enthusiasm and lack of enthusiasm toward cooperatives. Even in the same
stratum, attitudes may be different. For this reason, we should draw people
into the cooperatives by stages and by groups. After a few years, all
peasants will be admitted and there will be no distinction between strata.
3. Landlords and rich peasants may join cooperatives. In areas al
ready cooperativized in the main, they may be drawn into the cooperatives
group by group according to their specific situations. Previously it was
said that only after the whole country had been cooperativized more than 50
percent could they be admitted. Now, we can draw them in when a county has
been basically cooperativized. We can give the honest among them the designa
tion of cooperative member, to some of those dishonest people we give not
the designation of cooperative member, but that of "alternate cooperative
member," and make them undergo reform through labor with the same economic
remuneration. To some we do not give the permission to join up at all. None
of the landlords and rich peasants who are admitted are allowed to undertake
leadership duties for three to five years. Can intellectual youth bom of a
landlord or rich peasant family become a teacher? I think he can, but I will
not form a conclusion. You study the question further. Don't ask them to be
a bookkeeper. To make them bookkeepers is a little dangerous.
4. Each area will study the conditions for advanced cooperatives in
accordance with the actual state of affairs. When the conditions are ripe,
you may organize them.
5. Do not mistake cooperativization for the "three fixes" in grains.
As to how to arrange the timing of the "three fixes" in grains and coopera
tivization, each area should make a decision on its own.

6. Each area may postpone conscription until April next year. But,
in general, do not postpone conscription [indefinitely].
7. Cooperatives may be organized between summer and autumn. Do not
concentrate coii5)letely on winter and spring. However, you must stop organx
zing between two waves. People must take a rest every day. If you do not
stop organizing for a while, you cannot get a second wind.
8. "Work industriously and exercise thrift in running the coopera
tives" is a very good slogan. In the cities there is an anti-waste campaign
going on. There should also be one in the countryside.:; Run one
with industry and frugality, run the cooperatives industriously and thriftily,
and build our country through hard work and thrift. Don t be lazy,
extravagant. We must raise the labor productivity, lower production costs,
practice economy, oppose waste, and carry out economic accounting. However,
economic accounting must be pushed through step by step.
9. We do not want counties, districts and townships to carry out
liquidation of counterrevolutionaries before April of next year. Last year,
they were crude and careless in integrating the work of setting up coopera
tives, producing grain, and carrying out conscription. This year, they must
be meticulous and not make a lot of noises.
10. One shortcoming is that the question of state farms was not
addressed at this meeting. Next time we must have someone speak on it.
Rural Work Department of the Central Committee should go down and make a
study of it. In future, the relative importance of state farms will grow
with each passing day.
11. We must oppose Han chauvinism consistently and vigorously. Han
chauvinism is bourgeois ideology. Of course, we should also oppose narrowminded nationalism. But first and foremost, we oppose Han chauvinism,
must render assistance to the minority nationalities with sincerity and g
intentions. We cannot do without the minority nationalities.
70 to 80 percent of the land that is rich in resources. We cannot do without
Saifudin and XXX.
12. Within the cooperatives we must eliminate illiteracy and not do
away with the campaign to eliminate illiteracy.
13 What is "left" deviation? What is right deviation? Things move
through time and space (especially time). If people's
things is out of keeping with actual conditions, those who have observed ar
called "left" and those who did not observe are called right. For example,
when the conditions are ripe for developing cooperatives rapidly and you do
not develop them, then it is right. Next year, you want the whole country
to attain cooperativization 80 percent within the year, then it is 1®^^.
There is an old Chinese saying to this effect, "when the
"
falls by itself," "when the water flows, the drain is completed.
This is
to say that we must attain our goal naturally and not by forcing ourselves.

Take for example a woman giving birth to a child. If we force it after
seven months of pregnancy, then it is "left." If after nine months of
pregnancy we restrain its' birth, then it is right.
14. Is there any possibility of "left" deviation? It is entirely
possible. If the leadership does not pay attention to conditions of
development or to mass awareness, if it lacks overall planning or.does not
realize targets by stages and by groups, if it favors quantity to the
neglect of quality or loses control, then "left" deviationist mistakes will
certainly occur. And these will certainly make people cry out, cattle cry
out, pigs cry out. After crying out, there will be death, dead people,
dead cattle, dead pigs. This is no "perverted propaganda." We must
envisage every kind of unfavorable situation or difficulty that is likely
to emerge, like a possible decrease in production or the death of animals,
and tell it to the masses so that they will be prepared. Naturally, we must
not alarm the masses. At an opportune moment, when a person's head has
swelled, it is necessary to compress it a little so that it will not swell
too much, fi
Should we not worry at all? The necessary worries and taboos and
commandments must still remain with us. It is not that we want none of
Even Chupachieh (Pigsy) [character in Pilgrimage to the West, the celebrated
Ming dynasty novel about a Buddhist monk and his three disciples on their
way to India] has his three taboos and five commandments. The necessary
pauses, the application of brakes, and the closure of sluice gates are all
essential. When people lift their tail, assign new tasks to them (for
_
example, next year there will be an emulation drive on quality) so that they
will not have enough time to be conceited.
15. Can we allow the county level to have 90 percent flexibility?
I think we can. But don't form any conclusion yet. Give the suggestion
your consideration.
16. Kerosene is too expensive; shall we reduce the price or not?
Comrade Ch'en Yun says that the question can be solved.
17. Some people are skeptical about whether or not decisions will be
reversed in the future. It seems to me that as things are going generally,
decisions will not be reversed.
18. Other people ask what is the general trend.today. Ten years or
so from today, that is about three five-year plans later, we will have built
up socialism. Some 50 to 70 years from now, that is about 10 to 15 fiveyear plans later, we will be striving to catch up with or overtake the U.S.
During this period, dt home and abroad, within and outside the party, it is
certain that there will occur many conflicts and struggles in varying degrees
of gravity and complexity, and there will arise many difficulties, such as
Mother world war, atomic bomb brandishing, and the emergence of more Berias,
Kao Kang's and Jao Shu-shih's. There are many things which we cannot foresee
at this moment. However, we are Marxists. And to us, all difficulties can

be overcome. It is certain that a big and strong socialist China will emerge,
fifty years from now, a communist China will emerge,
19. After the resolutions and regulations have been passed by the
Resolutions Conference and revised by the Political Bureau, they will be
published promptly. The regulations will amount to a second constitut on.
The State Council will promulgate the regulations and ask for the people s
opinions on them, then present them to the National People s Congress for
its approval.
20. You may take with you copies of all speeches. But do not print
them. Everybody should leave behind a copy of his revised draft. Send all
drafts to the General Office of the Central Committee for exchange before
25 October. You may also take with you sample copies of How to Run an
Agricultural Producer Cooperative." Most of today's articles are written in
the old style, with the result that they are part classical language and
part vernacular language. "Ying-kai" (must) is written
L
"ping-ch'ieh" (moreover) is written only as ping ; shih-hou (time) is
written only as "shih"; and "kuan-ch'e chih-hsing" (to adhere consistently
to) is written only as "kuan-ch'e." In writing an article, one must be
careful about logic (The structure of an article has inner relations so
there is no conflict between the first and last parts), and about grammar
and rhetoric (The writing must be compact and the language must be vivid).
You should seek help from expert essayist.
21. How [should the things discussed here] be transmitted? During
work discussions, express in your own words what you can remember. Resolu
tions and regulations need to be studied.
22. See to it that you make a success of the work of electing dele
gates to the 8th Party Congress.
23. Premier Chou will give you a report on current events.
24. Provincial and large areas will call a small meeting on their
own.