Comments and Revisions on Li Weihan’s [I] Speech Draft Concerning the
Transformation of Capitalist Industry and Commerce
(November 22, 1955)
To Comrade Li Weihan:
This document is for your use on the 12th. There are some revisions; please consider whether it can be used as is.
Mao Zedong
10:30 p.m., November 22
If economic departments ignore political work, and political departments ignore economic work—each going its own way without coordination—such an approach will not facilitate the transformation of capitalist ownership nor the transformation of the
class elements.
The transformation of enterprises under the public-private joint-operation model is, first and foremost, a socialist transformation of capitalist ownership to a considerable extent. Such enterprises have already become “three-quarters socialist” enterprises. Once joint operation has been established, the focus shifts to transforming management practices—the struggle between the socialist and capitalist approaches to enterprise management. During an initial period, this constitutes the principal form of class struggle within these joint-operation enterprises.
Four
We must also patiently educate capitalists and key personnel from the capitalist side, helping them gradually recognize the respective merits and demerits of the two systems and two sets of methods, criticize and discard the old (i.e., capitalist) ways, and adopt the new (i.e., socialist) ones. In this way, they have already passed one critical stage when their enterprises entered into joint operation, and now they pass another. After successfully navigating these two stages, the task of transforming them will proceed much more smoothly.
Five
While the backward elements are indeed influenced by reactionaries—that is, by serious counterrevolutionaries and other bad elements—they are primarily guided by the stance of the middle elements. If the numerous middle elements shift to the left, the backward elements, sensing that they are about to find themselves isolated and without support, will be compelled to follow suit. Our task is to help them gradually distance themselves from the reactionaries.
/’\
Reactionaries can not only be isolated,
but also divided. There are different categories among the reactionaries, and we should treat them accordingly.
Seven
The socialist transformation of capitalist industry and commerce will involve intense and complex class struggles, because the bourgeoisie will not voluntarily step down from the historical stage. Their acceptance of transformation is determined both by the overarching trend of the times and by our policies. A small minority, however, will inevitably resist.
}\
Summing up the achievements of the six-year transformation effort, it can be said that the majority of the bourgeoisie have either accepted public-private joint operation or are prepared to do so, thereby taking a major step forward on the road to socialist transformation.
Nine
With the exception of approximately a few percent who are serious counterrevolutionaries or other bad elements, the rest can certainly be transformed through an educational approach that combines encouragement with criticism. Criticism remains their primary mode of struggle. Of course, we must also employ measures such as imposing fines on those who violate the law, as part of our overall strategy.

--- Notes

[1]
Li Weihan,
who at that time served as Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, Director of the Eighth Office of the State Council, and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
[2]
refers to the speech draft submitted by Li Weihan to Mao Zedong on November 21, 1955, intended for delivery at a central meeting convened to discuss the socialist transformation of capitalist industry and commerce.
[3]
namely paragraphs two through nine of this text; the passages typeset in Song typeface represent words added or revised by Mao Zedong.