(July 13, 1956)
To be reviewed by Liu, Zhou, Zhu, Chen, Peng Zhen, and Xiaoping, then returned to Peng for handling.
The review of the troops shall still be conducted by the Minister of National Defense, and orders shall be issued as before. No change.
Mao Zedong
July 13
[1]
This instruction was written on the report submitted by the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee on June 13, 1956, regarding the issue of the National Day military parade in the capital that year, addressed to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee. The report raised the question of who should review the troops on National Day. During the discussion at the Military Commission meeting, there were two opinions: one was that the duty should be rotated among the marshals starting from this year; the other was that it should still be performed by the Minister of National Defense. The report requested the Central Committee to decide which course to follow. The report also noted that in recent years, the content of the orders issued for the National Day parade had been largely the same, and proposed that no order be issued during this year’s parade, asking the Central Committee to decide whether this would be permissible.
[2]
Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Zhu refers to Zhu De. Chen refers to Chen Yun, who was then serving as a Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee. Peng Zhen was then an Alternate Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and Mayor of Beijing. Xiaoping, namely Deng Xiaoping, was then serving as Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee.
[3]
Peng refers to Peng Dehuai, who was then a member of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Minister of National Defense, presiding over the daily work of the Military Commission.