Annotations on the Directive Concerning Agricultural Producers’ Cooperatives [I]
(September 5 and 12, 1956)

Comrade Xiaoping: [2]
Please have a look at this document and immediately distribute it to all members of the Central Committee and the Party secretaries of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Attach a notice requesting them to write their revision comments on the original document and return it to the Central Committee before September 8. After the opinions are collected, they shall all be handed over to Deng Lao [4] to take charge of revisions, and the revised document shall be returned to the Central Committee by September 10 in preparation for publication on September 12.

Mao Zedong
September 5, 6:00 a.m.

I have read this document once, and it is generally usable. I intend to read it again after collecting revisions.
At the same time, request the Premier to submit it to the State Council meeting for approval (before the 12th).

This document is approved. Return to Premier Zhou.
Send it immediately to Xinhua News Agency for immediate broadcast. It must appear in the newspapers tomorrow, the 13th.

Mao Zedong
September 12

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--- Notes

[I] This piece consists of two annotations: the first is on the draft of the "Directive of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Strengthening Production Leadership and Organizational Development in Agricultural Producers’ Cooperatives"; the second is written on the finalized version of this directive.


[2] Xiaoping refers to Deng Xiaoping, then Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.


[3] Refers to the draft of the "Directive of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Strengthening Production Leadership and Organizational Development in Agricultural Producers’ Cooperatives," submitted by Chen Zhengren, Deputy Director of the Rural Work Department of the Central Committee, for Mao Zedong’s review on September 4, 1956. In his letter to Mao Zedong, Chen Zhengren explained that the directive had undergone multiple revisions during the drafting process. The draft submitted for review had been revised based on the opinions from the meeting of the Agricultural Production Coordination Committee chaired by Chen Yun two days earlier. Comrades Deng Zihui, Liao Luyan, Wang Guanlan, and Liu Jianxun had not yet reviewed it and might have some additional revision suggestions, but no major changes were expected.
On the same day, Deng Zihui submitted a further revised version of the directive to Mao Zedong.


[4] Deng Lao refers to Deng Zihui, then Director of the Rural Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Vice Premier of the State Council.