Directive on Printing and Distributing the Record of a Talk
(September and December 1956)

I. Record of a Talk

Time: September 24, 1956

Participants:
Mongolian side: Damba[1] (head of delegation), Tsend, Ochirbat (Ambassador), Hashganbai, Tserensamba
Chinese side: Wang Jiaxiang[2]
Mao Zedong (hereinafter referred to as Mao): You must have been very tired these past few days?
Damba (hereinafter referred to as Da): No, not tired, we are very comfortable.
Mao: The Mongolian comrades are good comrades, good friends. Yours is a friendly country, a friendly party!
(The Chairman then asked after Comrade Tsedenbal[3])
Da: He is very well. He and Comrade Sambuu[4] send you their greetings!

[1] Damba, at that time First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party.
[2] Wang Jiaxiang, at that time Director of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
[3] Tsedenbal, at that time Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Mongolian People's Republic.
[4] Sambuu, at that time Chairman of the Presidium of the Great People's Khural of the Mongolian People's Republic.

Mao: Thank you! Please give them my greetings!
Da: Thank you! We thank you for your assistance to us.
Mao: No, don't say that! China is a big country, this is our obligation, it is your right. I often hear you say this, and at the same time I often see it written this way in documents, and I feel uncomfortable in my heart. We should fulfill our responsibility, because for three hundred years our ancestors exploited you, oppressed you, they left behind quite a few debts, therefore, today we must repay these debts. In the past, the minority nationalities within our country were also oppressed, we must also repay debts to them, this is our obligation.
Of our country's Tibetan population, one million two hundred thousand are directly under Lhasa, the other one million are distributed in Qinghai, Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu, and other places. What is the religious situation in Mongolia? Are there many lamas? What is the total population?
Da: In the past there were many, now there are very few. In the early days of the revolution, some lamas did bad things, and they were dealt with. Some participated in labor and other work. Now there are still an extremely small number of lamas. Our country's total population is eight hundred thousand.
Mao: How is the development of industry and agriculture in Mongolia?
Da: Before the revolution we were a very backward country. In the years of the revolution, due to the enthusiastic help of the Soviet Union, our country's people have made good progress in industry, animal husbandry, and in culture and education.
Mao: Mongolian agriculture has also developed a lot, hasn't it?
Da: We just started to develop agriculture this year.
Mao: Is there enough water?
Da: In our country, water is very scarce.
Mao: What is the rainfall like?
Da: The average annual rainfall is one hundred and twenty to three hundred millimeters (of which the forest zone is three hundred millimeters, while the desert region is one hundred and twenty millimeters).

Mao: What about digging wells?
Da: It is difficult to dig wells in the desert region.
Mao: Then, is it not possible to build some reservoirs to store water for use?
Da: It is very difficult in the desert zone, water cannot be stored, it quickly seeps into the ground.
Mao: What major rivers are within your borders?
Da: The Selenge River, the Onon River, the Kherlen River, etc.
Mao: Which river flows in a northwesterly direction?
Da: The Onon River, the Kherlen River.
Mao: Where is the cradle of Mongolian history and culture?
Da: The area of the Onon and Kherlen rivers.
Mao: Can you not build some projects like sluice gates, reservoirs, and flood storage channels on these rivers?
Da: The people and we urgently demand to do so, but our strength is not sufficient.
Mao: We also have some difficulties now. But after a few years, we will help you in this respect.
Da: Thank you.
Mao: This year Hebei suffered a flood disaster, thirty million mu of farmland suffered from the water calamity. China's water conservancy work has not yet been able to develop greatly, it may be resolved in another ten years. However, our assistance to you in this respect will not need to wait ten years.
Da: Last year you gave us a great deal of assistance, sending thirteen thousand workers and technicians, which played a role in promoting industry and other construction. And this year you also gave a grant of one hundred and sixty million rubles. Therefore, the Mongolian common people are very joyful and inspired.
Mao: No, no, as I said above, this is our obligation. Those amounts are too small, as soon as you mention them, I feel ashamed.

Da: The Jining-Erenhot Railway[1] has played a great role in our country's development.
Mao: How is Mongolia's agriculture now?
Da: There has been some development compared to the past, but due to a lack of manpower, a large piece of land has not yet been reclaimed.
Mao: This is not good, you should reclaim wasteland. Have you settled down?
Da: Settling down is of great benefit to the development of our country's agriculture and animal husbandry, but we have not yet settled down.
Mao: This cannot be done all at once, it must be done step by step, because the grass in one place is limited. Some provinces in our country have similar situations. After settling down, you can also grow vegetables, grow crops, and in this way the population can increase.
Da: Correct! (Pointing to Tsend) He is the Chairman of the State Planning Commission. These suggestions of yours will be of great help to our country's future planning work.
Mao: To develop agriculture and animal husbandry, you must first develop water conservancy work, this includes projects like sluice gates, reservoirs, and ditches. On the other hand, pasture grass is very important, for you, "grass is oil." Therefore, you should cultivate pasture grass, you should adopt the method of deep plowing, so that the grass can grow tall and plentiful, and then the conditions for settling down will exist.
Da: Yes! We attach importance to these words of yours.
Mao: You can start the preparatory work for water conservancy projects earlier. This includes geological survey work, manpower, material resources, and so on, while financial resources are not so important, the most important, the most crucial thing is manpower.
You should first start with the most urgently needed work. For example, from Ulaanbaatar to the western border, in the middle of this stretch of road, you built a modern highway, but it is rarely used. This is not very necessary.

[1] Jining-Erenhot Railway, refers to the railway from Jining to Erenhot in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This railway connects with the railway of the Mongolian People's Republic after crossing the national border to the north.

Da: It has only been seven years since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Before this, the people of our two countries did not have much contact. Although our country's revolution succeeded thirty-five years ago, because our country was very backward in the past, we have not been able to develop well in these thirty-five years (although there have been achievements). Therefore, it can be said that our country's industry and agriculture have not developed well.
Mao: You should be self-sufficient.
Da: Now many daily necessities cannot be produced by ourselves.
Mao: This is not good, you should expand industry in this area.
Da: The aggression of Japanese imperialism against our country also affected development in this area.
Mao: How many troops do you still have?
Da: Nearly one division.
Mao: This is enough. Now, there are no enemies around you.
Da: We are now training the demobilized personnel of this force to become drivers, construction workers, etc.
Mao: This is very good. This is a production army! What about the written language?
Da: Now the new (Russian) script is used, all adults are literate.
Mao: Very good, Inner Mongolia is also doing this.
Da: It is said so. In terms of written language, we can also help Inner Mongolia.
Mao: Correct, this is very much needed. Do you have direct contact with Inner Mongolia?
Da: We don't have direct contact now! We only make contact through the central authorities.
Mao: Is direct contact not needed?
Da: Direct contact is needed, but the formal procedures have not been completed.
Mao: You can do it. You can establish your own consulate in Inner Mongolia. Doing so won't cost much! You can just take a few people from your own embassy. The Soviet Union also does this. They have their consulates in Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang, Guangzhou, and other places.

However, the above-mentioned matters are my personal views, perhaps they are not correct, because I have not discussed them with the responsible persons of the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; similarly, you have also not discussed them with your own government. But I believe that these things can be realized.
Da: Thank you! We have never even thought about the historical "debts." We are only grateful to you.
Mao: No! The debts must be repaid, we are repaying the debts of our ancestors.
Mao: Your Mongol nationality is the third nationality. The first nationality was the Xiongnu. It occupied the lands of Xinjiang and north of the Yellow River, and some had crossed the Yellow River. The second nationality was the Turks, it occupied more than ten nationalities such as Armenia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Greece, and established a great empire. But this nationality was later defeated by the Mongol nationality. Therefore, the Mongols are the third nationality. We still have not figured out the origin of your ancestors. Was it in Siberia?
Ochirbat: Ah! It is said so!
Mao: There was a Gaoche nationality in Siberia, it is said they all sat on tall carts. Were the Gaoche your ancestors?
Da: The old people all say that when the ancient ancestors moved, they used very tall carts to pull all their things.
Mao: Do you have any records in this regard?
Da: There are no records from before the twelfth century yet, there are some records after the twelfth century. The Soviet Union is helping us with the work in this area. Mongolian history before the thirteenth century has a close relationship with Chinese history, therefore, in the future we may still need to conduct research together with you in this area.
Mao: Very good, today we have talked about many things related to history.
Da: Our future is very broad, because we have the brotherly assistance of the Soviet Union and China. In the future, we must work even harder.

Mao: You should develop well.
Da: I once again express our heartfelt gratitude, your assistance to us is brotherly and great assistance. We cannot regard it as a "debt."
Mao: But we think of it this way. We coexist with any country on an equal basis, in the past we oppressed you, therefore now we must admit our mistake to you. Not only to you, but also to the minority nationalities within our country. In the past, we oppressed them, therefore, if we do not admit our mistake now, we cannot eradicate the ideology of Great Han chauvinism and realize national equality. This is based on facts, these are not fine-sounding words. Isn't that so? In the past we oppressed you, but now you do not have a single word of complaint. The assistance we give you is small, this is repaying a debt, not assistance. Only in this way can there be mutual trust. You say it is assistance, that is also fine, your saying so also expresses equality.
Da: We express our gratitude for all the past and future assistance you have given us! The laboring people of China and Mongolia have always been friendly, what the reactionary classes did is another matter.
Mao: Some Chinese workers have gone to Mongolia. You should conduct propaganda work among them, to prevent them from making the mistake of Great Han chauvinist ideology, to prevent them from lording it over others.
If the Chinese workers or staff there make mistakes, you should report them to us.
Da: The majority of people are very good, although a few people sometimes make mistakes, it is not intentional. At the same time, everyone has some shortcomings.
Mao: They should be educated, if someone makes a serious mistake, they should be punished according to the law. You should stand up with the attitude of a master and educate them.
Da: There are two hundred party members among the Chinese workers there, they lead the other workers to work very well.
Mao: Good! How many workers are there in total?
Da: Including family members, a total of thirteen thousand people. A portion of the old overseas Chinese have already returned to the country, now

there are only four or five thousand left, but these people are all old.
Mao: Do Mongolians command them?
Tsend: Yes! Mongolians command them with the attitude of a master.
Mao: Are there any among the Chinese workers who do carpentry work?
Da: There are. In addition, there are brick makers, and various other trades.
Mao: Are they allowed to take on Mongolian apprentices?
Da: They are taking on apprentices separately!
Mao: In the future, in agriculture, we can assist you with manpower, the number can be one hundred thousand, or two hundred thousand, and can even reach three hundred thousand. Some of these people can also help you with animal husbandry.
Da: Correct, but beforehand we should do sufficient preparatory work and planning work. Otherwise, after receiving those people, difficulties will arise in housing and other aspects.
Mao: Correct! This work should be carried out step by step. You have a population of eight hundred thousand, therefore you can develop agriculture and build water conservancy projects.
Da: We have more than fifty-two thousand workers.
Mao: To have more than fifty thousand workers in a population of eight hundred thousand, this number is not small. Are machines used?
Da: Semi-automatic machines are used.
Mao: Is there any automation?
Da: No.
Mao: Then some can be installed in the future. Regarding this issue, we can talk to each other in the future.
Da: Due to your assistance, we now have a match factory and a porcelain factory, but the matchboxes and so on needed by the match factory are all made by hand.
Mao: What is the number of matches produced?

Da: The whole country needs a total of twenty million boxes of matches, production can reach this number next year. But sales in the country are not very good.
Mao: What is your market like?
Da: There is a market, but it is very small.
Mao: We had a very good talk today.
Da: Thank you for your concern for us, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to receive us, thank you for the suggestions of great significance you have made to us, thank you for the very beneficial words you have spoken to us. After we go back, we will take what you have said tonight as a pointer for our future work. As we part, I once again, on behalf of my party's Central Committee and all the people, extend to you our heartfelt respects.

Directive on Printing and Distributing the Record of a Talk

Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
This talk should be copied and sent to our embassy in Mongolia, the Party Committee of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions for their perusal, because all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions have minority nationality issues. Another copy should be sent to the United Front Work Department and the Party Group of the Nationalities Affairs Commission. For the above, please handle this in consultation with Comrade Shangkun[1].

Mao Zedong
December 16

[1] Shangkun, i.e., Yang Shangkun, at that time Alternate Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of the General Office of the Central Committee.

On December 16, 1956, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China distributed the record of Mao Zedong's talk to the party committees of all provinces and municipalities, the party committees of autonomous regions, the Tibet Work Committee, and the embassy in Mongolia.