Comments on Deng Zihui’s Report on Certain Issues Concerning Agricultural Cooperatives in Longyan County〔1〕 (December 3, 1956) Shaoqi, Chen Yun, and Shangkun〔2〕: Please read this, and Shangkun should forward it to the party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions for their reference. Mao Zedong December 3 Based on the manuscript for publication. Notes 〔1〕 On November 27, 1956, Deng Zihui, Minister of the CPC Central Committee’s Department of Rural Work and Vice Premier of the State Council, submitted a report on several issues related to agricultural production cooperatives in Longyan County, Fujian Province. The report stated that the Longyan County Party Committee had recently convened a meeting of cooperative directors, which highlighted the following problems within the cooperatives. First, members’ incomes varied considerably among different cooperatives. Those with higher incomes generally had well-developed sideline activities, while those with lower incomes relied mainly on grain cultivation. This disparity in surplus-income cooperatives has led farmers to prioritize sideline work over grain production. Second, regarding sideline activities: Individual members engaging in side businesses separately disrupted agricultural production. The cooperatives therefore proposed that, except for raising livestock and poultry, growing vegetables, and certain household handicrafts, all other general sideline operations should be managed centrally by the cooperative. Third, insufficient public welfare funds made it impossible to alleviate the difficulties faced by impoverished households; these funds should not be less than two percent of the annual income. Fourth, concerning the scale of cooperative organization: Given that Longyan is a mountainous area, the county committee plans to merge the existing seven hundred-odd cooperatives into around three hundred, with each averaging about one hundred twenty households. Fifth, with respect to production planning: District and township governments merely apportioned tasks downward as instructed by higher authorities, without seeking the opinions of the cooperatives. Such a mechanical

distribution of tasks was, in fact, unworkable. Sixth, loans from the Poor Peasants’ Fund were too small; nearly ninety-nine percent of the double-furrow plows distributed this spring were unusable. Seventh, the proportion of veteran farmers among the cadre ranks was too low. Eighth, poor transportation conditions hindered the development of production in mountainous areas. 〔2〕 Chen Yun was then Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Shangkun refers to Yang Shangkun, who at that time served as Alternate Secretary of the CPC Central Secretariat and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.

Letter to Huang Yanpei〔1〕 (December 4, 1956) Mr. Renzhi: I have carefully read your kind letter. Your conference〔2〕 was very successful, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations! The method of criticism and self-criticism has indeed taken root within your party, among industrialists and merchants across the country, and among senior intellectuals, and is being practiced more and more effectively—this is truly gratifying news. Society is always full of contradictions. Even socialist and communist societies are no exception; the nature of these contradictions differs, however, from that of class society. Where there are contradictions, they must be exposed and resolved. There are two main approaches to doing so: one directed against enemies—that is, against spies and saboteurs—and the other aimed at resolving internal people’s contradictions, including those within political parties and between parties. The former employs repressive measures, while the latter relies on persuasion, namely, criticism. The class contradictions within our country have been basically resolved (though not entirely; those remaining in the ideological sphere will persist for a long time. In addition, a small number of enemy agents will also continue to exist for quite some time). All the people should therefore unite. However, internal problems among the people will inevitably keep arising, and the proper way to address them is to start from unity, proceed through criticism and self-criticism, and ultimately achieve renewed unity. I am delighted to learn that the China Democratic Construction Association conducts its meetings in this manner, and I hope that wherever there are problems, this approach will be adopted. There are indeed many difficult issues on the international stage, but solutions can always be found. I am an optimist, and I believe you share this outlook. With best regards! Mao Zedong December 4, 1956 Last year and this year I composed one poem each〔3〕, which I now transcribe for your review, in response to your gracious gift of poems on previous occasions. “Waves Washing Sand” — Beidaihe Heavy rain falls upon Youyan; white waves surge skyward. Off Qinhuangdao, fishing boats battle the storm. Not a trace remains of the vast expanse of water—where can one seek refuge? A thousand years have passed since then. Cao Cao once brandished his whip as he journeyed east to Jieshi, leaving behind immortal verses. The bleak autumn winds blow once more, yet the world has already changed. “Water Melody”—The Yangtze River Having just drunk the waters of Changsha, I now savor the fish of Wuchang. Across ten thousand li, I cross the mighty Yangtze, gazing far and wide beneath the Chu heavens. Regardless of wind and waves, it feels better than strolling leisurely through a quiet courtyard; today I enjoy this spacious freedom. Confucius once stood by the river and said: “Is time not like this flowing stream?” Sails billow in the wind; tortoise and serpent lie still, as grand plans take shape. A single bridge spans north and south, turning a natural barrier into a thoroughfare. We shall erect a massive dam across the West River, blocking the mists and rains of Mount Wu, creating a tranquil lake within the towering gorges. The Goddess of the Cloudy Mountains must surely be well; she would marvel at how different the world has become. Printed from the manuscript. The letter portion has been included in the Selected Letters of Mao Zedong. The two poems have been incorporated into the Selected Poems and Lyrics of Mao Zedong. Notes 〔1〕 Huang Yanpei, whose courtesy name was Renzhi, was at that time Chairman of the Central Committee of the China Democratic Construction Association and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. 〔2〕 Refers to the expanded meeting of the Central Executive Committee and the Second Plenary Session of the First Central Committee of the China Democratic Construction Association, held in October and November 1956, respectively. 〔3〕 In “Waves Washing Sand—Beidaihe,” the word “last year” should actually read “the year before last,” i.e., 1954; this poem was composed by Mao Zedong that summer. “This year” refers to 1956; “Water Melody—The Yangtze River” was written in June of that year. When it was published in the January 1957 issue of Poetry Monthly, the title was changed to “Water Melody—Swimming.” As for the line “Is time not like this flowing stream?”, it was corrected to “Time flows thus” in a letter to Huang Yanpei dated December 16 of the same year—see the relevant page in this volume. Furthermore, the phrase “A single bridge spans north and south, turning a natural barrier into a thoroughfare” was revised to read “A single bridge spans north and south, transforming a natural barrier into a thoroughfare” when copied out for Zhou Shizhao on December 5 of the same year—see the corresponding page in this volume.