How to Handle Contradictions Among the People [1] (Outline for a Speech) (February 1957)

(1) Two types of contradictions: those between hostile classes and those among the people. They differ in nature and require different methods of handling. First, distinguish between the enemy and ourselves, and distinguish between right and wrong.
... The article in *People’s Daily* [2] deals with the international aspect.
The dictatorship system and democratic centralism.
Great democracy and small democracy.
Should dictatorship be abolished earlier? The scope to which dictatorship applies.
Is democracy an end in itself? There is no abstract freedom, only class-based, concrete freedom.
... Ideological issues and problems among the people cannot be handled with crude methods—
... methods of administrative orders and arbitrary suppression.
Which category should the national bourgeoisie be placed in?
A new question: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin.
Originally, it was easy to confuse: the Right—failing to distinguish between the enemy and ourselves, mistaking the enemy for ourselves; the "Left"—overemphasizing the distinction between the enemy and ourselves, mistakenly treating the second category as the first.
The policy of "unity—criticism—unity" proposed in [year] was later extended beyond the Party, gradually developed to encompass the entire people, and even applied to disarmed enemies. In May 1956, the Ten Major Relationships.

(2) Suppression of counterrevolutionaries: Comparatively speaking, our country has done the best job, better than the Soviet Union and Hungary.
Wherever there is counterrevolution, it must be suppressed; wherever mistakes are found, they must be corrected.
Both excesses and omissions have occurred.
Mass suppression of counterrevolutionaries and suppression by the Ministry of Public Security.
This year and next year, a major review should be conducted, with a comprehensive summing-up.
At the central level, it should be presided over by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; at the local level, by provincial and municipal people’s councils and political consultative conferences.
There are still counterrevolutionaries, but not many.
Should a general amnesty be granted? ...

(3) Socialist transformation—cooperativization
Does cooperativization lack superiority? We should support the peasants and oppose unhealthy trends.
Strive to consolidate the cooperatives within five years, approaching or reaching the level of well-to-do middle peasants, and become accustomed to collective life.
... Living standards have already improved—over seven years, grain output increased by 14 billion catties, averaging 60 yuan.
... There are still a few percent to over ten percent of households with grain shortages; in some places, there are no longer any grain-deficient households.
Within a few years, the amount of grain purchased by the state will not be increased, and rural unified sales will be gradually abolished, with self-sufficiency in grain, meat, and oil (generally).

(4) Capitalist transformation: There is also a trend, saying that capitalists are no longer being reformed and that workers also have a dual character. Have workers and capitalists become the same?

(5) Intellectuals and young students
They have made great progress, but there are also unhealthy trends—fluctuations, strange arguments, thoughts of killing, wanting to learn from Hungary, demanding great freedom, detesting Marxism, and only immersing themselves in professional work to earn salaries.
It is necessary to strengthen ideological and political work and further remold themselves.

(6) Increase production and practice economy, oppose extravagance and waste
Over the past four years, unhealthy trends have developed again.

(7) Overall planning and proper arrangements
This is a strategic policy—for example: disaster relief, unified sales, arranging employment in industry and commerce, united front arrangements, etc.
Proceed from the perspective of a population of 600 million; birth control.
Last year, nearly three million people were employed.
In places like Guangzhou and Shanghai, there are still some unemployed.
The problem of 40 percent, four million, 800,000, and 90,000 people unable to enter school or be employed.

(8) Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend; long-term coexistence and mutual supervision
The struggle between the two aspects.
Poisonous weeds are not fragrant flowers, nor is dogmatism a fragrant flower.
... Can veteran cadres not be criticized or contend?
The relationship between new and veteran cadres: treat them equally, yet not equally; the leading core.
Vaccination.
... Can Beijing not be criticized? Zhong Dianfei, Chen Yi, Chen Qitong, Ma Hanbing [3].
Marxism has developed through struggle against its opposing ideologies.
Historically, fragrant flowers were almost always regarded as poisonous weeds at the beginning, while poisonous weeds were long regarded as fragrant flowers.
It is difficult to distinguish between the fragrant and the poisonous: Marx, Lenin, Darwin, Copernicus, Galileo...
Jesus, Luther, Confucius, Sun Yat-sen, the Communist Party, Sun Wukong, Xue Rengui.
Marxism must still develop. How should it develop?
Proceed from reality: a population of 600 million; a vast kingdom of the petty bourgeoisie, stubbornly expressing themselves... "Wildfire cannot burn them out; the spring breeze blows and they grow again"; long-term, patient education.
Many people actually do not approve of this policy.
Articles must be persuasive and cannot use metaphysical methods.
... When will *People’s Daily* reply to the four individuals [4]? It seems completely unprepared and has not even sought instructions.
... This is a policy for the people to educate themselves and develop their own cause.
"The proletariat must liberate all humanity in order to liberate itself," "In class struggle, transform the exploiters and at the same time transform oneself."
Cure the sickness to save the patient.
The united front, long-term coexistence, letting a hundred flowers bloom, letting a hundred schools of thought contend, curing the sickness to save the patient, opposing metaphysics and dogmatism—link them together.

(9) How to handle strikes, class boycotts, demonstrations, and petitions...

(10) Are disturbances and troubles always bad?
The dual character of strikes, class boycotts, demonstrations, petitions, and disturbances.
The dual character of the Hungarian incident [5].
The dual character of the criticism of Stalin.
The dual character of anti-Soviet and anti-communist incidents.
The dual character of the living and the dead.
The dual character of the United States not recognizing us.
The dual character of the appearance of a few erroneous articles.
The dual character of the absence of great works and good films.
When things reach an extreme, they reverse; if they do not reach the extreme, they do not reverse.
The dual character of the Chinese people being poor and ignorant (illiterate).
The dual character of foreigners being rich and knowledgeable (highly educated).
If a third world war breaks out, it will also have a dual character.
International mutual influence and mutual penetration.
Think of the worst-case scenario: if a major war breaks out, what should be done? What if we are defeated? Defeat can turn into victory.
... For a long time to come, this will not happen; it may be more than a decade, possibly longer.
The principal contradiction is the imperialist powers contending for colonies, contending for Asia and Africa.

(11) Minority nationalities and the problem of Han chauvinism, the Tibet issue

(12) China may initially change its appearance within three or four five-year plans
The path to industrialization may differ somewhat from that of the Soviet Union.
Can the ratio of heavy industry, light industry, and agriculture be six to one?
Heavy industry still takes priority, but by taking a new path, might the speed of industrialization actually be faster than that of the Soviet Union (which increased steel output by 14 million tons in 21 years)?
If we are given 21 years (from 1950 to 1970), can we basically achieve industrialization, with more than 18 million tons of steel (starting from 900,000 tons)?
We still lack experience on this issue. In short, we must have a vast market and consider a population of 600 to 800 million.
We must still learn from the Soviet Union. Is the Soviet Union not good? We must also learn from other countries, but who will provide equipment and technology?

The Ten Major Relationships:
(1) The relationship between heavy industry on one hand and light industry and agriculture on the other
(2) The relationship between coastal and inland areas
(3) The relationship between the economy and national defense
(4) The relationship between the state and production units (factories, cooperatives) and individuals
(5) The relationship between the central and local authorities
(6) The relationship between the Han nationality and minority nationalities
(7) The relationship between the Communist Party and the democratic parties and others (long-term coexistence)
(8) The relationship between the enemy and ourselves
(9) The relationship among the people (the relationship between right and wrong), the relationship between one school and a hundred schools (let a hundred schools of thought contend)
(10) The relationship between China and foreign countries

Printed based on Mao Zedong’s manuscript.

**Notes**
[1] This is the outline written by Mao Zedong for his speech at the Eleventh (Enlarged) Session of the Supreme State Conference, titled *How to Handle Contradictions Among the People*. Later, on the edited transcript of this speech, Mao Zedong changed the title to *On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People*.
[2] Refers to *On the Historical Experience of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat*, published in *People’s Daily* on April 5, 1956, and *More on the Historical Experience of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat*, published in *People’s Daily* on December 29, 1956.
[3] Zhong Dianfei was then a member of the editorial board and director of the art department of *Wenyi Bao* (Literary Gazette). On December 15, 1956, under the pen name "Commentator of This Journal," he published the article "The Gong and Drum of Cinema" in issue No. 23 of *Wenyi Bao*. Chen Yi was then director of the Cultural Department of the General Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army. Chen Qitong was then deputy director of the Cultural Department of the General Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army. Ma Hanbing was then a cadre in the Cultural Department of the General Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army. On January 7, 1957, Chen Qitong, Ma Hanbing, Chen Yading, and Lu Le, cadres of the Cultural Department of the General Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army, jointly published the article "Our Views on Current Literary and Art Work" in *People’s Daily*.
[4] Refers to Chen Qitong, Chen Yading, Ma Hanbing, and Lu Le.
[5] Refers to the political events that occurred in Hungary from October to November 1956.