Telegram to the People's Republic of Mongolia
(July 9, 1957)

Source: Kau & Leung, The Writings of Mao Zedong 1949-1976, Vol. II
Pages 637-637
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81. Ibid., note 65.

82. Ibid., note 66.

83. Ibid., note 67.

84. The term /iang shang junzi originally refers to burglars and petty thieves. The story
in “Chen Shi zhuan” (The Biography of Chen Shi) in Hou Han shu (History of the Later-Han
Dynasty) recalls that one night a burglar broke into Chen Shi’s house and concealed himself
behind a lofty beam. Chen discovered the burglar, but instead of exposing him, he assembled
his family and admonished them, saying that a burglar does not become a burglar by nature
or by the innate evil of his character, but by gradually sinking into the habit. He then referred
to the burglar as a “junzi [a noble man, or a gentleman] on the beam.”

Here Mao obviously extends and twists the original meaning of the term somewhat to arrive
at the notion of people who are suspended, in a quandary, and unable to go anywhere unless they
alight on a specific “‘skin.” However, it may also be indicative of a moderate sense of compassion
for these people and reluctance, at least for the time being, to condemn them outright. This
description became popular after Mao used it here, perhaps particularly because it was picked up
and reiterated by Deng Xiaoping in his Report on the Rectification Campaign (see section 2 of
“Report” in RMSC [1958], p. 34, and translation in R. Bowie and J. Fairbank, eds. [1962], p. 346)
on September 23, 1957, which was addressed to a larger audience than Mao’s speech here.

85. See text July 8, 1957(2), note 68.

86. Ibid., note 69.

87. Ibid., note 70.

88. Ibid., note 72.

89, Ibid., note 73.

90. Ibid., note 71.

91. Ibid., note 74. See also note 71 above.

92. Ibid., note 75.

93. Ibid., notes 76 and 77.

94. Ibid., note 78.

95. Ibid., note 79.

Telegram to the People’s Republic of Mongolia
(July 9, 1957)

Source: RMRB (July 10, 1957), 1. Other Chinese Texts: XHBYK, 117 (Oct. 10,
1957), 121; URI(1976), p. 271. Available English Translations: NCNA, Daily News
Release (July 10, 1957), 1; URI (1976), p. 273.

Comrade Jamsarangiyn Sambuu, Chairman of the Presidium of the Greater
People’s Hural of the Mongolian People’s Republic,

Comrade Yumjaagiyn Tsedenbal, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the
Mongolian People’s Republic,

Comrade Sodnomiyn Avarzid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Mongolian
People’s Republic:

On the occasion of the thirty-sixth anniversary of the victory of the Mongolian
People’s Revolution, on behalf of the government and the people of the People’s