Outline of a Speech on the Two Kinds of Contradictions at the Hangzhou Meeting [1] (January 1958)  Two kinds of contradictions: between the enemy and ourselves; within the people.
Within the people: class contradictions; contradictions between the advanced and the backward.
The main one: class contradiction (transitional period).  The vast majority: advanced versus backward.
Causes: the influence of bourgeois ideology on the working people; subjective errors; shortcomings in leadership.
If the leadership is sound, the advanced elements will constitute the majority, and the backward ones can be quickly overcome.
It is an important method to frequently keep several issues in mind and discuss them with a small number of people.
Printed from Mao Zedong’s manuscript.
Notes [1] Refers to the work conference convened by Mao Zedong in early January 1958 in Hangzhou, attended by some secretaries of provincial and municipal party committees.
According to a report reprinted in the People’s Daily on January 27, 1958, based on an article from the Zhejiang Daily, during his stay in Hangzhou, Mao Zedong inspected the Zhejiang Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
He asked its director, Lou Guangyu, about the institute’s research activities and inquired, “Have you been conducting any research on agricultural tools?”
Lou replied, “We have only carried out some related work.”
Mao then said, “You should set up a specialized department dedicated to researching agricultural tools.
Would that be feasible?”
Lou responded, “Yes.”