(May 13 and 24, 1958)
To Comrade Hu Qiaomu:
Here are some revisions. What do you think?
m
Dong
Ze
Shi
Mao
Yue
Five
In Chapter Five, certain passages appear repetitive and redundant and should be shortened. Chapters Two, Three, and Four also contain superfluous remarks that could be trimmed. However, every sentence in Chapter One seems essential and well-written.

Mao Zedong revised Liu Shaoqi’s work report draft, delivered on behalf of the CPC Central Committee at the Second Plenary Session of the Eighth National Congress, on two occasions:
the first on May 13, 1958, and the second on May 24. These two rounds of revisions comprise six relatively complete sections, found in this text as paragraphs six through eleven. Among them, sections eight and ten were amended on May 13, while sections six, seven, nine, and eleven were revised on May 24.
[2]
Hu Qiaomu,
who at the time served as an alternate member of the CPC Central Secretariat and was Mao Zedong’s secretary.

To Comrade Hu Qiaomu:
The revisions are excellent—truly sweeping and decisive. I have made a few additional changes myself. What do you think? Please forward this to Comrade Liu Shaoqi for his consideration.
Mao Zedong
6:00 A.M., May 24th
The correct idiom is “xiāo zú shì lǚ,” not “shì lǚ.” “Lǚ” refers to straw sandals or ordinary shoes.

Prison
Could you double-check whether it was indeed January?
Chuan
This is Mao Zedong’s annotation from May 13, 1958, when revising Liu Shaoqi’s report draft, addressing a typographical error in the text. In Liu Shaoqi’s original draft, it read: “To panic at the emergence of imbalance and thus demand that the advanced fall into line with the backward, seeking a ‘cut one’s feet to fit the shoes’ kind of balance that leads to giving up eating altogether because of choking—this is entirely wrong.” Mao changed the character “lǚ” in “xiāo zú shì lǚ” to “zhǎn” and wrote this note.
[2]
This is a comment Mao Zedong penned within Liu Shaoqi’s report draft during his revision on May 24, 1958. Liu Shaoqi’s draft stated: “At the initiative of Comrade Mao Zedong, the Party presented to the people of the whole country in January 1956 the ‘Draft Outline for the Development of Agriculture Throughout the Country from 1956 to 1967.’” Mao drew a horizontal line through the word “January” in this sentence and added this annotation. After verification, Hu Qiaomu wrote next to Mao’s note: “Verified—correct.”

Comments and Revisions on Liu Shaoqi’s Work Report Draft for the Second Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC National Congress
Five
“Never” is incorrect. Could such a thing have occurred during the period when the erroneous line was in power?
(I(
/'\
The contradictions among imperialist countries—primarily between the United States, Britain, and France—have intensified, even though they remain interconnected today under the banners of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Baghdad Pact, and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, all aimed at opposing communism, the people, and the national independence movements.
Seven
Comrade Mao Zedong’s slogan of catching up with and surpassing Britain within fifteen years,
the call to muster high morale, strive for progress, and build socialism quickly, efficiently, and economically,
the exhortation to be promoters rather than obstructors of progress,
and the principle of frugality in nation-building and household management,
along with the three-year arduous struggle to achieve major breakthroughs—
[1]
This is a comment Mao Zedong wrote within Liu Shaoqi’s report draft during his revision on May 24, 1958. Liu Shaoqi’s draft stated: “Marx, Engels, and Lenin repeatedly pointed out that the working class’s battle cry should be ‘continuous revolution.’ By promptly raising new revolutionary tasks, we prevent the revolutionary struggle of the masses from stalling midway, keep their revolutionary enthusiasm from cooling due to interruptions, and ensure that Party and state cadres do not become complacent or lethargic after achieving success—the CPC Central Committee and Comrade Mao Zedong have always guided the Chinese revolution according to this Marxist-Leninist theory of continuous revolution.” Mao replaced the word “never” in the last sentence of this passage with “for a long time” and wrote this annotation.

The slogan about fundamentally transforming the appearance of different regions—all these calls—were swiftly embraced by a labor force numbering in the hundreds of millions, becoming an immensely powerful material force.
Eight
Many comrades who once doubted the policy of building socialism quickly, efficiently, and economically have now learned their lesson through repeated experiences; however, some still have not. They say, “We’ll settle accounts with you after autumn.” Let them wait for that reckoning—they will inevitably lose.
A saddle-shaped curve—with highs at both ends and a low in the middle. The peaks and troughs seen on the production front from 1956 to 1957 and then again in 1958—the Great Leap Forward, the conservative phase, and another Great Leap Forward—weren’t they clearly visible to everyone? The saddle-shaped pattern taught a valuable lesson to both the Party and the masses.
Nine
Among our more than 600 million people, over 500 million are farmers.
Whether in revolutionary struggles or in construction work, they constitute the greatest force. Only by relying on this mighty ally and fully mobilizing their initiative and creativity can the Chinese working class achieve victory. The extreme importance of the peasant alliance remains unchanged, both during revolutionary times and in the current period of construction. Whenever political mistakes occur, they are invariably linked to this issue.

Comments and Revisions on Liu Shaoqi’s Work Report Draft for the Second Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC National Congress
Ten
As for the words and actions of those who seek to undermine socialism and restore capitalism, we have never granted them any legal standing, for this is strictly prohibited under the socialist system. Nevertheless, we allow anti-socialist weeds to sprout, creating opposition before the people so that they may discern clearly through comparison, arouse public indignation, and unite to eradicate them, thereby honing the masses’ fighting skills and opening up a vast realm for the flourishing of diverse socialist ideas. This policy has been openly announced; it has been implemented in the past and will continue to be applied in the future. Such weeds objectively exist and will persist even ten thousand years hence, though those distant weeds will no longer bear the character of today’s class struggle. Since these weeds do exist, if we do not permit them to grow openly, they will instead emerge in various disguised forms, secretly poisoning the populace. It is better to declare publicly: these weeds are illegal; once they sprout, they must be eradicated. Yet we do not forbid their growth—if anyone wishes to engage in the struggle, they are welcome to do so. This policy has proven highly effective: numerous rampant weeds have been uprooted by the people. Those that remain, however, continue to stir up trouble, showing no deterrence from the fate of their predecessors. Any weeds left uneradicated will surely resurface given the slightest opportunity, necessitating further action. Eradicating weeds is a matter of friend-or-foe distinction, whereas fostering diversity falls under the category of internal affairs among the people. Different types of contradictions require different approaches. The reactionary right-wing elements of the bourgeoisie, who claim to be one of socialism’s “hundred flowers,” are merely impostors and cannot be counted as genuine.
Eleven
We should learn from Comrade Mao Zedong and other comrades who maintain close ties with the masses—including numerous leading figures at all levels of the Party and the mass organizations at the central, provincial, regional, county, and township levels—by emulating their example of consistently applying Marxism-Leninism and dialectical materialism in practical work. We should follow their model of integrating the universal truths of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete realities of the Chinese revolution, blending a rigorous adherence to principles with a vibrant spirit of innovation, and learning from their experience of being among the billions of people, recognizing the correct direction, grasping the truth, and then advancing relentlessly in its pursuit, unstoppable and victorious.