**Comments and Revisions on Liu Shaoqi's Draft Report for the Second Session of the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China[1] (May 13 and 24, 1958)**

**I**
Deliver immediately to Comrade Hu Qiaomu[2]:
... I've made some revisions. Let me know what you think?
Mao Zedong
May 13
Chapter Five contains some redundant and repetitive phrasing that should be cut. Chapters Two, Three, and Four also have unnecessary parts; try to trim them. Not a single unnecessary sentence in Chapter One—very well done, I think.

**II**
Return to Comrade Hu Qiaomu:
The revisions are excellent—truly sweeping everything before them. I've made a few more changes; let me know what you think? Also, please send to Comrade Shaoqi for final decision.
Mao Zedong
May 24, 6:00 a.m.
Published based on the manuscript.

**III**
The idiom is "cutting the foot to fit the jù," not "shoes (lǚ)." A jù is a straw sandal, while lǚ refers to ordinary shoes.[3]

**IV**[4]
Is it definitely January? Please check again.

**V**[5]
Published based on Mao Zedong's manuscript.
"Has always been" is incorrect—could it have been so during the period of mistaken-line rule?

**VI**
The contradictions among the imperialist countries, primarily those between the United States, Britain, and France, have widened, even though they are still linked together through NATO, the Baghdad Pact, and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, with anti-communism, anti-popular, and anti-national independence movements as their objectives.

**VII**
The slogans put forward by Comrade Mao Zedong—catching up with and surpassing Britain in fifteen years; building socialism with greater, faster, better, and more economical results by going all out and aiming high; being a promoter of progress rather than a promoter of retrogression; building the country and managing households through diligence and thrift; and working hard for three years to bring about a fundamental change in the appearance of most regions—all these calls have been swiftly taken up by a labor army of several hundred million people and have become an exceedingly immense material force.

**VIII**
Among the comrades who once doubted the policy of building socialism with greater, faster, better, and more economical results, many have learned their lesson through such repeated experiences; yet some still have not learned their lesson, saying, "We'll settle accounts with you after the autumn." Let them wait to settle accounts—they are bound to lose.
A saddle-shaped curve, high at both ends and low in the middle. In 1956—1957—1958, the high tide—low tide—higher tide manifested on the production front, that is, a leap forward—conservatism—a great leap forward, is this not clear enough for all to see? The saddle-shaped pattern has taught the Party a lesson, and taught the masses a lesson.

**IX**
Of our country's population of over 600 million, more than 500 million are peasants. They are a most tremendous force, both in revolutionary struggles and in construction work. Our country's working class can only achieve victory by relying on this great allied army and fully mobilizing their initiative and creativity. The extreme importance of the peasant allied army question,
so critical in the period of revolution, remains just as critical in the period of construction. No matter when, making political mistakes is always tied to this question.
Published in *People's Daily*, May 27, 1958. (With Mao Zedong's revisions)

**X**
As for the words and actions of those who aim to undermine socialism and restore capitalism, we have never granted them the right to legally exist, because this is not permitted by the socialist system; but we do allow poisonous weeds of anti-socialism to grow out, to set up an opposite in front of the people, so that the people can see clearly through comparison, arouse public indignation, and collectively uproot them, thereby tempering the masses' struggle skills and opening up a vast realm where socialist flowers can bloom in profusion. This policy has been openly declared, has been adopted before, and will be adopted again in the future. Poisonous weeds exist objectively and will still exist ten thousand years from now, though the poisonous weeds of the distant future will no longer bear the characteristic of today's class struggle. Since poisonous weeds exist objectively, if we do not let them grow in their true form, they will also grow in various disguised forms, secretly poisoning people. It is better to tell them openly: Poisonous weeds are illegitimate; they will be uprooted when they grow out, but we do not forbid you from growing out. Let whomever wishes to come out and struggle come out. This policy is very effective; large numbers of poisonous weeds launched frenzied attacks and were uprooted by the people. Those not uprooted still rise to struggle and are not deterred by the overturned cart ahead. Any of those not uprooted will inevitably rise again given any future opportunity, and will then have to be uprooted again. Uprooting poisonous weeds is a question of the contradiction between the enemy and ourselves; letting a hundred flowers bloom is a question of contradictions among the people. Two types of contradictions, two methods. The bourgeois reactionary rightists claim to be one of the flowers of socialism
—that is a false claim and does not count.
Published in *People's Daily*, May 27, 1958. (With Mao Zedong's manuscript)

**XI**
We should learn from Comrade Mao Zedong and many other comrades (including a large number of leading figures of the Party and the masses at the central, provincial, prefectural, county, and township levels) who maintain close ties with the masses. We should learn from the example they set in constantly applying Marxism-Leninism, dialectics, and materialism in practical work; learn from the example they set in integrating the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution, and in combining a serious spirit of principle with a vivid spirit of creativity; learn from the example they set in standing together with the hundreds of millions of people, discerning the correct direction, seizing upon truth, striving for truth, sweeping everything before them, and conquering all obstacles.
Published in *People's Daily*, May 27, 1958. (With Mao Zedong's revisions)

**Notes**
---

**Comments and Revision on Chen Yun's Draft Speech for the Second Session of the Eighth National Congress of the CPC[1] (May 15, 1958)**

**I**
Comrade Chen Yun:
This piece can be used now, and can be delivered tomorrow. I have added a few phrases.[2] Let me know what you think?
Mao Zedong
May 15, 10:00 p.m.
Published based on the manuscript.

**II**
We must rely on Party committees at all levels and rely on the masses. We must regularly report financial and economic situations to the Central Committee and Party committees at all levels. We must correct the wrong practice of normally reporting no or very little financial and economic information and then suddenly dumping a torrential downpour all at once. Whether concerning industry, agriculture, finance and trade, or transportation, questions of work policy, line, and major policy issues should all be decided upon by the Central Committee and Party committees at all levels. When implementing decisions, regular attention should be paid to inspection, and methods such as discussion forums, debates, big-character posters, and free airing of views and contending should be used to sound the alarm and criticize tendencies of divorcing from the masses and departing from the leadership of Party committees.
Published based on Mao Zedong's revised manuscript.

**Notes**
---

**Comment on the Letter from the CPSU Central Committee to the LCY Central Committee (May 15, 1958)**

Comrade Xiaoping[1]:
The letter from the CPSU to the LCY dated May 9[2] is a good document; it stands completely consistent with our position. They have thought it through and have stood up. Please do two things: (1) Approach the head of the Soviet Embassy for a talk and express our warm congratulations. Or I could talk to him once after the Congress.[3] This is a major event. There is a turning point in the CPSU's political theory, their style is improving—great hope. (2) Immediately print the Soviet document and distribute it to the congress delegates for reading. If time permits, discuss it once in the small groups, and it can be taken away with them. Share outstanding writings for mutual appreciation—print and distribute without delay. Attach this letter to the front of the printed Soviet document.
Mao Zedong
May 15
Published based on the manuscript.

**Notes**

--- Notes

[1] Mao Zedong made two rounds of revisions to Comrade Liu Shaoqi's draft work report, delivered on behalf of the Central Committee at the Second Session of the Eighth National Congress of the CPC: once on May 13, 1958, and once on May 24, 1958. Six relatively complete sections of these two revisions are found in passages (VI) to (XI) below. Among these, (VIII) and (X) were revised on May 13, and (VI), (VII), (IX), and (XI) were revised on May 24. The text printed in Song font indicates additions written by Mao Zedong.
[2] Hu Qiaomu, then Alternate Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary to Mao Zedong.
[3] This is a marginal comment written by Mao Zedong on an incorrect character when revising Liu Shaoqi's draft report on May 13, 1958. Liu Shaoqi's original draft stated: "Becoming panicked at the emergence of imbalance and thus demanding that the advanced look to the backward for parity, demanding a balance of cutting the foot to fit the shoe (lǚ) and giving up eating for fear of choking—this is utterly mistaken." Mao Zedong changed the "shoe (lǚ)" in "cutting the foot to fit the shoe" to "jù" and wrote this comment.
[4] This is a marginal comment written by Mao Zedong within the text when revising Liu Shaoqi's draft report on May 24, 1958. Liu Shaoqi's draft report stated: "Based on Comrade Mao Zedong's initiative, the Party proposed to the people of the whole country in January 1956 the 'Draft Program for National Agricultural Development, 1956 to 1967.'" Mao Zedong drew a line under "January" in this sentence and wrote this comment. After checking, Hu Qiaomu wrote beside Mao's comment: "Checked, it is correct."
[5] This is a marginal comment written by Mao Zedong within the text when revising Liu Shaoqi's draft report on May 24, 1958. Liu Shaoqi's draft report stated: "Marx, Engels, and Lenin repeatedly pointed out that the battle slogan of the working class should be 'uninterrupted revolution.' Timely proposing new revolutionary tasks so that the revolutionary struggle of the masses does not halt midway, so that the revolutionary fervor of the masses does not cool due to interruption of the revolution, and so that Party and state functionaries do not develop arrogance and lethargy because of complacency with achievements won—the CPC Central Committee and Comrade Mao Zedong have always used this Marxist-Leninist theory of uninterrupted revolution to guide the Chinese revolution." Mao Zedong changed the words "have always" in the final part of this passage to "have over a long period," and wrote this comment.


[1] Chen Yun, then Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. On May 16, 1958, his speech at the Second Session of the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China mainly addressed the question of the construction speed for the Second Five-Year Plan.
[2] See text (II) below. The sections printed in Song font indicate additions written by Mao Zedong.


[1] Xiaoping, i.e., Deng Xiaoping, then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee.
[2] Refers to the letter dated May 9, 1958, from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. It mainly presented views on the relations between the two parties and the draft program of the LCY, asserting that the LCY's Seventh Congress program stood in opposition to the Declaration of the Conference of Representatives of Communist and Workers' Parties of Socialist Countries and that the speeches of most LCY leaders at the congress contained unfriendly and hostile criticism directed at the Soviet Union, the CPSU, and fraternal Communist Parties.
[3] Refers to the Second Session of the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held from May 5 to 23, 1958.