Comments on the Article “Views of Soviet Experts on the ‘More, Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Line” (May 19, 1958)

Comrade Xiaoping [1]: Please have this document [2] distributed to all comrades attending the Congress. Mao Zedong, 4:00 a.m. on May 19, printed from the manuscript.

2. See this year’s issue of “Propaganda and Education Bulletin.” [3] Printed from Mao Zedong’s manuscript.

Notes [1] Xiaoping refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at that time served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

[2] Refers to the article “Views of Soviet Experts on the ‘More, Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Line,” published in the relevant issue of the “Propaganda and Education Bulletin” compiled and issued by the CPC Central Committee’s Propaganda Department. The article states that on the afternoon of April 25, Song Renqiong convened a symposium with Soviet experts stationed in Beijing from the Second Ministry of Machine-Building Industry. At the meeting, he briefed them on China’s ongoing Rectification Campaign and the Great Leap Forward, as well as on the construction policy of “more, faster, better, cheaper” and the principle of simultaneously developing industry and agriculture, along with the approach of integrating large, medium, and small enterprises. He also cited numerous examples of Soviet experts assisting China in implementing the “more, faster, better, cheaper” line. In addition to delivering remarks at the meeting, Volbyov, one of the Soviet experts, shared some opinions with the interpreter afterward. Volbyov said that the Chinese Party’s current national construction policy of “more, faster, better, cheaper” was entirely correct, as it essentially addressed the issues of raising labor productivity and accelerating socialist construction. He believed that to achieve both “more” and “cheaper,” it was essential to take local conditions into account. For example, in the Soviet Union steel was very cheap while timber was expensive, whereas in China the situation was reversed—timber was inexpensive and steel costly. If one failed to recognize these practical realities and insisted on using steel exclusively for construction without seeking alternative materials, it would inevitably lead to excessive expenditure, thus contradicting the spirit of “more” and “cheaper.” Similarly, in the Soviet Union there was strong advocacy for establishing large-scale mechanized and automated factories because of the country’s small population and labor shortages. However, the situation in China was quite different: with its vast population, promoting mechanization and automation on the same scale as in the Soviet Union would be inappropriate for China’s national conditions. The Chinese Party’s current policy of prioritizing the development of medium- and small-sized factories and mines was therefore well-suited to China’s circumstances, as it would enable every worker to play a role. Prior to this, Volbyov had also remarked that during his interactions with Chinese colleagues he often observed that some officials did not think independently or proactively enough when tackling problems. They tended to rely on experts to resolve even minor matters, and in discussions some would simply copy the experts’ answers without offering their own views, subsequently carrying out those instructions verbatim. Such an approach did not constitute creative assimilation of advanced experience but rather mechanical imitation, making it prone to deviations and mismatches with China’s actual conditions. Experts could only serve in advisory and guiding capacities; many issues still needed to be resolved by Chinese comrades themselves, since they were best acquainted with the local context and were in a position to exercise independent judgment. This material was distributed as an official document at the Second Plenary Session of the Eighth National Congress of the CPC.

[3] This is a note written by Mao Zedong following the article “Views of Soviet Experts on the ‘More, Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Line.”