Comments and Revisions on the Draft Notices for the Science, Culture and Education Groups
(June 8, 1958)

To be immediately forwarded to Liu, Lin Biao, Xiaoping, Peng Zhen, Zhou, Chen, Zhu, and Peng for their review; return to Xiaoping for handling.
This document has been supplemented with Section III concerning the division of functions, and a few additional members have been added to the groups. After you have reviewed it, please return it to Xiaoping for submission to the Politburo for discussion and approval, after which it will be issued. Should you hold any differing views, please inform me without delay.
Mao Zedong
3:00 A.M., June 8

[1] Refers to a passage added by Mao Zedong to the draft notice of the CPC Central Committee’s decision to establish the Finance and Economics, Political and Legal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Science, and Culture and Education Groups, outlining the division of powers. This section is reproduced in Song typeface in the present text to indicate the material added by Mao Zedong.
[2]
In the list of members for the Central Finance and Economics Group, Mao Zedong added Tan Zhenlin as deputy head, along with Wang Heshou and Zhao Erlu as members. At that time, Tan Zhenlin served as a secretary of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat; Wang Heshou was Minister of the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry; and Zhao Erlu was Minister of the First Ministry of Machine-Building Industry.

The CPC Central Committee has decided to establish the Finance and Economics, Political and Legal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Science, and Culture and Education Groups. These groups are under the direct authority of the CPC Central Committee, reporting directly to the Politburo and the Secretariat. Major policies are determined by the Politburo, while specific arrangements fall within the purview of the Secretariat. There is only one “political design institute”; there cannot be two. Both major policy guidelines and detailed implementation plans must be unified and integrated, with no separation between the Party and the government. The actual execution and decisions on minute details pertain to government organs and their Party leading groups. Government organs and their Party leading groups have the right to submit recommendations on major policies and specific deployments, but the final decision rests with the CPC Central Committee. Both government organs and their Party leading groups, together with the CPC Central Committee, share the responsibility for oversight.