Comments on the Report Concerning Various Aspects of the Situation in the Soviet Union [!]
(October 1958)


Comrade Liu Xiao121 and his assistants are capable of thoughtful analysis. This document may be read. Return to Mao.
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Refers to a report submitted by the Chinese Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 20, 1958. The report states that since the Sino-Soviet talks in Beijing, there have been several new developments in various spheres within the Soviet Union, some of which merit attention. First, in the realm of international struggle, the Soviet Union has, in line with the spirit of the joint communiqué from the Sino-Soviet talks, presented a more comprehensive exposition on the issues of peace and war than previously. Following Khrushchev’s return from Beijing, his subsequent public speeches and Soviet press propaganda have consistently underscored the correct stance that we should not fear war and that peace cannot be begged for. The Soviet leadership has made progress in its understanding of the trend whereby the “eastern wind” is prevailing over the “western wind”; however, this understanding remains insufficiently deep. There is still an inadequate grasp of the dialectical relationship between war and peace, and between tension and détente, as well as a lack of mastery in handling these dynamics. Concerns persist regarding the suddenness and destructive power of modern warfare, and such concerns even continue to dominate their guiding principles. Second, with respect to relations with China, as the policy orientations of the two countries have grown more aligned, the Soviet Union has been cooperating more closely with China in the international arena. The Soviet side now possesses a deeper appreciation and higher evaluation of China’s significant role in the international struggle and of its experience in socialist construction than before. China’s influence has already begun to manifest itself in certain policy areas, and the Soviets have gradually incorporated elements of Chinese experience into their own practices. Nevertheless, the Soviet leadership still lacks a thorough understanding of our Party’s strategic thinking and tactical methods, as well as many new developments and ideas emerging in China’s current stage of development. They remain relatively unfamiliar with the people’s commune movement, the transition to communism, the practice of free meals, and the ongoing campaign to propagate communist ideology. Third, concerning the struggle against Yugoslav revisionism, the Soviet position at present remains essentially confined to the framework outlined in Khrushchev’s speech at the Fifth Congress of the East German Communist Party: the Soviet Union will continue to combat Yugoslav revisionism, but without expanding the existing conflict or further deteriorating relations. Fourth, the most notable change in the domestic situation in the Soviet Union is the heightened emphasis placed by the Soviet leadership on accelerating the pace of construction. In his public addresses and press articles following his return from Beijing, Khrushchev repeatedly stressed the need to make up for lost time and speed up the process of building. The report further notes that the overall trend toward a healthier development of the Soviet situation is certain to continue. This will primarily take the form of a tortuous and gradual evolutionary process; however, the rate of change will ultimately depend on the interplay of internal and external factors affecting the Soviet Union.
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Liu Xiao was, at that time, the Chinese Ambassador to the Soviet Union.