Telegram to Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping [1] Concerning the Proposal to Hold Meetings in Beijing to Prepare for the Wuchang Conference (November 13, 1958) Comrades Shaoqi and Xiaoping: I propose that, within the next few days, three to four meetings be convened in Beijing among members of the Political Bureau and the Secretariat, with the addition of several other comrades, to: (1) discuss the two documents drafted in Zhengzhou [2]; (2) present Stalin’s work as a set of issues for discussion and solicitation of opinions; and (3) examine Chapters One, Two, and Three of Lin Boqu’s “Opinions” on Soviet economic questions [3]. The purpose of this is to make preliminary ideological preparations for the Wuchang Conference [4]. Please consider whether this is feasible and act accordingly.
I believe that provincial-level bodies should also follow suit, discussing the same two sets of issues, again merely putting them forward as topics for discussion and opinion-gathering.
If you deem this practicable, please notify all provinces by telephone.
By “putting forward as issues,” I mean presenting both the affirmative and negative sides of each question.
For example, regarding the question of drawing a line to clarify boundaries, we would ask: Is it better to draw such a line, or not?
As for the issue of commodities, we would pose: At the current stage, is it preferable to have commodities, or not?
Similar reasoning applies to other matters.
Mao Zedong, 7:00 a.m., November 13, at Zhengzhou.
Printed from the manuscript.

Notes [1] Deng Xiaoping was then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. [2] “Fifteen-Year Plan for Socialist Construction”: The two documents drafted for discussion at the Zhengzhou Conference were: the draft “Forty-Point Outline (1958–1972)” (see note [1] on page ___ of this volume) and the draft “Resolution of the Zhengzhou Conference on Certain Questions Concerning People’s Communes” (see pages 13–15 of this volume). [3] Refers to the first three chapters of Stalin’s “Problems of Soviet Socialist Economy,” namely “Opinions on Economic Questions Connected with the November 1951 Discussion Meeting”: the question of the nature of economic laws under socialism; the question of commodity production under socialism; and the question of the law of value under socialism. [4] Refers to the enlarged meeting of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau planned to be held in Wuchang.
This meeting took place from November 21 to 27, 1958.