Central Committee Circulates an Important Document

(February 22, 1959)

To the Party Committees of all Provinces, Municipalities, and Autonomous Regions:

Comrade Zhao Ziyang's letter to the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee regarding the resolution of the grain problem [1] and the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee's comments [2] are extremely important and are now circulated to you. The matter of commune brigade and team leaders concealing grain and dividing it privately is serious, causing unease among the people, affecting the communist morality of the broad masses of grassroots cadres, affecting the enthusiasm for spring plowing and the Great Leap Forward of 1959, and affecting the consolidation of the People's Communes. This is a widespread problem throughout the country and must be resolved immediately. All localities and counties that have not yet correctly resolved this problem must immediately take action according to the policies and methods adopted by Comrade Zhao Ziyang in Leinan County to quickly resolve it. Concealing grain and dividing it privately is an abnormal phenomenon caused by the broad masses of grassroots cadres and peasants fearing that collective ownership would immediately become private ownership after the establishment of the communes, "taking away their grain." The Resolution of the Sixth Plenary Session on the People's Communes [3] affirmed that the communes are still a socialist collective ownership at the present stage, which reassured the masses. However, the communes are very large, and the large and small teams are still afraid that the communes will take away the team's grain, and they have already concealed grain and divided it privately after the autumn harvest. Therefore, it is necessary to announce the two correct policies on grain and cadres, as in Leinan County, and to carry out a resolute education movement to solve the problem. As long as the policies and methods are correct, it will only take ten days or half a month to solve the problem. This document can be published in Party journals and can be forwarded to all localities and counties.

Central Committee

February 22, 1959

[1] Zhao Ziyang's report of January 27, 1959, stated that since mid-December of last year, the grain problem has become the focus of rural public opinion. Leinan County had a great leap forward in late rice production last year, but an abnormal phenomenon of grain shortage appeared at the end of the year. To this end, a series of cadre meetings were held throughout the county, and as a result, 70 million jin of grain that had been concealed and privately divided was found. The experience of Leinan County proves that there is a large amount of grain in the countryside at present, and the grain shortage is completely a false phenomenon caused by production teams and sub-teams concealing grain and dividing it privately. Holding a cadre meeting at the county level for production team leaders and sub-team leaders is the most important and best way to solve the grain problem. At the cadre meeting, it is necessary to carry out work according to the law of development of mass thinking, and to combine universal, systematic, and in-depth ideological mobilization and class education with individual breakthroughs and individual explanations of the grain situation. It is necessary to repeatedly explain two policies: First, the grain policy. Clearly announce that grain consumption before the summer harvest of 1959 will be contracted to the production team as a unit to dispel everyone's concerns about the grain problem. Second, the policy towards cadres who conceal grain. It should be clearly announced that concealing grain is wrong, but as long as they confess frankly, they can be forgiven for the past; those who refuse to confess will be punished, even prosecuted. In the later stage of the meeting, on the basis of checking for errors and omissions and checking for balance, quickly arrange the lives of the commune members, summarize ideas, rectify the organization, and purify the ranks.

[2] The Guangdong Provincial Party Committee's comments on forwarding Zhao Ziyang's report on January 31, 1959, stated: The grain problem must be solved, which is the most important issue related to this year's production leap forward and the rectification of the communes. The facts in many places prove that last year's great harvest and great leap forward in grain are completely certain, and there is grain. It is necessary to resolutely lead and carry out the struggle against concealing grain and localism in order to ensure the completion of the grain transfer task and arrange the lives of the masses.

[3] Refers to the "Resolution on Several Issues Concerning the People's Communes" passed by the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held from November 28 to December 10, 1958.

Central Committee Circulates an Important Document

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Immediately send to Comrade Li Xuefeng [1] to handle. It is best to send it by telegram. Also print for all comrades of the Political Bureau.

All members of the Standing Committee have read it.

Mao Zedong

February 22

[1] Liu, refers to Liu Shaoqi. Peng Zhen, then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee. Use, refers to Zhou Enlai.

[2] Li Xuefeng, then Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.