Directive on Forwarding “Fujian’s Experience” [1]
(March 24, 1959)

Fujian’s experience is hereby forwarded to the Party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions for reference. Full attention should be paid to the issues discussed in the second and third paragraphs [2] thereof.

Mao Zedong
March 24, 1959

[1] Refers to the telegram sent by the Fujian Provincial Committee of the CCP at 9 p.m. on March 20, 1959, to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee regarding the system of commune ownership and distribution. When Mao Zedong approved and forwarded this report, he changed its title to “Fujian’s Experience.”

[2] The issues mentioned in the second and third paragraphs of the Fujian Provincial Committee’s report refer to the problem of partial ownership by the production teams and the problem of the distribution ratio of the people’s commune’s total income. The report pointed out that resolving the relationship between the production brigade and the production team (production teams formerly subordinate to the advanced cooperatives)—that is, resolving the problem of partial ownership by the production team—is a major issue in broadly mobilizing the enthusiasm of the vast numbers of cadres and commune members. However, such a production team cannot serve as the basic accounting and distribution unit under the three-level ownership system, because its scale is too small, its strength is weak, it is in many respects inconvenient for the development of production, and the masses are also accustomed to using the former advanced cooperative as the unified unit for distribution and accounting. Therefore, the partial ownership of the production team can be neither too large nor too small. Regarding the distribution of the people’s commune’s total income, the Fujian Provincial Committee agrees with the proportions stipulated by the Central Committee. The portion for public accumulation is planned to be raised to around 15% in 1959 (10% for the commune, 5% for the production brigade and production team; the production squad will accumulate an additional few percent from the income of small-scale side-line occupations). For the consumption portion of commune members, distribution according to work shall be upheld, combining the wage system and the supply system. The supply portion must not be excessive this year, and the wage portion must be higher than the supply portion.