Cadres must have the courage to uphold the truth and not be inferior even to figures from the feudal era. Do not fear being made to wear tight shoes, or fear losing votes. Even if your head is chopped off, so be it—you are doing it for the country, for upholding the truth, for standing by your own correct views.

XIV. On Criticism. We are all good comrades, and criticism of comrades is also aimed at doing our work well and finding good working methods. I hope comrades will dare to raise all kinds of different opinions. If you have shortcomings and I do not criticize you, and I have shortcomings and you do not criticize me, creating such an atmosphere of liberalism is not good. Some comrades report only the good news and not the bad, failing to reflect the true situation upward. When people originally have difficulties, you report that they have no difficulties; when people have different opinions, that is not good.
We neither attack nor retaliate, so why dare we not boldly criticize or raise opinions with others? To clearly see something incorrect yet neither criticize nor struggle against it—this is a vulgar style. We bear no past grudges, no future enmity; out of blows, friendship grows.
It is unimaginable for a person to have no one who hates him.
Criticism and self-criticism are weapons by which the Party educates the people.

XV. Collective Leadership. The Central Committee has formed a core in its meetings; every locality should do likewise.

XVI. Contacts with various departments, especially with industrial departments, must be strengthened. Close ties must be maintained with the three commissions (Planning Commission, Economic Commission, Construction Commission) and the two ministries (Metallurgy, First Ministry of Machine Building).

[I]
There may be missing words here.

Inner-Party Communication [I]
(May 2, 1959)

Comrades First Secretaries of Provincial, Municipal, and Regional Party Committees:

The situation in Changli County, Hebei Province, and the opinions they have raised are of a universal nature. Party committees at all levels in all localities should pay attention to resolving them, and the sooner the better. If you agree, please distribute this letter and the attachment to Party committees at all levels, down to the branch secretaries of production teams.

Mao Zedong
May 2, 1959

Immediately deliver to Liu, Deng, Zhenlin [3] for perusal; Shangkun [4] to send by telegram. After sending, deliver to Zhou, Chen, Lin, Zhu [5] for perusal.

[1]
This piece is a letter from Mao Zedong to the First Secretaries of the Party Committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, forwarding a report by Wang Shaofei, Deputy Head of the Changli Working Group of the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, dated April 13, 1959, on the recent situation and problems of the communes in Changli County, Hebei Province. The title was drafted by Mao. Wang Shaofei’s