Comments on Zhao Erlu’s Opinions on Several Issues Concerning Heavy Industrial Production and Construction (May 30 and June 17, 1959)

I. This document is good; it is quite persuasive and represents an improvement in the industrial sector. It is worth reading. Any document that is difficult to understand, causes headaches upon reading, lacks logical coherence (internal connections), and fails to provide sound argumentation—therefore lacking persuasiveness—should never be presented again. For example, the report of January 25 this year (the one revised and issued on February 6 concerning this year’s plan) is an utterly flawed document: it has no internal cohesion, no reasonable justification, and has already proven entirely useless. Those comrades who write such documents simply do not use their minds; they have no real understanding of matters whatsoever. They are complete novices in planned economy, knowing nothing at all about the principle of developing the national economy in a planned and proportional manner. They should earnestly correct this in the future. One must think more, read more, deliberate carefully, and decide wisely. Consultation should take place with the Chairman, Vice Chairmen, and General Secretary; with secretaries, ministerial assistants, vice ministers, and heads of departments and bureaus; with officials at the provincial, regional, county, and commune levels down to the production team leader; and even with the opposition—that is, with comrades holding dissenting views. This point is extremely important. In other words, we must conduct thorough investigation and research. There may be more than half of all such incapable workers nationwide. Among them, perhaps twenty to thirty percent are particularly bad. This calls for a major educational campaign, spanning ten years, which could substantially improve our national economy. What I have written here may sound rather severe, but I believe it is necessary to say these things, indeed imperative. At times like this, I must not fear offending large numbers of comrades; otherwise, it will be very difficult to get things done. I do not keep my views hidden from my fellow comrades; I am greatly displeased when they, on the other hand, withhold their opinions from me. Past practices of such withholding must be corrected. Mao Zedong Date

II. This document is well written. In addition to being distributed to all members of the Politburo and the Secretariat, it should also be forwarded to the Party leadership groups of all central economic departments and to the provincial, municipal, and regional Party committees. Mao Zedong Date Printed according to the manuscript.

III. After Liu and Peng Zhen have reviewed it, Shang Kun will handle its implementation. Printed according to Mao Zedong’s manuscript.

Notes [1] Zhao Erlu was then Minister of the First Ministry of Machine-Building Industry. [ ] The first section was written on Zhao Erlu’s report dated May 26, 1959, addressed to Deng Xiaoping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, with a copy to Mao Zedong, concerning several issues related to heavy industrial production and construction; while the second and third sections were penned on the same report as it was circulated by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee to members of the Politburo and the Secretariat on June 15.


[3] Zhao Erlu’s report primarily addressed the following three issues: First, the need to strengthen comprehensive planning and balance. The current disconnections and imbalances in the national economy are mainly due to overly ambitious planning targets. From an industrial perspective, the steel production target has been set too high. Once the steel figure is raised, other sectors follow suit. Individually, each sector’s requirements may seem achievable, but collectively they exceed objective possibilities. Industrial production is a vast collaborative effort, with various industries and components within the industrial system mutually dependent and mutually restraining one another. Therefore, the formulation of plans must involve a meticulous process of comprehensive balancing. Only in this way can we determine whether the targets are appropriate and feasible, and ensure development proceeds in accordance with the principles of planned and proportional growth. When arranging production, it is necessary to prioritize key areas based on national needs; however, such prioritization should be integrated into annual or longer-term plans. Attempting to isolate and single out priorities without proper coordination will not yield results. Comprehensive balancing is an iterative process that must be carried out step by step. Second, the issue of unity among quantity, variety, and quality of industrial products. Currently, there is an imbalance among these three factors, with excessive emphasis placed on quantity at the expense of variety and quality. In fact, these three elements are closely linked and cannot be emphasized in isolation while neglecting the others. The question now is whether we can adopt the approach of striving for a certain level of output while simultaneously demanding higher standards in terms of both variety and quality. Third, the matter of manufacturing versus repair. Although repair and manufacturing cannot be completely separated, once industry has reached a certain stage of development, a systematic maintenance and repair framework must be established. In the past, there has been a disconnect between manufacturing and repair work, which urgently needs to be rectified. [4] Refers to the explanatory note submitted by the Party Leadership Group of the State Planning Commission on January 25, 1959, and revised and issued on February 6, concerning several important issues related to the 1959 national economic development plan. [ ] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Peng Zhen was then a member of the CPC Central Political Bureau and a secretary of the CPC Central Secretariat. [ ] Shang Kun refers to Yang Shangkun, who at the time served as an alternate secretary of the CPC Central Secretariat and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.