On Zhao Erlu's[1] Opinions Concerning Several Issues in Heavy Industrial Production and Construction[2]: A Comment[3]
(May 30, 1959, and June 17, 1959)

[1] Zhao Erlu, then Minister of the First Ministry of Machine Building.
[2] Zhao Erlu's report primarily addressed the following three issues:
First, on strengthening the comprehensive balancing work in planning. The current phenomena of disconnection and imbalance in the national economy stem mainly from excessively high planning targets. From an industrial perspective, the steel target was set too high first. Once the steel target was raised, all other sectors followed suit. Viewed separately, the demands of each sector might seem attainable, but when combined, they exceed objective possibilities. Industrial production is a vast collaborative effort; all industrial sectors and the entire industrial system are interdependent and mutually constraining. Therefore, the formulation of plans must involve a meticulous process of comprehensive balancing. Only in this way can we determine whether the planning targets are appropriate and achievable, and develop in accordance with the principle of planned, proportional development. When arranging production, ensuring key priorities based on national needs is necessary, but priorities can only be embodied within an annual or longer-term plan. Isolated efforts to guarantee priorities will fail to advance them. Comprehensive balancing work is an iterative process that must be carried out level by level. Second, on the unity of quantity, variety, and quality in industrial products. Currently, there is an imbalance and disconnection among these three, generally favoring quantity while neglecting variety and quality. In fact, these three are interconnected; one cannot unilaterally emphasize one aspect while ignoring another. At present, it might be appropriate to propose striving, on the basis of a certain quantity, for completeness and quality even if the quantity is somewhat less. Third, on the issues of manufacturing and repair. While manufacturing and repair cannot be entirely separated, at a certain stage of industrial development, a maintenance and repair system must be formed. There has been a disconnection between manufacturing and repair in the past, which must be remedied.
[3] The first comment was written on Zhao Erlu's report dated May 26, 1959, to Deng Xiaoping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, with a copy to Mao Zedong, concerning several issues in heavy industrial production and construction. The second and third comments were written on this report after it was distributed by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee on June 15 to comrades in the Political Bureau and the Secretariat.

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Volume 42 of the Complete Works of Mao Zedong

This document is good, quite persuasive, and represents an improved document from the industrial sector; it is worth reading. Any document that is incomprehensible, causes headaches upon reading, lacks logic (internal connections), lacks argumentation, and therefore lacks persuasiveness, must never be presented again in the future. For example, the report of January 25 this year (the document on that year's plan, revised and issued on February 6)[1] was an utterly terrible document, lacking internal connections and reasonable argumentation, and has already proven completely useless. Comrades who write such documents do not use their brains at all, fundamentally do not understand the subject matter, are laymen in planned economy, and are utterly ignorant of the so-called law of planned, proportional development of the national economy. They must earnestly correct this in the future. Think more, read more; be resourceful and decisive. Seek counsel from the Chairman, Vice-Chairmen, and General Secretary; seek counsel from secretaries, ministerial assistants, vice-ministers, and bureau directors; seek counsel from provinces, prefectures, counties, communes, down to production team leaders; seek counsel from the opposition, that is, comrades with differing opinions—this point is crucial. That is to say, earnestly conduct investigation and research work. Such comrades incapable of doing their work properly may constitute over half nationwide. Particularly bad ones may account for twenty to thirty percent. This is a major educational task; given ten years, we may manage our national economy quite well. In writing this, my words are somewhat stern, but I believe they must be said, and should be said. At such a time, I must not fear offending a large number of comrades; otherwise, matters cannot be handled well. I do not withhold my opinions from comrades; if comrades withhold theirs from me, I am greatly displeased. Past withholding must be corrected.

Mao Zedong
May 30, 1959

[1] Refers to the explanation on several important issues concerning the 1959 national economic development plan, proposed by the Party Group of the State Planning Commission on January 25, 1959, and revised and issued on February 6.

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Comments on Zhao Erlu's Opinions Concerning Several Issues in Heavy Industrial Production and Construction

This document is very well written. In addition to distribution to comrades in the Political Bureau and the Secretariat, distribute additionally to the Party groups of all central economic departments and the Party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions.

Mao Zedong
June 17, 1959

After reading by Liu [Shaoqi] and Peng Zhen,[1] have Shangkun[2] handle it.

[1] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Peng Zhen, then Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Secretariat.
[2] Shangkun, i.e., Yang Shangkun, then Alternate Secretary of the Central Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.

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Comment on Properly Resolving the Contradictions Arising from the Construction of the Linhuaigang Barrage Reservoir
(May 31, 1959, and August 5, 1959)

Comrades Shaoqi and Xiaoping:[1] After reading, forward to Comrade Li Zaohua, Secretary of the Party Group of the Ministry of Water Resources:
Ask the Ministry of Water Resources to consider dispatching a Party member comrade of vice-ministerial rank, possessing political acumen and technical experience, to take this document[2] first to Jinan to find Comrade Tan Zhenlin[3] (Tan is currently in Jinan) and discuss it with him, because this matter was decided upon jointly by Comrades Tan, Zeng Xisheng, and Wu Zhipu[4] during the Wuchang Conference last December. Then proceed to Hefei to discuss it with Comrade Zeng Xisheng, and then go to the Linhuaigang site to conduct an investigation, to see whether the situation is indeed as described by the comrades from Huaibin County. If necessary to convene a meeting, then convene one with one person each at the water resources department (bureau) level or vice-governor level from the two provinces, and one or two persons each from Huaibin County, Lingang County, and the Linhuaigang Water Resources Engineering Bureau, to meet and properly resolve the issue.

Shangkun:[5]
A copy of this document[6] should be made for Comrade Wu Zhipu.

Mao Zedong
May 31

Mao
August 5

[1] Xiaoping, i.e., Deng Xiaoping, then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council.
[2] Refers to the telegram from the CPC Huaibin County Committee and the Huaibin County People's Committee to Mao Zedong regarding the issue of Anhui Province not constructing the Linhuaigang Barrage Reservoir according to standards. The telegram stated that Huaibin County in Henan Province is located in the middle reaches of the Huai River, with low-lying terrain. Before liberation, it suffered from floods; after liberation, the flood menace was removed, and the masses celebrated it as a second liberation. Anhui's current construction of the Linhuaigang Barrage Reservoir, not following the standards previously approved by the Chairman, with the engineering design exceeding the originally stipulated specifications, would expand the inundation area in the middle and upper reaches, causing significant losses to Huaibin County and causing great anxiety among the masses. The telegram proposed specific requirements and conditions for resolving this issue and emphasized that the reservoir's flood storage level must not exceed the originally set 25.3 meters.
[3] Tan Zhenlin, then Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council.
[4] Zeng Xisheng, then First Secretary of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee. Wu Zhipu, then First Secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee and Governor of Henan Province.
[5] Shangkun, i.e., Yang Shangkun, then Alternate Secretary of the Central Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.
[6] Refers to the report from the CPC Fuyang Prefectural Committee of Anhui Province to Mao Zedong dated July 2, 1959. The report stated that the Provincial Committee had forwarded the report from the Huaibin County Committee of Henan Province to the Chairman, and the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power had decided to postpone the construction of the Linhuaigang Reservoir. Therefore, they were reporting their opinions and requests to the Chairman. The Huaibin County Committee's report to the Chairman mentioned that the reservoir's flood storage level could not exceed 25.3 meters. If so, even a flood like that of 1954 could breach the reservoir, let alone larger floods. Therefore, they believed the Huaibin County Committee's report was unreasonable. As for the water...

The Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power has decided to postpone the construction of the project, which we believe is without justification. Doing so will cause tremendous losses both economically and in production, and it will also be difficult to explain to the masses. Subsequently, on October 15, 1959, the Secretariat of the Central Committee, in its directive to the Anhui Provincial Party Committee with a copy to the Henan Provincial Party Committee, pointed out that the issue of the Linhuaigang Reservoir project had been preliminarily discussed at Lushan. Recently, the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power convened comrades from the two provinces to exchange views, and a consensus was reached on constructing this reservoir and equipping it with considerable flood control capacity. The current dispute concerns how to determine the water level. To avoid delaying the project, we agree that Anhui Province may proceed this winter with the construction of the control sluice according to the original design, while leaving space for future expansion. Before an agreement is reached on the flood storage level, the crest of the earth dam should not exceed 25 meters.

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The Complete Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 42
Document No. 2: Telegram (To Whom It May Concern, Signed by Chairman Mao)
"Chairman Mao Is with Us" (Chinese painting)

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The Complete Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 42
"Reporting to Chairman Mao" (Chinese painting)

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