China is an economically underdeveloped country, with a low level of both industry and agriculture, and a large proportion of the population remains illiterate.


We are now actively organizing our economy, working to raise the cultural level of the people, developing our industries, and equipping agriculture with machinery.


Our efforts have only just begun—this is merely the start.


Achieving concrete results will take time and require assistance from friendly nations; it cannot be accomplished in a short period.


As a large country like ours seeks to improve its economic and cultural standards and build a modern industrial, agricultural, and educational system, it will inevitably be a gradual process.


We have put forward the slogan “more, faster, better, and more economical” for the development of our economy and culture.


It is possible to move somewhat more quickly, but not extremely fast. To claim otherwise would be mere boasting—something neither you nor I would believe.


Take walking, for example: it always takes some time.


We have been working at this for ten years already. Yet, as you know, our industrial base remains quite small, and agriculture is still largely artisanal. Perhaps another decade will bring further progress.


China not only needs to manage its own affairs and sustain itself, but also to assist other countries and peoples and contribute positively to the world. Like any other nation, we should strive not only for our own benefit but also for the common good of humanity.


Mutual assistance among nations and the development of economic ties are essential, particularly closer understanding and the exchange of experience among Asian, African, and Latin American countries.


An isolated, self-contained economy is untenable; exchange is necessary.


There are twenty countries in North and South America, and it is entirely feasible for them to establish economic and cultural links with Asian nations such as China, engaging in mutually beneficial exchanges.


Japan is an Asian country and our neighbor. We have fought wars with them, and our relations have not been particularly cordial recently. Nevertheless, people-to-people contacts persist; indeed, a Japanese civilian delegation is currently visiting China.


Despite the absence of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, and notwithstanding the Japanese government’s unfriendly stance toward us, there continues to be active interaction between our two peoples. Such exchanges occur freely and naturally.


If circumstances permit, we may yet dispatch a delegation to visit your countries in South America.


In the past, what we did was called revolution; today, what we are doing is called construction—a new endeavor for which we lack prior experience.


For instance, we had very limited knowledge of how to operate an iron and steel industry. This is a matter of science and technology; it amounts to waging war against nature—though, of course, we are fighting only against the natural resources within China’s borders, not against those in your regions.


Without a proper understanding of nature, or with a vague one, we are bound to encounter setbacks. Nature will resist us and exact its due punishment. Take a dam, for example: if it is poorly constructed or built to substandard specifications, it may be breached by floodwaters, inundating homes and farmland. Is that not a form of retribution? Let me tell you frankly that we only began to approach economic work with genuine seriousness last August [2].


I myself am one who has experienced this. Prior to August of last year, our primary focus was on revolution rather than on construction.


Many of our comrades shared this mindset, prioritizing revolutionary and social reforms over efforts to transform the natural environment.


When it comes to confronting nature, the Soviet Union was our foremost teacher; we first sought to learn from them. However, the United States also served as a valuable source of instruction.


American steel contains only 0.04 percent sulfur, whereas in China, steel with a sulfur content as low as 0.037 percent is produced only in a few isolated locations, while most domestic steel still falls short of acceptable quality.


This is a novel challenge. There is no room for carelessness or bravado; we must approach it with earnestness and humility.


Anyone who acts recklessly, plays the hero, or neglects due diligence is sure to stumble.


Revolutionary endeavors are no simple undertaking; they are a science. Economic construction, too, is a science.


A key issue in socialist construction is achieving overall balance. For example, building socialism requires various materials such as steel and iron. If even one component is lacking, the desired balance cannot be attained.


Some of our colleagues consistently overlook one or two critical conditions. Take iron smelting, for instance: refractory bricks are indispensable. Yet instead of procuring proper refractories, they sometimes repurpose clay originally intended for making dishes, leading to a shortage of tableware. Consequently, they must then seek refractory materials elsewhere and restore their ceramic production facilities.


Such complications are not uncommon across different sectors. They can arise in industry, agriculture, commerce, and transportation alike.


Agriculture likewise demands comprehensive balance, encompassing farming, forestry, animal husbandry, sideline operations, and fisheries.


China does, however, hold promise.


This, however, depends on your support and on the solidarity of peace-loving peoples worldwide. Above all, maintaining a peaceful international environment serves the common interests of all. You desire peace, and so do we.


Printed from the transcript preserved in the Central Archives.


Notes [1] This is an excerpt from Mao Zedong’s conversation with a Peruvian parliamentary delegation.


[2] The enlarged meeting of the CPC Central Political Bureau held in Beidaihe from August 17 to 30, 1958 primarily discussed the 1959 national economic plan, as well as issues related to industrial production, agricultural output, rural work, and commercial activities. The meeting adopted the “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on the 1959 Plan and the Second Five-Year Plan” and the “Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Establishing People’s Communes in the Countryside.”