Document Title: Instructions for Printing Two Articles Discussing Economic Work (July 4, 1959)

Comrade Shangkun \[1\]: The article starting from page X \[2\], and the article starting from page X \[3\], totaling two articles, please immediately print and distribute to all comrades \[4\]. These two articles should be printed separately, not joined together.

Mao Zedong
July 4

Published based on the manuscript.

**Notes**
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Grain Issues \[1\] (July 5, 1959)

These two documents \[2\] are to be printed and distributed to all comrades. Comrade Chen Guodong's report is an important document. Please have the regional heads of each greater administrative area preside over discussions—detailed discussions, two to three times. I basically agree with the opinions stated in this document. However, I feel:
(1) Assuming the harvest this year is genuinely better than last year, procuring 110 billion catties and striving to achieve it—this is the first move to change from a passive to an active position. If after the autumn harvest this year's yield is genuinely better than last year and proves beyond doubt, why can't we procure to this number?
(2) Regarding the sales plan for the next fiscal year: I feel that not only the figure of 102 billion catties is too high, but the adjusted figure of 85.5 billion catties in this document also seems slightly excessive. Can it be adjusted to 80 billion catties, or perhaps 81 or 82 billion? Tell the peasants to return to the practice of half a year's grain supplemented by bran and vegetables—can we do this? If this is done for one, two, or three years, we can turn things around. Store more, consume less, fix quotas per person, grain belongs to households, eat in mess halls, save surplus for oneself, eat more during busy seasons, eat less during slack seasons, have a mix of thin and solid foods, mix grain with vegetables—can we still eat our fill and eat well by doing this?
(3) Producing more grain is the best strategy. On field edges, plot corners, and scattered land: whoever plants, reaps the harvest, with no levying or purchasing. This is mainly to solve the feed problem, and partly for human consumption. Restore private vegetable gardens, and be sure to appropriately allocate private plots for self-sufficiency. All these measures can increase harvests. Since more is harvested, more can be eaten (mainly by pigs, partly by people, e.g., vegetables).
(4) Arrange daily life meticulously and well. Can we arrange our livelihood according to the actual output of 1957? Wasn't life in 1957 fairly decent? By doing so, the peasants' grain reserves could increase considerably. With grain in hand, there's no panic—standing on solid ground, brimming with joy.
(5) After this year's autumn harvest, when it is truly known that grain output has increased over last year, be sure to set aside feed for draft animals and feed for pigs—both must be somewhat more than in the past. Can the amount reach half of the human grain ration? For every catty of human grain, half a catty of feed. Conditions vary by locality, so amounts will inevitably differ, but we must resolutely pay attention to this issue. Except for disaster-stricken areas, feed must be somewhat more than in the past. Increasing feed is extremely beneficial. Draft animals are a source of power. Some animals provide meat and milk (old cattle, beef cattle, dairy cows). Their manure can fertilize fields. Hides, wool, bones, and horns have great uses. Eating more meat means eating less grain. Animal protein is superior to plant protein; people's physiques will develop more and become healthier. Pigs provide meat and also produce fertilizer. Within three, five, or seven years, strive to achieve one pig per mu of farmland. One pig is a small organic chemical fertilizer factory. The main outlet for fertilizer is pigs—one pig per mu of farmland.

The above several opinions are only for the reference of comrades in this discussion and must not be disseminated downward. Where there are inaccuracies, they are subject to revision.

Mao Zedong
July 5, 6:00 a.m.

Published based on the manuscript.

**Notes**
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Critique and Revision \[2\] of Zhang Wentian's Draft Speech on International Issues \[1\] (July 5, 1959)

**I**
Print and distribute to all comrades—well worth a read.

Mao Zedong
July 5
Shangkun \[3\], handle this.

Based on the manuscript.

**II**
Therefore, on many issues of common interest in the West, Britain and the United States are united in opposing us. But on certain other issues, even some extremely important ones, Britain and the US do not act in concert against us but have serious differences. For example, on the question of starting a Third World War, Britain greatly fears fighting, while a portion of people in the US seem somewhat inclined to fight. For example, Britain is closer to the Soviet Union than the US is; this is because West Germany attacks Britain fiercely, and the US is squeezing into Britain's sphere of influence quite severely. For example, they are united on the "two Chinas" issue, but if war were to break out between America and China over the Taiwan issue, Britain would be firmly opposed. The assessment of changes in Britain must not be overestimated; there must be no unrealistic illusions.

Printed based on the manuscript as revised by Mao Zedong.

**Notes**

--- Notes

\[1\] Shangkun refers to Yang Shangkun, then Alternate Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the Central Committee.
\[2\] Refers to the article "Several Articles Discussing the Experiences and Lessons of the Great Leap Forward" published in Issue No. 47 of *Propaganda and Education Trends*, compiled and printed by the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee on June 29, 1959. The article states that some provincial and municipal theoretical journals have recently publicly published articles discussing the experiences and lessons of the Great Leap Forward. Among them, the editorial "On Social Division of Labor and Cooperation" in Issue No. 6 of Shanxi's *Qianjin* (*Forward*) magazine points out: certain abnormal phenomena where social division of labor and cooperative relationships were disrupted occurred during the Great Leap Forward; at the current stage, regions should not emphasize building a comprehensive industrial system; the reorganization of handicraft industries should be handled prudently; "satellite" factories should not be blindly developed; and the idea of everyone becoming a "multiskilled worker" should not be one-sidedly stressed. Issue No. 11 of Guangdong's *Shangyou* (*Upstream*) magazine published an article by Tao Zhu, First Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, titled "The General Line and Working Methods," which notes that the pace of economic construction in Guangdong was somewhat slow in 1957 and somewhat too fast in the second half of 1958; steel production cannot be emphasized to an unlimited degree; Guangdong must continue implementing the policy of prioritizing agriculture in the next two years; and the situation of relying on others for everything cannot be changed overnight. Issue No. 12 of Beijing's *Qianxian* (*Frontline*) magazine published an editorial "Pay Attention to Comprehensive Balance, Strive for Continuous Leaps," pointing out that many imbalances have now appeared in the national economy, requiring new comprehensive balancing work. Issue No. 11 of the same magazine also published an editorial "Product and Output Value Plans Must Be Fulfilled Simultaneously," pointing out that currently, when formulating plans, some industrial departments do not first set product plans and then calculate output value plans, but instead first set an output value figure and then piece together a product plan to match. As a result, although output value plans are fulfilled, the products do not meet needs, and state plans are not completed. Such putting the cart before the horse will inevitably affect the planned and proportional development of the national economy. Therefore, production must be resolutely arranged according to the state's product plans and social needs.
\[3\] Refers to the article "An Analysis of the Fluctuations in the Growth Rate of China's Industrial Production in Recent Years" published in Issue No. 47 of *Propaganda and Education Trends*. The article points out: From 1955 to 1958, the development of China's industrial production experienced significant fluctuations; the reason for the slow growth in 1957, besides factors in guiding ideology, was mainly that in the previous year the proportional relationship between fixed assets and current assets in state accumulation was somewhat imbalanced; in 1958, the proportion of current asset accumulation in production accumulation declined, affecting industrial production in the first half of this year; in recent years, state reserves have shown a gradual decreasing trend; the raw materials industry is not fully coordinated with the growth of processing industries and capital construction investment; the proportion of raw material industrial resources used for capital construction has gradually increased, while the proportion used for production has gradually decreased.
\[4\] Refers to the comrades then attending the enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at Lushan.


\[1\] This is Mao Zedong's commentary written for the printing and distribution of Vice Minister of Grain Chen Guodong's report on opinions regarding the adjustment of the 1959-1960 grain distribution and grain revenue and expenditure plan. The title was drafted by Mao Zedong.
\[2\] Refers to Chen Guodong's July 4, 1959 report on opinions regarding the adjustment of the 1959-1960 grain distribution and grain revenue and expenditure plan, and the letter from Li Xiannian, Member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, dated July 5, 1959, submitting this report to Mao Zedong. The main contents of Chen Guodong's report are: 1. Opinions on grain distribution. We believe that calculating the basic needs of social grain consumption based on actual consumption patterns over the years is a stable and reliable method for determining the annual grain distribution plan. Therefore, we suggest that for the 1959-1960 fiscal year, the method of fixing grain quotas per person continue in cities, and the method of fixed grain production, purchasing, and marketing continue in rural areas, while making necessary and possible adjustments to grain output, purchase volumes, sales volumes, and rural grain retention standards according to changes in production and consumption. The adjusted figures would remain unchanged for three years, from 1959 to 1961. For grain increases achieved each year above the fixed production base, the state would only purchase an additional 40%, with peasants retaining 60%. If production decreases, procurement figures would be correspondingly reduced. 2. Opinions on the adjustment of the state grain revenue and expenditure plan for 1959-1960. In March of this year, the Shanghai Conference set the procurement target for 1959-1960 at 115.5 billion catties and the sales target at 97.5 billion catties. We believe that although the procurement target of 115.5 billion catties is substantial, it can still be achieved if work is done well. The sales target, however, is somewhat too large and needs adjustment. In the 1958-1959 fiscal year, grain sales reached 102 billion catties, an increase of over 17 billion catties compared to the two preceding years, which also experienced significant disasters; this is clearly unreasonable. This year, if work is done well, this figure can be reduced. We suggest it can be adjusted to 85.5 billion catties. Reducing the sales target is a major undertaking that can only be achieved with the determination of the whole Party. Only thus can replenishing state reserves be guaranteed and the passive situation in grain work be reversed.


\[1\] Refers to the draft speech on international issues delivered by Zhang Wentian, Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' retreat meeting on June 27, 1959. Its main content covers four aspects: the issue of differences among socialist countries, the issue of the middle-of-the-road line of certain nationalist countries, the issue of changes in the foreign policies of the US and UK, and the overall assessment of the international situation.
\[2\] The text set in Song typeface in Part (II) consists of words added by Mao Zedong.
\[3\] Shangkun refers to Yang Shangkun, then Alternate Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the Central Committee.