On a Study Bulletin [1] from the General Office of the State Council
(July 27, 1959)
Print and distribute immediately.
Mao Zedong
July 27
[1] Refers to the 25th issue of the *General Office Study Bulletin*, compiled and printed on July 9, 1959, by the Party Committee Office of the General Office of the State Council. The bulletin states: Over the past two weeks, during the study of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China’s urgent directive on reducing social purchasing power, the atmosphere in most units of our office has become considerably more active than before, with many discussions arising. A comprehensive summary is as follows:

(I) On the issue of the people’s communes.
1. The view that the conditions for establishing the people’s communes were not ripe.
2. The view that the ownership system of the people’s communes does not quite correspond to the current level of our country’s productive forces.
3. The distribution system combining supply and wages implemented by the people’s communes does not correspond to the current level of development of our country’s productive forces and the consciousness of the masses; eating without paying also does not conform to the distribution principle of distribution according to work.
4. The development of the people’s communes has been too hasty and too drastic.
5. The people’s communes were launched through mass movements, but the policies did not keep pace. In some cases, correct policies existed, but deviations occurred during their implementation. (II) On last year’s Great Leap Forward and the nationwide mass steelmaking campaign.
1. The view that the slogan "steelmaking by the whole people" was incorrect, that the "small indigenous groups" could have been avoided, and that the target of 10.7 million tons of steel could also have been omitted.
2. The steel target was set subjectivistically by the leadership.
3. The slogan of taking steel as the key link is problematic; steel alone cannot satisfy the multifaceted needs of economic life.