Remarks on the Report on Drought Relief and Flood Prevention Work¹
(13 August 1959)

Read. Very good. Return to Comrade Cheng Zihua.²
Mao Zedong
13 August

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¹ On 7 August 1959, the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Commerce submitted this report to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and Mao Zedong, stating that in order to actively support drought relief and flood prevention work in various localities, the Ministry of Commerce had already established a special office responsible for liaising with the relevant provinces and regions, so as to understand and promptly supervise and inspect disaster relief work. With regard to the supply of disaster relief materials, the following measures were to be adopted: (1) In situations where drought relief and flood prevention materials are insufficient, priority shall be given to supplying the disaster areas. (2) Promote the spirit of communist cooperation and require non-disaster areas to actively and proactively support the disaster areas. (3) The disaster-stricken areas shall exhaust all means to tap local resources, obtain materials locally, use them locally, and further conduct warehouse inventories to fully utilize the strength of existing stockpiles. In areas already affected by disasters, commercial departments shall, under the unified leadership of the Party committee, actively assist disaster victims in developing diversified economies, properly carry out the supply of raw materials needed for the victims’ production and the marketing of finished products, properly carry out the supply of daily necessities for the victims, guarantee the supply of medicines for the victims, and make early preparations for cold-proof and heating materials.

² Cheng Zihua, then Minister of Commerce.