Comment on the Report on the Situation Regarding the Directive on Right-Deviationist Thinking[1]
(August 19, 1959)

The situation in Hebei Province is extremely good. Circulate to the Party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and regions for emulation in handling the matter.

Mao Zedong
August 19

[1] This report, submitted by the Hebei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee on August 17, 1959, states that after receiving the directive on opposing right-deviationist thinking issued by the Central Committee on August 7, the Provincial Committee conducted discussions. The general spirit is: earnestly implement the spirit of the Central Committee’s directive, thoroughly criticize and correct the right-deviationist thinking among some cadres, rouse the drive, wage a great battle in August and September, push the movement to increase production and practice economy to a new high tide, strive to fulfill and overfulfill the leap forward plans for production and construction, and welcome the tenth anniversary of National Day. At present, the overall situation in the province is good, but some problems have also emerged. In order to thoroughly criticize and overcome right-deviationist thinking, the Provincial Committee has decided: (1) Party organizations at all levels shall concentrate time to launch a thorough criticism of right-deviationist thinking, mobilize workers and staff to use multiple forms to examine the right-deviationist thinking in the leadership, rouse full drive, and overfulfill tasks. (2) All regions shall convene meetings of Party and government cadres from key enterprises to examine and criticize right-deviationist thinking and formulate new plans for increasing production and practicing economy. (3) Mobilize the masses to vigorously and on a grand scale promote a new high tide of increasing production and practicing economy. The Provincial Committee holds that the examination and criticism of right-deviationist thinking must be closely integrated with current production and work, resolving ideological problems while enabling production and work to leap forward rapidly, and that the key to this work lies in strengthening Party leadership.