Comment on a Progress Report
(September 12, 1959)

This document is to be distributed to the Party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions for reference.
The Central Committee
September 12
[1]
This report, submitted by the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee on September 6, 1959, states that on the foundation of last year’s Great Leap Forward, our province’s industrial and transportation front continued to advance by leaps and bounds in the first half of this year, and the pace of industrial development remained very high. However, since June, both industrial production and transportation have shown a trend of steady decline, forming a saddle-shaped pattern in this year’s continuing leap forward. The main reason is that a new right-leaning ideology and a mood of slackening effort have begun to grow among some cadres.
After the Central Committee’s directive on opposing right-leaning tendencies was issued, the industrial system immediately began to examine and criticize this right-leaning ideology and mood of slackening effort. The previously lowered plan targets were reviewed and adjusted once again, and new targets for increasing production and practicing economy were put forward for major industries and products. Leading cadres began personally participating in and directing production, and the morale of the worker masses rose even higher.
At present, the action slogan we have put forward is:
Taking opposition to right-leaning tendencies and boosting morale as the key link, wage a great battle in September, welcome National Day, grasp the fourth quarter firmly, and strive to fulfill ahead of schedule and overfulfill the main targets of the Second Five-Year Plan within this year.

After reading, Comrades Shaoqi and Peng Zhen[1], please have Shangkun[2] send it by telegram.
Mao
[1]
Peng Zhen, then Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.
[2]
Shangkun, namely Yang Shangkun, then Alternate Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.


On September 13, 1959, Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi welcomed the athletes entering the venue at the opening ceremony.


On September 13, 1959, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, and He Long were on the rostrum at the opening ceremony of the First National Games.
On September 13, 1959, Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, and others attended the opening ceremony of the First National Games.


In September 1959, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Zhou Enlai watched sports performances and competitions.
In September 1959, athletes presented flowers to Mao Zedong and others.