Comment on a Situation Report
(October 6, 1959)

Comrades Shaoqi and Peng Zhen[1]:
This document[2] may be forwarded to all localities. In addition, one document from Heilongjiang[3] and one from Henan[4], both containing criticisms of Right-leaning elements, may also be forwarded to all localities for reference.

Mao Zedong
October 6

[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] Refers to the report of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee on October 3, 1959, to the Central Committee and Mao Zedong regarding the situation of the First Session of the Eleventh Meeting (Enlarged) of the Provincial Committee. The main contents were: (1) In the second stage of this enlarged meeting of the Provincial Committee, in addition to reading documents, listening to reports, conducting group or joint group discussions, and exposing and criticizing Right-leaning ideological activities, key criticism was also carried out at the meeting, uncovering a batch of Right-leaning opportunist elements. (2) In early and mid-September, various localities successively held cadre meetings, taking the transmission of the spirit of the Eighth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee as the guiding principle, concretely discussing and arranging current work, and setting off a new upsurge of opposing Right deviation, boosting morale, increasing production, and practicing strict economy. (3) To prevent slackening of effort, the Provincial Committee issued a directive before National Day, demanding that the province's national economic plan for this year be fulfilled ahead of schedule and overfulfilled in the fourth quarter. On October 13, 1959, the CPC Central Committee forwarded this report to the Party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, all ministries and commissions of the Central Committee, and all Party leading groups.
[3] Refers to the report of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee on September 21, 1959, to the Central Committee and Mao Zedong regarding the situation of convening an enlarged meeting of the Provincial Committee to implement the resolutions of the Eighth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee. On October 13, 1959, the CPC Central Committee forwarded this report to the Party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, all ministries and commissions of the Central Committee, and all Party leading groups.
[4] Refers to the report of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee on September 29, 1959, to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee regarding several typical cases of Right-leaning opportunist elements. On October 12, 1959, the CPC Central Committee forwarded this report to the Party committees of all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, all ministries and commissions of the Central Committee, and all Party leading groups.