Comments on the Report by the Party Group of the Ministry of Petroleum Concerning the Current Production Situation and Future Measures in the Petroleum Industry (October 13, 1959)

To Comrade Chen Boda [1]: This document [2] is worth reading.
With some minor revisions, most of its content could be published openly in the journal Red Flag [3]. However, Comrade Yu Qiuli has already written a lengthy article for publication in the People’s Daily, which I have not yet seen.
I do not know whether its contents correspond to those set forth in this report.
If they do, then it would not be advisable to publish it again in Red Flag.
Please locate that article and discuss the matter with Yu Qiuli.

Mao Zedong October 13 Based on the manuscript copy.

Notes [1] Chen Boda was at the time the editor-in-chief of the journal Red Flag. [2] The main points of the report submitted by the Ministry of Petroleum Industry to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee on September 24, 1959, were as follows: (1) In 1959, the petroleum industry continued to experience a great leap forward. (2) We have gained two key lessons in sustaining this momentum: first, for the leading cadres and leadership teams of any enterprise, the most important thing is to grasp the overall situation, focus on the mainstream, and discern the prevailing trends; second, more than a year of practical experience has deepened our understanding that combining mass movements with centralized leadership can maximize production potential. (3) To ensure that this year’s production targets are overfulfilled, it is essential to take vigorous measures to improve well management, exploration work, equipment maintenance, and transportation operations. [ ] Yu Qiuli, Minister of the Ministry of Petroleum Industry, later revised this report slightly and published it under the title “Grasp the Overall Situation, Focus on the Mainstream, Discern the Trends, and Mobilize Positive Factors—A Perspective from One Link on the Great Victory of the Party’s General Line on the Industrial Front” in the twenty-first issue of Red Flag magazine for 1959.