Letter to Zhou Enlai and Peng Zhen
(November 16, 1959)

[I]
Refers to the minutes of the meeting of the East China Collaborative Region Committee held from November 1 to 10, 1959, attended by the principal leading comrades of all provinces and municipalities in the region. The main contents are:
I. On issues of agricultural production and people's communes:
1. In 1959, agricultural production in the whole region continued to leap forward greatly, and the people's communes, after a series of consolidations, have embarked on the path of consolidation and sound development.
2. Strive for an even greater leap forward in agricultural production in 1960.
3. Within five to ten years, gradually transition from basic ownership by the production team to basic ownership by the commune.
II. On issues of industrial production:
1. In 1959, industrial production in the East China Collaborative Region was a year of continued great leap forward.
2. In 1960, there are even more favorable conditions, and a continued great leap forward can certainly be achieved.
3. To overcome the difficulty of shortage of raw materials, the most important measure is to vigorously promote the comprehensive utilization of raw and processed materials.
III. On finance and trade work:
1. Further strengthen the Party's leadership over finance and trade work, and persist in putting politics in command.
2. Finance and trade departments must first and foremost support production, tap potential, and ensure the fulfillment of production plans.
3. Further improve procurement work.
4. Further improve market supply work.
IV. On education and scientific work:
1. The fundamental issue is to further strengthen the Party's leadership over education and scientific work.
2. Continue to implement the policy of walking on two legs.
3. Must consolidate and develop higher education.
4. Actively prepare for the establishment of new senior middle schools, and run well junior and intermediate technical schools, junior and intermediate vocational schools, and intermediate spare-time schools.
5. Continue to strengthen leadership over scientific research work, and fully bring into play the initiative of scientific research personnel.
V. On the struggle against Right deviationism:
1. The struggle against Right deviationism in all provinces and municipalities has achieved great victory.
2. This struggle must be carried through to the end.
3. At present, attention should be paid to ensuring that the leadership is highly resolute, dares to boldly mobilize the masses, must grasp the key points, and combine destruction with construction.
4. Must adhere to the policy of "learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones, and curing the sickness to save the patient."
5. Conduct an extensive socialist education campaign this winter.
On November 23, 1959, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China forwarded these meeting minutes to all Collaborative Region Committees and all provincial, municipal, and autonomous region Party committees.

Comrades Enlai and Peng Zhen[1]:
The documents of the East China Collaborative Region meeting and Comrade Ke Qingshi's report to the Central Committee[2] are hereby sent to you for your review. If you deem them feasible, please approve them. At the same time, they can be forwarded to all Collaborative Regions and all provincial, municipal, and regional Party committees for reference. As to whether each Collaborative Region should follow the East China method and hold a meeting within December, it is up to each Collaborative Region to decide at its own discretion. If they feel that November is too rushed and it would be more convenient to hold the Collaborative Region meeting after the enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee in early December, I think that would also be permissible.
I have read the minutes of this East China meeting, totaling five documents, and find them feasible. I suggest that the Central Committee approve them.

Mao Zedong
November 16, 1959
30 copies of the East China meeting minutes are sent herewith.

--- Notes

[1] Peng Zhen, then serving as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.
[2] Refers to the letter from Ke Qingshi, then First Secretary of the Shanghai Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and First Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee, dated November 16, 1959, to the Central Committee and Mao Zedong, submitting for review the minutes of the meeting of the East China Collaborative Region Committee.