--- Notes

Comments on a Report Concerning Visits by Foreign Diplomatic Envoys to Hebei and Henan Provinces (December 1959) An interesting report [1] that is worth reading. Please circulate it to all comrades for their information. Return to Mao. Printed from Mao Zedong’s manuscript. Notes [1] The report, published in Issue No. 115 of “Foreign Affairs Updates,” compiled on December 7, 1959, stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had organized visits for foreign diplomatic envoys and officials to Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, and other places from November 12 to 21. The guests’ reactions were as follows: First, they unanimously acknowledged the rapid pace of China’s development and the great achievements made in construction. Second, they expressed surprise at the mass steel-making campaign involving small-scale furnaces. Third, they believed that people’s communes were developing well. Fourth, they considered the visit to the Sanmenxia Project to be the highlight of the trip. Fifth, they recognized that supplies were adequately available throughout the regions.


Comments on the Question of Whether Urban People’s Communes Should Be Widely Promoted [1] (December 1959) To Chen, Hu, Deng, Tian, and Lin [2]: Please review, then return to Mao. The question concerns whether urban people’s communes should be widely promoted. Printed from Mao Zedong’s manuscript. Notes [1] These comments were written on Issue No. 223 of the “Situation Bulletin,” compiled by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee on December 10, 1959. The brief contained material titled “Urban Areas in Heilongjiang Province Have Basically Achieved Commune Organization,” which reported that large and medium-sized cities as well as small towns in Heilongjiang Province had universally established people’s communes between September and November of the previous year. After a year of continuous rectification and consolidation, the proportion of the population enrolled in communes across the province’s eight major and medium-sized cities has now reached 69.2 percent, and urban districts and subdistricts have in effect begun to move toward a unified system of government and commune administration. The advantages of urban people’s communes are mainly manifested in the following aspects: (1) A substantial increase in industrial production. (2) Significant promotion of agricultural production in suburban areas, along with the development of diversified operations such as animal husbandry and vegetable cultivation. (3) Broad organization of workers’ families and residents of various streets, enabling their direct participation in diverse production and service activities; many cities have essentially achieved a situation where no one remains idle. (4) An unprecedented boost to the development of large-scale communist cooperation. (5) Improved living standards for the people. (6) Enhanced ideological awareness among the populace and a positive transformation in their mental outlook. (7) The creation of favorable conditions for the transition from collective ownership to public ownership, thereby accelerating that process. [2] Chen refers to Chen Boda, who at the time was an alternate member of the CPC Central Political Bureau, Director of the Central Research Office, and Mao Zedong’s secretary. Hu refers to Hu Qiaomu, who served as an alternate member of the CPC Secretariat and also as Mao Zedong’s secretary. Deng refers to Deng Liqun, who was then deputy editor-in-chief of the journal “Red Flag.” Tian refers to Tian Jiaying, who held the post of Deputy Director of the CPC Central Research Office and was also Mao Zedong’s secretary. Lin refers to Lin Ke, who was Mao Zedong’s office secretary at the time.