Comment on the Meeting Venue¹

(January 1, 1960)

Comrades Shaoqi and Xiaoping:

Comrades Ke Qingshi and Jiang Weiqing² do not approve of holding the meeting in Nanjing. They have taken into account several factors that are not entirely satisfactory and advocate holding it in Shanghai. Comrade Fuchun³ has written to me, agreeing with Ke and the others’ opinion, and asking me to suggest to the Central Committee a change of venue. Comrade Jiang Hua⁴, upon returning from a meeting in Shanghai, also conveyed this idea to me orally. Please convene the Standing Committee for a discussion, consider whether the venue can be changed, and inquire by telephone with Ke and the others about the detailed reasons why Nanjing is not suitable for the meeting, and whether there are security reasons and housing reasons. Furthermore, whether another venue, namely Guangzhou, can also be considered. There is the advantage of warmth there, but the time would have to be postponed by three to five days, because everyone would have to go by train and cannot travel by plane. The above is for your consideration and decision.

Mao Zedong
January 1, 5:00 a.m.

¹ This meeting was later held in Shanghai from January 7 to 17, 1960.
² Ke Qingshi was then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and First Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee. Jiang Weiqing was then an alternate member of the CPC Central Committee and First Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee.
³ Fuchun, i.e., Li Fuchun, was then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.
⁴ Jiang Hua was then an alternate member of the CPC Central Committee and First Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee.