Letter to Lin Biao

(February 20, 1960)

Comrade Lin Biao:

An unofficial document [1] concerning industry is hereby sent for your perusal. It contains some points of interest. All marshals may also read it. Please forward it to them after you have read it. As it is a confidential document, I request that you return it to me after reading.

Mao Zedong
February 20

[1] Refers to the summary notes of a discussion on several issues concerning economic planning, convened on February 14, 1960, in Guangzhou by Li Fuchun, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and vice premier of the State Council. The discussion was attended by Zhang Linzhi (minister of the Coal Industry), Lü Zhengcao (vice minister of Railways), Peng Tao (minister of the Chemical Industry), Chen Zhengren (minister of the Agricultural Machinery Industry), Yu Qiuli (minister of the Petroleum Industry), Liu Lanbo (vice minister of Water Resources and Electric Power), Gu Zhuoxin (deputy director of the State Planning Commission), Wang Guangwei (deputy director of the State Planning Commission), and others, who were in Guangzhou studying the Soviet textbook *Political Economy*. The notes mention: It is certain that this year’s plan will be overfulfilled; strive to reach 100 million tons of steel within another 10 years; with a vigorous effort in 1960, steel output may reach 21 million tons; at present, agriculture and cutting-edge technology are pressing industry to develop rapidly in both quantity and quality; the machine-building industry needs to resolve, in a relatively short time, issues such as integrating peacetime and wartime needs, integrating specialized production and general-purpose production, integrating large, medium, and small enterprises, integrating modern and indigenous methods, as well as division of labor and materials; the Great Leap Forward demands not only technological innovation and revolution but also organizational innovation and revolution (that is, continuously improving the relations of production, including relations among people); the management system of enterprises must continue to be reformed; the reform of some rules and regulations is also a revolution in the superstructure; the technological revolution, the revolution in the relations of production, and the revolution in the superstructure must proceed simultaneously and in combination with one another, and constant attention must be paid to resolving the contradictions between the relations of production and the productive forces, and between the superstructure and the economic base, etc.

Documentary photograph
February 1960, Mao Zedong together with those attending a meeting of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee.

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*The Founding Marshals of the Republic* (Chinese painting)