Notes on an Article to Be Written Titled “A Discussion with Comrade Kosygin” (April 1960) 1. This article [1] must be subjected to criticism; my views are set forth on page [2]. Please have Comrades Shangkun [3], Xiaoping, and Chen Boda [4] confer and take appropriate action. 2. An article entitled “A Discussion with Comrade Kosygin” is to be written, critically examining—with solid grounds and persuasive argument—the erroneous viewpoints contained in Kosygin’s address. It should first be submitted for review by a small group of central leaders, revised accordingly, and then considered for possible public publication or restricted circulation among senior Party cadres.

Printed from Mao Zedong’s manuscript. Notes [1] Refers to the report delivered by Kosygin, member of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Committee Secretariat, at the Moscow meeting commemorating the ninetieth anniversary of Lenin’s birth on April 22, 1960. An internal publication compiled by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee on April 26 quoted the main arguments of this report as follows: First, merely reiterating the old truth that imperialism is aggressive is insufficient; a dogmatic stance is a backward one. We should not overlook the fact that the era when imperialism dominated the world has passed; today there exists a powerful socialist system, a vast “zone of peace” has emerged, and within the imperialist countries, the forces for peace have become more united and better organized. Therefore, our task is to make full use of these new factors conducive to peace so that humanity may be spared the scourge of a new war. Second, new types of weaponry are beginning to exert pressure in favor of peace. Lenin once predicted that one day the destructive power of war would become so great as to render it altogether impossible. Third, sober-minded international activists have appeared within the ranks of imperialism who also recognize that waging a war of mass destruction would be irrational, which undoubtedly carries significance for the struggle to achieve victory for peace. [2] Namely, paragraph two of this document. [3] Yang Shangkun, then Alternate Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat and Director of the Central Office. [4] Deng Xiaoping, then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Chen Boda, then Alternate Member of the CPC Central Political Bureau, Director of the Central Political Research Office, and Mao Zedong’s secretary.