To all Central Bureaus, provincial, municipal, and regional party committees, as well as to all central ministries and commissions and party groups under the central leadership: We are now forwarding to you for your reference the report of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee dated October 28, 1960 [1]. Please read it carefully, draw lessons from the Anhui experience, adapt it to your own circumstances, formulate appropriate measures, and implement them swiftly—indeed, as quickly as possible. We hope that during the months of November and December this year you will complete the holding of five-level cadre meetings at the county level and submit a report to the Central Committee. This is of utmost importance. Central Committee Printed on February 1960 based on Mao Zedong’s manuscript. After reading, Comrades Enlai, Fuchun, and Zhenlin [2], please have Comrade Fuchun send a telegram within two days. £³ ３

Please do not delay! Return the attachment to me after use. Mao Zedong Two o’clock on November 2 Printed according to the manuscript. Note [1] This report from the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee to the Central Committee, Mao Zedong, and the East China Bureau regarding the holding of five-level cadre meetings in each county to implement policies states that since early October we have convened, at the county level, five-level cadre meetings consisting of production team leaders and above, comprehensively reviewing the implementation of a series of directives and various policies issued by the Central Committee and Chairman Mao since the Zhengzhou Conference concerning rectification and consolidation of the people’s communes. A total of more than 365,000 cadres and commune member representatives attended the meetings. The format of the meetings was as follows: (1) The county party secretary delivered a report summarizing the achievements made over the past year, pointing out pressing problems such as “communist wind,” exaggeration, and coercive orders existing in certain communes and brigades, examining the shortcomings of the county committee in implementing policies, and expressing the leadership’s determination. (2) Detailed explanations were given of the specific policies announced in two notices issued by the provincial people’s committee, including strengthening the responsibility system at the production team level; fixing labor, land, draft animals, and farm tools; implementing a system of fixed output targets, prescribed measures, work-point allocation, and rewards and punishments; enhancing the maintenance and utilization of draught animals and farm implements; strictly enforcing the methods of work assessment and scoring, as well as rewarding extra points for exceeding quotas; reserving necessary private plots for commune members; properly managing commune members’ private compost; making full use of fallow land, which would be collectively cultivated by production teams to improve the living standards of commune members; vigorously developing vegetable cultivation and pig farming; requiring cadres to participate in labor and balancing work with rest. (3) On the basis of clarifying the policies and raising awareness, mass inspections and evaluations were conducted to commend good cadres and expose and deal with wrongdoers. (4) Leaders at all levels formulated concrete measures for implementing the policies and made arrangements for current production. In order to convey the spirit of the meeting to the masses, after the county-level meetings concluded, commune assemblies were held separately at the brigade or production team level throughout the region, widely disseminating the content and explaining each provision of the two notices issued by the provincial people’s committee. At the same time, efforts were stepped up to put the policies into practice. £³ ４

Thanks to this thorough, bottom-up approach, the policies came directly into contact with the broad masses, everyone was filled with enthusiasm, and a brand-new atmosphere emerged in production. At present, however, there are still some problems remaining in the implementation of the policies that require further resolution. We have instructed party committees at all levels to conduct comprehensive re-inspections to ensure that all directives and policies issued by the Central Committee and Chairman Mao are fully implemented. [2] Fuchun refers to Li Fuchun, and Zhenlin refers to Tan Zhenlin, both of whom at that time served as members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, secretaries of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and vice premiers of the State Council. £³ ５

Comments and Revisions on the Central Committee’s Urgent Directive Letter Regarding Current Policy Issues Concerning Rural People’s Communes [1] (November 3, 1960)