Briefing on the Central Committee's Urgent Directive Letter [1] [with Mao's marginal notes]
(November 23, 1960)

To all Central Bureaus, Provincial Party Committees, Municipal Party Committees, and Party Committees of Autonomous Regions:

[1]
[2]
1. After receiving the Central Committee's Urgent Directive Letter of November 3, all pilot communes adopted forms such as cadre meetings, commune member representative meetings, and general commune member meetings to read out and explain each article verbatim and in its entirety. Although different types of pilot communes had varying reactions, the overall situation was positive. It quickly played a role in calming people's minds, stimulating the masses' enthusiasm, and promoting production and other work, causing some cadres' practices of "equalitarianism and indiscriminate transfer of resources" (the "Communist wind") and other unhealthy tendencies to begin to be restrained and corrected.
2. The vast majority of cadres at all levels in the communes support the Central Committee's directive, though their emphasis on support varies. A small number have shown varying degrees of apprehension and resistance. Most of these are individuals who took advantage of the "equalitarianism and indiscriminate transfer" to engage in improper conduct, or who have serious errors in their work or work style. Additionally, there are some landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, and bad elements who seized the opportunity to engage in sabotage, as well as wealthy peasants fishing in troubled waters.
3. The pilot projects have already proven that the directives of the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao are completely correct and timely, and thus possess powerful authority. The Provincial Party Committee has decided that in localities where production progress is slow and tasks are not being completed well, propaganda on the twelve policies stipulated by the Central Committee should be immediately carried out, demonstrating the determination to honor commitments, mobilizing the masses' enthusiasm, and promoting current production and work to achieve results, so as to concentrate efforts on launching the rectification and commune consolidation movement in December.

The Sichuan Provincial Party Committee's briefing dated November 20, 1960, is hereby forwarded for your reference.

Central Committee
November 23, 1960

After Zhou, Fuchun, and Zhenlin [1] have reviewed it, send it out immediately by telegram, then pass it to Boda [2] for review. Return the original document to Mao after use.

--- Notes

Refers to the CPC Central Committee's "Urgent Directive Letter on Current Policy Issues in Rural People's Communes," dated November 3, 1960.


[1] Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Fuchun is Li Fuchun; Zhenlin is Tan Zhenlin. At the time, both served as members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, secretaries of the Central Secretariat, and Vice Premiers of the State Council.
[2] Boda is Chen Boda. At the time, he served as an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Director of the Central Political Research Office, Deputy Director of the Central Rural Work Department, and Mao Zedong's secretary.

The content of this briefing from the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee to the Southwest Bureau, copied to the Central Committee and Mao Zedong, is as follows: