Central Committee's Comment Transmitting the Shaanxi Provincial Committee's Report on Current Market Issues
(December 25, 1960)

To all central bureaus, provincial, municipal, and regional party committees, with copies to all central ministries and commissions, state organs, and party groups of people's organizations:

The report from the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the CPC to the Northwest Bureau and submitted to the Central Committee states that the overall market situation in our province is currently very good, but the supply of many major commodities is relatively tight, and there remains a significant gap compared to the needs of the masses. If not resolved promptly, market fluctuations may occur. To address this, the provincial committee has established a market leadership group to make comprehensive arrangements and resolve issues in batches. Efforts should be concentrated on urgent matters, regular issues should be addressed periodically, and individual problems should be tackled as they arise, with at least one review per month. For major commodities where the supply-demand contradiction is particularly acute, the provincial committee has adopted special measures such as rationed supply with certificates to resolve them separately. For goods in short supply and commodities that the three major cities, including Shanghai, will reduce or cease supplying to our province next year, we are vigorously promoting commodity production in the spirit of self-reliance, striving to gradually achieve self-sufficiency. The required raw materials will be incorporated into the national plan, with responsible departments ensuring supply. The production of small commodities will implement the "five-fix" method, with factory names determined by products. The production of agricultural and sideline products, especially cash crops such as cotton, oilseeds, tobacco, and sugar, as well as vegetables, will have next year's production plans arranged by agricultural departments, with tasks assigned to communes, production brigades, and production teams. Currently, efforts are being intensified to harvest agricultural products and wild plants to increase supply. At the same time, commodity distribution is being vigorously managed, relying on the masses to ensure supply work, resolutely opposing unauthorized distribution of goods, arbitrary favoritism, self-made regulations, and "backdoor" practices in commodity supply. Agricultural market trade will be swiftly restored to invigorate the rural economy. Raw materials will be processed locally to save transportation capacity. In the context of material shortages, repair services should be strengthened. Additionally, extensive economic work propaganda should be carried out, calling on the people of the province to work hard, practice diligence and frugality, support national construction, and strive for an improvement in our province's market conditions.

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Complete Works of Mao Zedong
Volume 44

The attached report from the Shaanxi Provincial Committee dated December 22, 1960, on urgently addressing market issues is forwarded for your reference. All provincial, municipal, and regional party committees are requested to follow Shaanxi's approach in market matters and earnestly and promptly resolve these issues.

Central Committee
December 25, 1960

After review by Liu, Deng, Peng Zhen, Xiannian, and Premier Zhou,
Shang Kun is to transmit it by telegram and distribute it to all comrades attending the meeting.

Mao Zedong
The 25th

[1] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Peng Zhen, then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Secretariat. Xiannian, i.e., Li Xiannian, then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the Central Secretariat, and Vice Premier of the State Council.
[2] Shang Kun, i.e., Yang Shangkun, then an alternate secretary of the Central Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the Central Committee.
[3] Refers to comrades then attending the CPC Central Committee Work Conference in Beijing.

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