Central Commentary on the Henan Provincial Party Committee’s Document Regarding the Implementation of Comrades Mao Zedong and Others’ Instructions on the Xinyang Issue (January 5, 1961)  I. To all Central Bureaus, and to the Party Committees of Provinces, Municipalities, and Autonomous Regions:  One copy of the Henan Provincial Party Committee’s document dated [month] [day], 1961 [1] is being forwarded for your reference. It is hoped that you will pay close attention to the differing conditions prevailing in counties, communes, and production teams of Categories I and II, on the one hand, and those of Category III, on the other; that you will regularly summarize experience and provide guidance accordingly; and that your primary focus be directed toward the latter—namely, the counties, communes, and teams of Category III.  Several days ago, you were also sent, for your information, the report by the Xinyang Prefectural Party Committee of Henan Province on the Rectification Campaign and disaster-relief production work [2], which we trust you have received.  Printed by the Central Committee on [date], based on Comrade Mao Zedong’s manuscript.

II. To be read by Liu, Deng, and Peng [3]; handled by Shang Kun [4]; and simultaneously circulated to all comrades present at the meeting [ ].  Printed by Mao from his manuscript.

Notes  [1] Refers to the directive issued on January 3, 1961, by the CPC Henan Provincial Committee to various prefectural and municipal party committees, urging the resolute implementation of the instructions given by Comrade Mao Zedong and the Central-South Bureau in response to the Xinyang Prefectural Party Committee’s “Report on the Rectification Campaign and Disaster-Relief Production Work.” The directive states that late on January 1, the provincial party secretary, Wu Zhipu, received by telephone from Beijing Comrade Mao’s instructions concerning the Xinyang Prefectural Committee’s report ( under “Comments and Revisions on the Draft Directive Forwarding the Report of the Xinyang Prefectural Committee on Rectification and Disaster-Relief Work, Together with the Central Committee’s Commentary Thereon”); and that early on the 2nd, the Central-South Bureau likewise transmitted its own instructions regarding the same report. Following a thorough discussion among the members of the provincial standing committee, it was unanimously agreed that these directives are of paramount importance in guiding our province’s ongoing rectification and commune-improvement campaign—particularly in enabling the masses to be fully mobilized in counties, communes, and production teams of Category III, boldly lifting the lid, swiftly reclaiming leadership, and thoroughly completing the unfinished tasks of the democratic revolution.

The provincial committee calls upon party committees at all levels, in accordance with the instructions of the Chairman and the Central-South Bureau, to study the experience of the Xinyang area, further analyze the class-struggle situation within their own regions, clarify their guiding principles, and continuously carry out classification and alignment. All counties, communes, and production teams whose leadership has been usurped by the enemy are to adopt without exception the methods employed in Xinyang, resolutely and expeditiously regaining control, seeing the democratic-revolutionary make-up work through to completion, and allowing no half-baked solutions.

At present, our province’s rectification and commune-improvement campaign is being conducted under firm leadership and in a planned manner, having already yielded initial results, with the overall situation continuing to improve. Nevertheless, progress remains uneven. In order to strengthen concrete leadership over this campaign, higher-level party organizations must provide specific assistance to lower-level bodies in analyzing conditions, effecting classification and alignment, distinguishing the nature of problems, demarcating clear boundaries, correctly implementing policy, and proceeding with due strategic deliberation. Where the masses have already been fully mobilized and the truth has been fully exposed, particular care should be taken to summarize and disseminate such experience, while at the same time continuously purifying and consolidating the ranks engaged in the rectification movement, so as to raise the political and ideological level of the cadre corps and ensure the healthy development of the campaign. Throughout the entire process, any instances of policy violations or breaches of discipline must be dealt with promptly and sternly, and practical examples should be used to educate cadres, rectify policies, and improve working styles.

[2] Refers to the report submitted on December 22, 1960, by the CPC Xinyang Prefectural Committee to the Henan Provincial Party Committee—and concurrently to the Central Committee and the Central-South Bureau—concerning the Rectification Campaign and disaster-relief production work; see pages —4 of this volume. The CPC Central Committee transmitted this report on January 1, 1961.

[3] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi; Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at that time served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee; Peng refers to Peng Zhen, then a member of the CPC Central Political Bureau and Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.

[ ] Shang Kun denotes Yang Shangkun, who at the time held the post of Alternate Secretary of the CPC Central Secretariat and Director of the Central Office.

[ ] indicates the CPC Central Working Conference then being held in Beijing.