Comrades Liu, Zhou, Chen, Deng, and Peng [1], as well as all comrades attending the Beijing Conference [2]: Today I am sending Comrade Tao Zhu [3] to you to deliver a report and to put forward certain suggestions for the consideration of those assembled at the Northern Three-Region Meeting.


The problem of egalitarianism between production teams within a brigade, and the problem of egalitarianism among individuals within a production team (formerly a small team), are two extremely serious issues. It is hoped that they will be discussed at the Beijing Conference, so that upon returning home each comrade may personally conduct, and also guide first secretaries at all levels in conducting, a thorough and practical investigation into these matters.


Without firsthand investigation, one cannot truly understand these problems; one cannot resolve them—nor, for that matter, any other major issue—and one cannot genuinely and fully mobilize the masses’ enthusiasm.


It is also requested that Comrades Xiaoping and Peng Zhen, after the conclusion of the conference, set aside some time—for example, about ten days—to visit Miyun, Shunyi, Huairou, and other localities, where they should separately interview commune members, team leaders, brigade leaders, commune officials, and county-level cadres (without bringing together representatives from all levels) in order to gather information and gain a clear understanding, thus enabling them to provide effective guidance.


It seems to me that, up to now, you still have only a very vague grasp of the two egalitarian problems mentioned above, does it not? Am I mistaken? The same holds true for most first secretaries at the provincial, prefectural, county, and commune levels: in short, their understanding remains superficial, incomplete, and half-hearted.


The root cause lies in being preoccupied with routine administrative work, failing to undertake direct, model investigations, and instead contenting oneself with listening to reports from the prefectural and county levels at meetings, or merely reading written reports from those levels, or engaging in cursory, perfunctory surveys.


These shortcomings are generally shared even by comrades at the central level.


I hope that all comrades will correct this going forward.


Of course, I myself must resolutely rectify my own shortcomings.


Why are you so busy? A three-day meeting is far too brief; at least five to seven days would be required.


Why is it that the Southern Three Regions [4], on the contrary, are not so pressed for time and hold a seven-day session, while the Northern Three Regions are so hurried? For this reason, I am dispatching Comrade Tao Zhu to visit you.


He will depart today and return tomorrow.


In addition, I am sending Comrade Liao Luyan [5] back to Beijing in a few days to carry out investigative work in the North.


I also urge you to study my article “On Investigative Work” [6]. The question it raises concerns systematic, hands-on investigation conducted personally, as opposed to armchair inquiry. Therefore, I recommend that you give it careful consideration.


You are welcome to express dissenting views, but you should not simply ignore it.


Mao Zedong, 8:00 a.m., March 13, 1961, Guangzhou. Printed from a document of the CPC Central Committee.


Notes: [1] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Chen refers to Chen Yun, who at the time served as Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping (1904–1997), from Guang’an, Sichuan, who at the time held the post of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Peng refers to Peng Zhen (1902–1997), from Quwo, Shanxi, who at the time was a Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee. [2] Refers to the working conference convened in Beijing from March 10 to 13, 1961, by Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, and others, attended by heads of the CPC Central Committees for North China, Northeast China, and Northwest China, as well as by secretaries of the party committees of provinces, municipalities directly under the central government, and autonomous regions within those three regions; this meeting was known as the Northern Three-Region Meeting. [3] Tao Zhu (1908–1969), from Qiyang, Hunan, served at the time as First Secretary of the CPC Central Committee’s Central-South Bureau and First Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee. [4] Refers to the Central-South, Southwest, and East China regions. At that time, Mao Zedong was convening in Guangzhou a working conference attended by heads of the central committees for these three regions and by secretaries of the party committees of provinces, municipalities directly under the central government, and autonomous regions therein; this meeting was called the Southern Three-Region Meeting. [5] Liao Luyan (1913–1972), from Nanjing, Jiangsu, served at the time as Deputy Minister of the CPC Central Committee’s Department of Rural Work and Minister of Agriculture. [6] “On Investigative Work,” see note [2] on page 240 of this volume.