Commentary on Convening the Secretaries of the Central Bureaus to Discuss the “Team-Based” Issue (October 4, 1961)

Comrades Xiaoping and Peng Zhen [1]: Why not invite Comrades Ke Lao, Jingquan, Lantao, and Renqiong [2] to come here on the 5th for a discussion, so that we can clarify this major question of being “team-based”? If everyone agrees to conduct an investigation, allowing the provincial, prefectural, and county levels to deliberate over the next two months, a decision could be reached by December. [If you agree, please have Comrade Peng Zhen take immediate action.] They can arrive on the 5th; we can have a brief talk in the evening [3· ·], conclude the meeting on the 6th, and let them return home on the 7th.

Mao Zedong, 5:00 a.m., October 4, printed from the manuscript.

Notes [1] Xiaoping refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at that time served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Peng Zhen was then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a secretary of the Secretariat. [2] Ke Lao refers to Ke Qingshi, who at that time held the post of First Secretary of the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Jingquan refers to Li Jingquan, First Secretary of the Southwest Bureau. Lantao refers to Liu Lantao, First Secretary of the Northwest Bureau. Renqiong refers to Song Renqiong, First Secretary of the Northeast Bureau. [3] On October 7, 1961, the CPC Central Committee issued the “Instructions to the Various Central Bureaus and the Party Committees of Provinces, Municipalities, and Autonomous Regions Concerning the Question of Basic Accounting Units in the Countryside,” requiring party committees at all levels to carry out thorough investigations and studies on this issue so that the central authorities could make a decision. On February 13, 1962, the CPC Central Committee issued the “Instructions on Changing the Basic Accounting Units of Rural People’s Communes,” deciding that production teams would generally serve as the basic accounting units in rural people’s communes.