Comments on the Revised Draft of “Speech at the Enlarged Central Work Conference”〔1〕〔2〕 (February–April 1962)  I. To Comrade Tian Jiaying〔3〕:  In my view, my original speech is still the better version. Please immediately notify Beijing to send another copy of my speech; you and I will each have a copy and can revise it together by comparing notes. It should be completed within two days. If three copies are available, Lin Ke〔4〕 may also join in. Should you already possess a copy, there is no need for Beijing to send another.  Mao Zedong February 24, 5:00 a.m.  II. To Comrade Tian Jiaying:  The revision (a preliminary one) is now complete. Please read through it once more to check for any remaining errors. Upon finishing, forward it to Jiang Qing for her review, then return it to me.  Mao Zedong, March 26, 4:30 a.m.  III. To Comrade Tian Jiaying:  Please have seven clean proofs printed of this document. Ideally, they should be ready for me today. Return the original manuscript to me. Ensure careful proofreading during printing.  Mao Zedong March 10  IV. To Comrade Tian Jiaying:  A sentence has been added on page three〔5〕; please consider it as appropriate.  Mao Zedong March 14, 2:20 p.m.  V. Proceed with printing accordingly, producing nine copies in total: one each for Liu, Zhou, Deng, Peng, and Bo Da〔6〕. Ask them to review it once (Liu, Zhou, and Deng, please have them read it a second time) and submit their suggestions for revision. Also provide one copy each to Tian Jiaying, Lin Ke, Jiang Qing, and Mao Zedong for their records. After printing, dismantle the type and destroy the original manuscript.  Mao Zedong March 20  VI. To Comrades Shaoqi and Xiaoping:  This document has already been read once by several comrades, including Chen Boda〔7〕. I have reviewed the revisions and find them well done. I am now submitting it for your consideration. If you deem it suitable, please pass it on to Comrade Shang Kun〔〕 for further action.  Mao Zedong April 7, 9:00 p.m.  Printed from the manuscript. Notes  [1]  Following its compilation and revision between February and April 1962, the Central Committee of the CPC issued this speech on April 10 of the same year as Document No. 1 of Zhongfa〔2〕, distributing it to all central bureaus, party committees of provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, the Tibet Working Committee, various central ministries and commissions, party groups of state organs and people’s organizations, and the General Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army. On February 3, 1966, Mao Zedong sent this speech to Wang Renzhong, First Secretary of the South-Central Bureau of the CPC, with the instruction: “Please consider revising it.” The following day, February 4, Wang Renzhong, after reading it, wrote a letter to Mao Zedong. In the letter, he offered several textual amendments and proposed that the speech be “reissued down to the county level, to be studied by leading cadres at or above the commune party secretary rank.” He further stated: “Currently, our socialist revolution and socialist construction have entered a new high tide. Properly implementing democratic centralism is an essential guarantee for guiding this upsurge toward healthy development. As the Chairman pointed out in his speech, ‘The work in the seven areas—industry, agriculture, commerce, education, the military, government, and the Party—should all be thoroughly summarized, and a comprehensive set of principles, policies, and measures should be formulated to ensure that they progress along the correct path.’ This is an urgent task, and one that can gradually be accomplished following the ‘Four Cleansings’ campaign and the practice of leading cadres working directly among the masses.” On February 6, Mao

Zedong appended the following comment to this letter addressed to Peng Zhen: “Please consult with the Standing Committee members in Beijing, as well as Comrades Kang Sheng, Ding Yi, and Bo Da, to make another round of revisions, and consider whether, at the request of the South-Central Bureau, it should be distributed to cadres at the county and regimental levels (limited to the South-Central region as a pilot project; no other areas are to receive it). It appears that this issue is very significant. Truly achieving democratic centralism requires serious education, pilot programs, widespread implementation, and sustained, repeated effort; otherwise, for the majority of our comrades, it will remain nothing more than empty rhetoric. Comrade Wang Renzhong’s revisions are commendable.” After these revisions, the speech was again submitted to Mao Zedong for review. On February 12, Mao wrote: “Comrade Peng Zhen: All have now reviewed it. Proceed accordingly.” On the same day, the Central Committee issued Document No. 103 of Zhongfa〔£¶〕, mandating that all party cadres at or above the county and regimental levels study this speech. In its accompanying notice, the Central Committee noted that the speech “focuses primarily on the question of democratic centralism, which is a fundamental issue in the life of our Party.” It urged “all regions and departments, in accordance with Comrade Mao Zedong’s instructions, to carefully study this document, uphold the spirit of criticism and self-criticism, and educate the broad ranks of cadres, especially leading cadres, to earnestly implement democratic centralism and rectify all unhealthy tendencies that violate it.” On July 1, 1978, this speech was publicly published in the People’s Daily.  [2] This section (I) consists of Mao Zedong’s comments to Tian Jiaying regarding the draft transcript of his speech at the Enlarged Central Work Conference. Section (II) contains Mao’s annotations on the first revised draft of that speech. Section (III) comprises his remarks on the third revised draft. Section (IV) includes his notes on the fifth revised draft. Section (V) presents his comments on the seventh revised draft. And Section (VI) contains Mao’s feedback on the version edited by Chen Boda and others.  [3] Tian Jiaying was then Deputy Director of the CPC Central Committee’s Research Office and Mao Zedong’s secretary.  [4] Lin Ke served as secretary to Mao Zedong’s office at the time.  [5] On the third page of the fifth revised draft, after the passage “Such demotion and transfer, whether justified or not, are beneficial; they can temper revolutionary resolve, facilitate investigation and study of many new situations, and expand useful knowledge,” Mao added the sentence: “I myself have had experience in this regard and derived great benefit from it.”  [ ] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at the time was General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Peng refers to Peng Zhen, then a member of the CPC Central Politburo and Secretary of the Secretariat. Bo Da is Chen Boda, then an alternate member of the CPC Central Politburo, Director of the CPC Central Research Office, and Mao Zedong’s secretary.  [7] Refers to Chen Boda, Hu Sheng, Wu Lengxi, and Deng Liqun.  [ ] Shang Kun refers to Yang Shangkun, then an alternate member of the CPC Central Secretariat and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.