Annotations and Revisions to Lin Biao’s [!] Speech at the Enlarged Central Work Conference
(March 20, 1962)
Comrades Tian Jiaying and Luo Ruiqing:

I have read this document once. It is a very good and substantial article; after reading it, I feel quite…
~「叭／
I would like to discuss.
(1) Whether it should be sent to Comrade Lin Biao for another review is up to Comrade Ruiqing to decide. My view is that it should be shown to him. If so, please arrange for Comrade Ruiqing to handle it.
(2) At the same time, please let Comrades Shaoqi, Enlai, and Xiaoping take a look and solicit their suggestions for revision. If any changes are needed, they can be finalized in Beijing. If not, then hand it over to Comrade Shangkun for processing; there is no need to send it back to me.
(3) In the first section of the document, I have made some minor revisions. Please consider them as you see fit.
(4) This document does not contain any particularly sensitive secrets. It can be distributed along with speeches by other comrades for those individuals to read, or it can be read aloud to others. Keeping this matter secret from senior and intermediate-level cadres—preventing them from learning about it, reflecting on it, and making appropriate mental and material preparations—is extremely harmful.
Mao Zedong
9:00 a.m., March 20, 1962

A backward country can become an advanced one,
… as long as that country becomes a united nation, and as long as it has advanced leadership. It will not take very long—perhaps several decades—to turn things around. To surpass even the world’s most powerful nation, the United States, would require little more than a century, because our socialist system is superior to the capitalist system, and the leadership of our proletarian party—the Communist Party—is superior to that of bourgeois parties. Capitalism took over three hundred years to reach its current level, whereas we can certainly catch up with and overtake it within a few decades, at most within a hundred years.
[ I]
Lin Biao, who at the time served as Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Vice Premier of the State Council.
[2]
Tian Jiaying,
who at the time was Deputy Director of the CPC Central Political Research Office and Mao Zedong’s secretary. Luo Ruiqing,
who at the time was a Secretary of the CPC Central Secretariat, Secretary-General of the Central Military Commission, and Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army.
[3]
refers to the revised draft of Lin Biao’s speech delivered on January 29, 1962, at the Enlarged Central Work Conference. The speech addressed two main issues:
First, regarding the Party’s work. Lin Biao stated that the Three Red Flags—the General Line, the Great Leap Forward, and the People’s Communes—proposed by our Party are correct; they represent innovations in the course of China’s revolution, creations of the people and of the Party itself. The difficulties our country has experienced in certain areas over the past two to three years are only temporary, and the situation has already begun to improve, with further improvements certain to follow. The causes of these difficulties are multifaceted: severe natural disasters and certain errors in our work have led to reductions in industrial and agricultural production, but we have also gained valuable experience. A comprehensive study campaign throughout the Party has greatly enhanced the quality and capabilities of our Party members and cadres. During times of hardship, we should strengthen Party unity all the more, relying on and trusting in the leadership of the Party and in the leadership of Chairman Mao. Facts have proven that, in some respects and to a certain extent, these difficulties arose precisely because we failed to act in accordance with Chairman Mao’s instructions, his warnings, and his thought.
Both then and subsequently, it has been demonstrated that Chairman Mao’s thought is always correct. However, some of our comrades fail to fully grasp this thought, consistently leaning too far to the “left,” deviating excessively in that direction. I deeply…

feel that our work proceeds most smoothly when Chairman Mao’s thought is implemented without interference; conversely, whenever his views are disrespected or severely disrupted, problems inevitably arise. Second, concerning military affairs. Lin Biao began by discussing perspectives on war. Currently, there are two opposing viewpoints: on one hand, revisionists argue that war can be avoided, yet on the other hand, they contend that if war cannot be prevented, it will result in the destruction of the entire globe. We Marxists, however, believe that war is inevitable and bound to break out. The only question is whether it will be a major or a minor conflict. As for a large-scale war involving the world’s major powers, there are two possibilities: such a war may or may not occur. In contrast, a smaller-scale conflict is almost certain to take place—we must fight it. Regarding the future of war, revisionists maintain that it will annihilate all of humanity; we, on the other hand, hold that the outcome will not be mutual destruction, but rather one side’s defeat and the other’s victory—our triumph and the enemy’s defeat. Our policy toward war is twofold: first, we must avoid provocation and refrain from initiating attacks; we should strive for peace and delay the outbreak of war as much as possible. Second, we must not engage in purely defensive warfare. That is to say, while we do not provoke and respond defensively when attacked, we do not simply defend passively; instead, we conduct offensive-defensive operations, allowing the enemy to advance to a favorable position before launching our own counterattack. First they attack us, then we counterattack them. Based on this operational doctrine, we ought to implement a series of measures—some to be carried out by the military, others by local authorities. For now, the focus is on how the military itself should prepare. Following the Lushan Conference, the unanimous spirit within the Military Commission has been to take Chairman Mao’s thought as our guiding principle, acting everywhere in accordance with his intentions, his writings, and his directives; seeking his guidance and reporting to him, thereby unifying our thinking under his teachings.
[4]
Shaoqi,
referring to Liu Shaoqi. Enlai, referring to Zhou Enlai. Xiaoping, referring to Deng Xiaoping,
who at the time served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council.
[5]
Shangkun, referring to Yang Shangkun, who at the time was an alternate member of the CPC Central Secretariat and Director of the Central Office.
[6]
namely this second version, in which the text typeset in Song typeface represents additions and revisions made by Mao Zedong.