Annotation on a Letter Regarding Problems
(September 30, 1962)
Comrades Liu, Zhou, Deng,[1] Xiannian, Fuchun, Zhenlin, Yibo[2]: Read it. I believe this letter is written very well—accepting criticism and handling matters earnestly. In this way, one gains the initiative, and it will not be a case of perceiving things too late and moving too slowly, nor will it be bureaucracy. Other ministries and commissions should also adopt this attitude. The attachment[3] may or may not be read.

[1]
In a letter to Mao Zedong dated September 28, 1962, Li Xiannian, Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, stated: The Chairman’s instruction of September 22 asked us to pay attention to the contents of the Southwest Group’s briefing on commercial work. We feel that the criticisms and opinions on commercial work raised by the Southwest Group and other groups of the Plenary Session are very valuable and very important. We must conduct earnest inspections and make serious improvements. With Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s consent after consultation, we plan to immediately convene a meeting of Party leadership group members from the ministries of commerce, grain, supply and marketing cooperatives, foreign trade, finance, and banking after National Day to examine shortcomings and mistakes in our work and discuss how to concretely implement the Central Committee’s decisions on commercial work issues, especially focusing on supporting agriculture, improving management and administration, and improving work style, resolutely reversing the work style of perceiving things late, moving slowly, bureaucracy, and subjectivism, so as to muster full energy and do a good job.

[2]
Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council.

[3]
Fuchun, namely Li Fuchun, then Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Director of the State Planning Commission. Zhenlin, namely Tan Zhenlin, then Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Yibo, namely Bo Yibo, then Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Director of the State Economic Commission.

[4]
Refers to Briefing No. 41 of the Southwest Group of the Tenth Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC Central Committee.

Return to Mao.
September 1962, Mao Zedong in a group photo with an Argentine folk art troupe.
Mao Zedong
September 30