Comment on Tan Zhenlin’s[1] Report on the National Flood and Drought Situation
(9 August 1963)
The content of this report[2] and its comparative figures with the years 1956, 1960, 1961, and 1962 should be published in the newspapers.[3]
Mao Zedong
9 August

[1] Tan Zhenlin was then serving as Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council.
[2] Refers to Tan Zhenlin’s report of 7 August 1963 on the national flood and drought situation addressed to Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, and Peng Zhen. The report stated that since late July, the flood situation in Hebei, Shandong, Henan, northern Jiangsu, and northern Anhui had been approximately as severe as in 1956, though conditions for combating the disaster were better than in 1956. Before this year’s summer harvest, the total area affected by floods and droughts nationwide exceeded 110 million mu. Currently, nearly 40 million mu are still suffering from drought, and the area likely to be inundated by this round of flooding is estimated at around 80 million mu. By the time this current flooding episode concludes, the cumulative affected area nationwide may reach approximately 230 million mu. In 1961 the figure was 920 million mu, and in 1962 it was 570 million mu.
[3] Upon receiving this comment on 9 August 1963, Zhou Enlai reported in person to Mao Zedong, suggesting that the publication of the comparative disaster figures be postponed for the time being.