Instructions and Comments by the Central Committee on Forwarding Jiangsu Province’s Report on Disseminating Two Documents Concerning the Socialist Education Campaign in the Countryside〔1〕 (December 23, 1963)  I. To all Central Bureaus, Party Committees of provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, the General Political Department of the Military Commission, and the Party Leading Groups and Party Committees of various central ministries and commissions:   (1) Please study and take note of the report submitted by the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee on December 20.   (2) You are instructed to give this matter serious attention and strive to ensure that, before spring plowing begins, these two documents are widely explained throughout the countryside, cities, the armed forces, government organs, and schools (excluding primary schools), with brief discussions held to roughly resolve certain issues.   (3) It is essential to continuously summarize experiences, build on achievements, correct shortcomings, and provide guidance.   (4) Work should be carried out in stages and batches at selected sites in rural areas, conducted concurrently without slackening efforts.  The Central Committee, December 23, 1963

Printed according to CCP Central Committee documents. (Includes Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft.)

II. Comrades Liu, Deng, Zhu, Peng, and Zhenlin〔2〕:  After comparing reports and opinions received from various localities, we find that the document from Jiangsu〔3〕 is the most satisfactory; therefore, it is being forwarded. Previously, it had been proposed not to issue any instructions but instead to forward this particular document. Printed by Mao Zedong based on his handwritten draft.

Notes  〔1〕 Section (I) of this document is a directive drafted by Mao Zedong on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, forwarding the report of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and calling for widespread explanation, before spring plowing, of the Central Committee’s two documents on the socialist education campaign in the countryside. This directive was issued internally as Document Zhongfa [3] No. 8. Section (II) consists of Mao Zedong’s comments written to accompany the forwarding of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee’s report detailing trials of reading and explaining the two central documents to grassroots cadres and the general public in rural areas. Both sections were penned on the report submitted by the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee to the Central Committee and the East China Bureau, with copies also sent to party committees at all levels—provincial, municipal, and county—on December 20, 1963.

〔2〕 Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at the time served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Zhu refers to Zhu De. Peng refers to Peng Zhen, then a member of the CPC Central Politburo and Secretary of the Secretariat. Zhenlin refers to Tan Zhenlin, who was a member of the CPC Central Politburo, Secretary of the Secretariat, and Vice Premier of the State Council.

〔3〕 Refers to the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee’s report dated December 20, 1963, concerning trial readings and explanations of the two central documents to grassroots cadres and villagers. The report states that following the issuance of the Central Committee’s notices regarding the publication and dissemination of materials on the socialist education campaign in the countryside, in addition to promptly organizing study sessions for cadres at or above the county level and for the 17,000 members of work teams, arrangements were made for leading cadres at the prefectural and municipal levels to personally visit one or two communes and conduct trial readings and explanations for the masses. To date, such activities have been carried out at meetings of three-tier cadres in forty-two counties and cities, as well as in twenty-three pilot communes selected either broadly or specifically. Upon coming into contact with grassroots cadres and people from all walks of life, the two central documents immediately elicited strong responses, clarifying many doubts and misconceptions about the socialist education campaign and mobilizing positive forces across the board. Many cadres and villagers hailed the two documents as “a fine charter” for building socialism and “a good mirror” for self-revolution among cadres. Drawing on their own practical experience, they believed that whenever the Central Committee distributed documents down to the production brigade and team levels, profound effects would invariably follow. The thorough implementation of the “Sixty Articles” of the People’s Communes and the “Twelve Articles” governing agriculture had set the communes on a path of sound development, with annual production improving year after year. They were convinced that the current implementation of these two documents would surely usher in a new stage of comprehensive socialist construction. After hearing the readings and explanations, grassroots cadres enhanced their class consciousness and resolved longstanding ambiguities. The broad masses of poor and lower-middle peasants rejoiced and felt greatly encouraged. Middle peasants, upon hearing the briefing, gradually stabilized emotionally and began to align themselves more closely with the poorer segments of the population. Children of landlords and rich peasants, deeply moved by the presentations, generally came to feel that they had a future ahead of them. Meanwhile, former landlords, rich peasants, and other counter-revolutionary elements were largely surprised to learn that the Central Committee was addressing them directly through these two documents, viewing them as “two beneficial policies”—one benefiting the four categories of counter-revolutionaries and another benefiting their children—and beginning to recognize that as long as they worked diligently and obeyed the law, both they and their offspring could look forward to a brighter future. Based on local trials of reading and explaining the two central documents, the following points warrant particular attention: First, when presenting the two documents, it is generally advisable to read the “Decision (Draft)” first, followed by the “Regulations (Draft),” in order to clarify the specific policies involved. Second, at meetings of three-tier cadres at the county and commune levels, the documents may be presented and explained either in a plenary session or in smaller groups. Third, when addressing the general public, it is preferable to begin with Party members and active supporters, then proceed to ordinary commune members, and finally to the four categories of counter-revolutionaries. Fourth, during the reading of the documents, focused summaries and elaborations should be provided to help cadres and the public grasp the underlying spirit and essence of the texts; however, arbitrary interpretations or distortions of the documents’ intent must be avoided. Fifth, it is crucial to train a core group of skilled readers and explainers.