Comrade Chen Yi:

This document has been read. It is good to proceed in this way. I wonder whether our embassies abroad also have theoretical studies.

Mao Zedong
April 6

[1]
Refers to the report of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the study of works by Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Chairman Mao by cadres of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The report states that from March 1963 to March 1964, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized five rotation training classes for cadres at Grade 17 and above and two small rotation training classes for cadres at Grade 18 and below, to study relevant works by Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao Zedong. Through the study, great results were achieved. The main manifestations are: (1) A greater understanding of the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism and a deeper recognition of modern revisionism, thereby enhancing the courage and confidence in the struggle against revisionism. (2) A deepened understanding of Mao Zedong Thought and the Party's line and policies. (3) A strengthened class viewpoint and a heightened consciousness of preventing revisionism in our country. (4) A new recognition of the importance of studying theory, with enhanced confidence and heightened interest. The reason why theoretical study has been sustained over the past year and achieved results, apart from the fact that everyone in the organization, from top to bottom, feels the pressing situation and the absolute necessity to study, is also very importantly the implementation of a system of short-term off-job rotation training, combining the three forms of concentrated rotation training, decentralized study, and spare-time self-study. In order to sustain rotation training and study as a regular system, attention must be paid in specific arrangements to: (1) Arranging work and study comprehensively. Subordinating first to work, but also ensuring study. (2) Keeping the rotation training time short, so as to maintain a continuous flow without interruption.