Commentary on Lin Biao’s Speech Draft Concerning Military Training Work [1] (November 26, 1964) After Liu, Zhou, Deng, and Peng [2] have reviewed it, please return it to Comrade Lin Biao. I have read this document [3] and find it very good. — Mao Zedong, November 26

Based on the manuscript. Notes [1] Lin Biao was then Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission.

[2] This commentary was written on Document No. 17 of the All-Army Military Training Work Conference, issued on November 22, 1964. The document was titled “General Lin’s Instructions of November 21.”

[3] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi; Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai; Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at that time served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee; and Peng refers to Peng Zhen, then a member of the CPC Central Politburo and Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.

[4] Refers to Lin Biao’s speech delivered on November 21, 1964, during a briefing on military training work. In his address, Lin stated that military training had achieved certain results in recent years. These achievements must be consolidated and cannot be allowed to weaken or regress. It is a sound idea to create momentum for widespread implementation. Chairman Mao’s instructions on popularizing military training are of great importance and must be carried out effectively. Both the socialist education campaign and military training are important and should be pursued simultaneously; neither should be sacrificed to the other. Attention should be given to both aspects. All services and arms must conduct daily training, each with its own priorities and specialized skills. Top-class marksmen should be given additional shooting practice, and elite personnel should be cultivated according to higher standards rather than uniform requirements. Each company should have about ten top-class marksmen, one per squad. In wartime, their mission is to engage specific targets—enemy commanders, observers, and the like—and they must hit their marks with precision. However, the number of top-class marksmen should not be excessive; they should be selected from among the best shooters. The basic guidelines and principles for military training have already been set by the Central Military Commission and remain unchanged: emphasize close-quarters and night combat, conduct training under difficult and complex conditions, develop solid combat skills, and strengthen fundamentals. More time should be devoted to fundamental training than to showy or formalistic exercises; practical implementation is essential. Under nuclear conditions, as firepower continues to advance, the importance of close-quarters and night combat increases, with engagements typically resolved within one to two hundred meters, whether offensive or defensive. Command organs should conduct more map-and-communications-based exercises. Military academies should use Chairman Mao’s works as textbooks and ensure thorough understanding. Educational institutions should also place due emphasis on political work.