Commentary on the Report [2]
(July 19, 1965)
Comrade Shaoqi:
I have read the nine documents and your directive No. 131; they are all very good and should be circulated as is.
Mao Zedong
July 19
[1]
Refers to nine documents compiled and summarized between May and July 1965 by the Hubei Xiaogan County Direct-affiliated Social-Political Education Sub-Delegation, the Wolong District Direct-Affiliated Work Team, and the Gongyi Brigade Work Group of the Wolong Commune: 1. “The Situation and Practices in Organizing the County Party Committee Work Team in Xiaogan County, Hubei”; 2. “The Situation and Practices Regarding the Deployment of Semi-Professional Cadres in Wolong Commune, Xiaogan County, Hubei”; 3. “The Situation and Practices of Implementing Rotating Duty and On-Site Staying by District and Commune Cadres in Wolong District, Xiaogan County, Hubei”; 4. “A Preliminary Plan for Streamlining Institutions in Wolong District, Xiaogan County, Hubei”; 5. “The Situation and Practices Concerning the Rectification of District and Commune Cadres Taking Their Families to Live in Official Offices in Wolong District, Xiaogan County, Hubei”; 6. “The Situation and Practices of Implementing Rotating Duty Among Brigade Cadres in the Gongyi Brigade of Wolong Commune, Xiaogan County, Hubei”; 7. “The Establishment of Core Groups Composed of Poor and Lower-Middle Peasants in the Gongyi Brigade of Wolong Commune, Xiaogan County, Hubei”; 8. “The Situation and Practices of Financial Transparency in the Gongyi Brigade of Wolong Commune, Xiaogan County, Hubei”; 9. “The Situation Regarding the Study of Chairman Mao’s Works in the Gongyi Brigade of Wolong Commune, Xiaogan County, Hubei.”
[2]
This commentary was written on Liu Shaoqi’s request report dated July 1, 1965, forwarding nine documents from Xiaogan, Hubei, to Mao Zedong. The report stated that Wang Renzhong had sent nine brief documents from Xiaogan, all of which the author considered highly important. They offered valuable suggestions and concrete measures on how counties, districts, communes, and brigades should carry out their work and streamline their organizations and personnel following the Four Cleansings Campaign. The author asked whether these documents could be forwarded for reference nationwide so that party committees at all levels might study and resolve these issues. On behalf of the Central Committee, a commentary was drafted and attached; it requested the Chairman’s approval.
[3]
Refers to the “Central Instructions on Improving Leadership Methods” drafted by Liu Shaoqi on behalf of the Central Committee to forward the nine documents from Xiaogan, Hubei. The instructions stated: “After the Four Cleansings Campaign, how counties, districts, communes, and brigades should conduct their work and how to streamline institutions and reduce full-time cadres are widespread and crucial problems that must be earnestly and effectively addressed. The nine documents sent from Xiaogan County by Comrade Wang Renzhong put forward excellent suggestions and specific practices for solving these problems. These nine documents are hereby circulated for reference across the country, with an appeal to party committees at all levels to carefully study and resolve these issues. Leading cadres should go down to the grassroots units to gain firsthand knowledge of the actual situation, acquire experience in problem-solving, and then use point-to-area and integrated point-and-area approaches to tackle broader problems. This has been an important method for leading the Four Cleansings Campaign and remains essential for guiding other undertakings as well. All levels of leading cadres must consistently adhere to this leadership approach in all future work, thereby overcoming subjectivist and bureaucratic modes of leadership. To improve leadership methods, cadres at all levels should re-study Chairman Mao’s essay ‘Several Questions Concerning Leadership Methods.’ By studying this article in light of current realities, they will gain a deeper understanding.” On July 20, 1965, these instructions, together with the nine documents from Xiaogan, were issued to the entire Party under Central Document No. Zhongfa [65] 447.

Photo Caption
July 1965: Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi at Zhongnanhai.