Comments on the Draft Report Concerning the Strengthening of Combat Readiness and Related Opinions
(October 28, 1965)
To Comrade Lin Biao: This document was read at 12 o’clock; it is very good.
Mao Zedong
October 28
[1]


1. Intensified study of Chairman Mao’s works. A total of 1.14 million copies of selected readings and 5 million copies of quotations were distributed. Various study methods were employed, including daily reading sessions, regular study groups, small-scale rectification campaigns, experience-sharing meetings, political classes, half-day study sessions for cadres, and centralized training courses.


2. Enhanced political work related to combat readiness.


3. Launch of the Socialist Education Campaign.


4. Conducting rectification campaigns within military academies and institutions.


5. Carrying out rectification campaigns among cultural and artistic units.


6. Mobilizing army cadres to participate in local socialist education movements and ensuring the full implementation of the “three implementations” in militia work.


7. Steadfastly cultivating and selecting revolutionary successors.


8. Implementing several institutional reforms.


9. Rigorously organizing rotational training for grassroots key personnel and conducting preliminary evaluations under the “Four Goods” criteria.


10. Rectifying the work style of organs and eliminating disorder in company-level units.


(II) Opinions on the army’s political work for this coming winter and spring. The overarching requirement remains to highlight political work, implement the “Four Goods” criteria, and strengthen combat readiness. The principal tasks include:


1. Thoroughly studying Chairman Mao’s theory of people’s war to fundamentally reinforce war preparedness.


2. Effectively organizing the participation of unit cadres in the local “Four Cleansings” campaign and successfully carrying out the army’s own socialist education movement.


3. Continuing to vigorously promote the “Four Goods” campaign and properly conducting the preliminary evaluations.


4. Rectifying the organs.


5. Further improving the work of cultivating and selecting successors.

--- Notes



Refers to being strong in political thought, exemplifying the “Three Eights” work style, excelling in military training, and maintaining good living discipline.
[2]


Refers to the October 14, 1965 draft report of the General Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army of China on highlighting political work, implementing the “Four Goods” criteria, and strengthening combat readiness, the main contents of which are:


(I) An overview of the army’s political work during the first nine months of this year. The primary focus has been on carrying out Vice Chairman Lin Biao’s instructions to highlight political work, with particular emphasis on ten major tasks: