(In November 1965, while traveling through Jinan on his way to East China, the Chairman was aboard the train when relevant leaders reported on their work. The Chairman instructed:) Do you have any steel? (The reply was: We plan to produce ×× tons, with further expansion to ××× million tons in the future.) Oh, to produce ××× million tons—that’s good.

I am quite supportive of this approach; I back the local authorities. Each province ought to have a steelworks capable of producing, say, × million tons, one that can manufacture machinery and weapons. I am not afraid of you rising up in revolt—I myself have rebelled many times. For instance, Yuan Shikai’s bid to become emperor ultimately prompted Cai E to launch an uprising. Should militarists or revisionists emerge at the central level, then you are justified in rebelling. However, you must not rise up capriciously or against Marxism-Leninism; otherwise, you will suffer and end up embracing revisionism. Nor can a single province successfully stage a rebellion. Let each province produce some steel! Start with a steel plant of around × million tons, then double it to ×× million tons, then double it again to ×× million tons. But certain conditions must be met. Without those conditions, steel cannot be smelted.