After listening to Vice Chairman Lin’s report on three issues, the Chairman remarked that it was an excellent report and issued three instructions:

First, rely on the masses. This is the most important point. After all, we ourselves come from among the people! The masses comprise workers, peasants, soldiers, students, and merchants. All cadres under the Central Office are part of the masses. It is the masses who do the bulk of the work; depending solely on a small number of leaders will not suffice. Moreover, we must never lose touch with the masses; we must always maintain a mass perspective.

Second, rely on the armed forces. Our military is not only capable of fighting battles but also of conducting mass work, propaganda, and production activities. Many officers and soldiers joined the army at a very young age and had little formal education; their cultural level was gradually raised while serving in the military, and their thinking tends to be relatively straightforward. Unlike local authorities, the military does not possess land or financial power and can move at short notice. Provinces have territorial bases, whereas the military does not. Furthermore, the military is characterized by strict organizational discipline and swift action. For example, after the central leadership approved and circulated the experience of the Shenyang Military Region in supporting the left, supporting industry, and supporting agriculture, the entire armed forces were able to implement these measures within twenty-one days. Had such directives been passed back and forth through local channels, the response would have been much slower.

Third, rely on cadres. The vast majority of cadres are good. Many tasks should be entrusted to them, and it is they who are responsible for implementing policies. Certain provincial party secretaries need to be released quickly so that they can conduct thorough self-criticism. Some provincial party secretaries have made mistakes because they feared the masses and attempted to mobilize certain groups to protect themselves, which ultimately harmed their own interests.