Chapter 11 About land reform and financial work[1]

(December 4, 1949) Henan can begin the land allocation work this winter, and it is expected to be initially completed next year.The six provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi, and possibly Guangdong, must start in the next winter and be initially completed in the year after next.As for the full completion, it will take at least another year.This is the second decisive battle of the Chinese people's democratic revolution after the military struggle.Because this land reform work is carried out in cooperation with the bourgeoisie, which is different from the previous situation in which it was isolated from the bourgeoisie during the war, it needs to be more cautious. The situation, correct the bias, in order to make fewer mistakes.The land reform will benefit the landlords and the rich peasants in two stages, so as to protect the middle peasants.

Financial and economic work has become the main agenda of the Central Committee and the Central Bureau. Financial and economic issues should be carefully studied and timely publicity should be carried out to let the people understand the situation and policies.There are several policy issues that have been identified by the Second Plenary Session[2], but there is still a lack of clear understanding in some places.In the relationship between city and country, which one is the center? Since the time when there was a city, the city has been the center.The handicraft industry in the city is also an improvement for agriculture, not to mention industry.In business relations, industry should be the center, because industry produces value.In the public-private relationship, the public economy should be the center, because although the public economy is small in some places, it is concentrated and in a leading position.In labor-capital relations, one should rely on the working class and not on the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie cannot be relied on.These are principles that must be adhered to, and we should not be confused by certain phenomena.

Published based on the transcript of the speech kept by the Central Archives. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This is Mao Zedong's speech at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. [2] See Mao Zedong's "Report on the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China" (Volume IV of Selected Works of Mao Zedong, People's Publishing House, 1991 edition, pp. 1429-1434).