May 16, 1958
[Mao Zedong's] Instructions on Song XX's Report on Problems Related to Soviet Experts
INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING SONG XX’S REPORT ON PROBLEMS RELATED TO SOVIET EXPERTS
(May 16, 1958)
This is a good document, worth reading; I ask XXXX to immediately print and disseminate it to all the Congress* comrades, and wherever there are Soviet Experts [we] should do everything accordingly, with no exceptions allowed. The Soviet Experts are all good comrades, and they will understand if what you say makes sense. If things don’t make sense or don’t make good sense, such that both sides cannot come together, then the fault lies with us. Speaking from the perspective of the Communist Internationalist team, “within the four seas all men are brothers,” so that we definitely must consider the Soviet comrades as one of us. After the Congress, we should talk more with them according to our general line, with politics in command, respecting the Soviet Expert comrades, and be humble and work hard to learn from them. However, we absolutely must eliminate superstition, and overthrow Jia Gui!** Jia Gui (that is, a sheepish slave) is someone that everybody looks down on.
Mao Zedong
May 16, 1958
* Translator’s note: The Congress referred to is most likely the second session of the Eighth National Party Congress, held May 5-23, 1958 in Beijing.
** Translator’s note: Jia Gui, character in a Ming dynasty opera; a eunuch who, when invited to sit and talk by a superior, replied that he preferred to stand; the implication being he lacked self-esteem and self-confidence and reflexively deferred to superiors.
Mao reminds the Chinese communists to respect the Soviet experts, who are visiting their country, as comrades and brothers.
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