Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

"Comrade Wei Hongjun, Comrade Deng Zhihui, you should know that many cooperatives in our country are currently lacking cadres and are in training.

If rural cooperatives set up supply and marketing cooperatives, will they have enough staff?"

The chairman opened his mouth to ask questions.

Wei Hongjun said: "So our first step should be to start from some provinces where cooperatives are well developed. And even if cooperatives are relatively well developed,

Good provinces also started with the supply and marketing cooperatives run by counties and towns, and gradually opened up the free market.

There is a lot of work ahead.”

"Ah."

The chairman nodded.

The Chairman likes Wei Hongjun's approach because he always does things in a planned way. He doesn't just do whatever comes to mind or whatever he wants. Opening up the free market shouldn't just be done out of the blue; it should be planned and implemented in a step-by-step manner.

The Chairman looked at Chen Yun and said, "Comrade Chen Yun, what do you think of Comrade Wei Hongjun's suggestion?"

Chen Yun did not insist.

Chen Yun advocates for increasing the flexibility of the local economy. In fact, Chen Yun still believes that it is better to open up the private free market and allow farmers to freely participate in the agricultural and sideline product market. This will be more dynamic.

But he found that the Chairman had already leaned towards Wei Hongjun.

In any case, it is to activate the agricultural and sideline products market. Although Chen Yun believes that the effect of liberalizing local supply and marketing cooperatives and rural cooperatives is not necessarily better than directly opening up the free market as he proposed.

But it is obvious that the ideas proposed by Wei Hongjun are more likely to gain support from the central government.

Therefore, he said: "The exact method of opening up the free market still needs to be refined. But overall, what Comrade Wei Hongjun proposed is feasible."

All of this is to activate the agricultural and sideline products market.

Chen Yun didn't want to argue about this issue.

The Chairman saw Chen Yun's statement and asked, "What do other comrades think?"

Many people did not express their opinions.

Because this does not involve their scope of work.

On the issue of the product market, the people with the most say were Chen Yun, Wei Hongjun, Deng Zhihui, and Mao Zemin. Seeing that no one else objected,

The Chairman said, "Then I would like to see Comrade Chen Yun, Comrade Wei Hongjun, Comrade Deng Xixian, Comrade Deng Zhihui, and Comrade Mao Zemin formulate a

The scheme of free market for agricultural and sideline products. If it is successful, it will not only be agricultural and sideline products, but also some handicraft products can be free market. There are many kinds of agricultural and sideline products, and there are also several kinds of handicraft products in my country.

Ten thousand kinds."

The Chairman is not opposed to invigorating the agricultural and sideline products market to add vitality to the economy.

However, the agricultural and sideline product market cannot conflict with the national market. He needs to supplement the shortcomings of the national market. Therefore, the President wants to see the effects of opening up the free market.

"Yes."

Several people nodded.

The chairman stressed: "We must be cautious in our propaganda. We must not talk about the free market in advance. We must follow the plan and the rhythm."

940 Strengthening Rural Work

After discussing the issue of a free market for agricultural and sideline products, Mao Zemin reported on other aspects of the Ministry of Finance's work.

It mainly concerns tariff issues on imports and exports.

As import and export volumes increased, national tariff revenue began to surge. However, the Ministry of Import and Export Trade began receiving reports from various units below it. They all believed that tariffs should be adjusted.

Different tariffs for different goods need to be made clearer. Of course, the main point is that tariffs should be lowered to promote trade development.

Especially those companies that do processing with supplied materials, have begun to express to the Ministry of External Affairs that they hope to lower the tariff rate. The purpose of processing with supplied materials is to reduce costs, but there is no fixed way for processing with supplied materials to be exported, and you have to pay money both ways. Although the tariff is not much, it is

This will make profits much lower.

Therefore, they all hoped to lower tariffs in this regard. After discussing with the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Mao Zemin also believed that the current tariff situation was an obstacle to China's processing of imported materials. Therefore, he took the opportunity of this financial meeting to put forward this proposal. The issue of tariff rates was not something Mao Zemin could decide alone.

After discussion, the central government agreed in principle to lower tariffs for processing companies with imported materials. However, the central government's point was that while the country could lower tariffs, the extra revenue shouldn't go entirely to foreign and Chinese businesses.

The government hopes to split the reduced tariffs in half, with foreign and Chinese businesses taking half and leaving the other half to contract manufacturers.

After these discussions, the final step was to finalize the tax code. This was because a number of previously unconsidered business ownership structures had emerged in recent years, and the socialist transformation of industry and commerce had significantly reduced the number of existing capitalist enterprises. Consequently, many aspects of the previously enacted tax code were no longer up to date. If the existing tax code were to be adopted, many aspects would not be fully applicable.

Because the previous tax law had different tax rates for different ownerships.

But now there are so many ownership types, how do you deal with them? Mao Zemin and the Ministry of Finance discussed the issue and concluded that with the disappearance of private enterprises, taxation would no longer be based on ownership. Instead, tax rates would be determined based on different industries. Mao Zemin's proposal was adopted at the meeting.

But only such principles were adopted.

The specific tax reforms would still require final review by the Politburo and the National People's Congress. Only after these discussions were concluded did the Second Financial and Economic Conference of 1954 conclude.

After the financial and economic meeting, the chairman said that a rural work meeting would be held in five days.

Chen Yun, Wei Hongjun, Deng Xixian, Deng Zhihui, and Mao Zemin were asked to first draft a "Draft for the Operation of a Free Market for Agricultural and Sideline Products." This would then be discussed at the Rural Work Conference. If everyone agreed, a more detailed plan would be developed.

So for the next five days, Chen Yun, Wei Hongjun, Deng Xixian, Deng Zhihui, Mao Zemin, and cadres from the Rural Work Department worked together for several days and nights without rest to rush to produce the "Draft for the Operation of the Free Market for Agricultural and Sideline Products."

The day before the meeting, hand the document to the leaders attending the meeting so that everyone can take a look at it first.

The next day, the Chairman personally presided over a meeting attended by Comrade Xiu Yang, Chen Yun, Gao Gang, Wei Hongjun, Deng Xixian, Deng Zhihui, Chen Tanqiu, Rao Shushi, Xi Zhongxun, Mao Zemin, Li Shaocheng, Lai Ruoyu, Zhao Dezun, and others.

After the meeting began, the Chairman did not directly address the "Draft Draft for the Operation of a Free Market for Agricultural and Sideline Products." Instead, he said, "Comrade Hongjun, Comrade Deng Zhihui, I have read the work report of your Rural Work Department. Your work in recent years has been very effective, with grain production increasing year after year. Mutual aid groups and cooperatives have also developed very well."

The Chairman's affirmation of the work of Wei Hongjun and Deng Zhihui in the Rural Work Department.

The Chairman is very satisfied with the development of rural areas in recent years. Grain production has increased rapidly.

1948年刚刚建国的时候,全国的粮食总产量也不过是两千亿斤左右。不过1953年全国粮食总产量已经达到了3400亿斤,比刚刚建国增长了1400亿斤。而且1954年全国的粮食产量还在增加，按照农村工作部的估算大约能够达到3600亿斤左右。农村工作部的报告上写着，目标就是未来每年粮食产量增加150亿斤左右，要在1960年之前把全国的粮食总产量提高到4400亿斤。

This is not something Wei Hongjun and Deng Zhihui came up with on the spur of the moment.

This was calculated based on the current increase in cultivated land, the development of water conservancy facilities, and the speed of seed promotion. Furthermore, these figures were very conservative. After all, no one knows what the future will hold.

So the two of them didn't dare to quote too high.

But the two men were quite confident in achieving the 4400 billion jin target. As long as there were no major problems or disasters in the countryside, 4400 billion jin would be possible. In fact, the two men had privately conducted internal statistics within the Rural Work Department, based on the current construction of fertilizer plants, future increases in fertilizer production, and current changes in improved seed production. After calculations by several people within the Rural Work Department, they all concluded that 1960 billion jin was entirely possible by around 5000.

Of course, the two people would not dare to report such data. This is just an internal calculation of the Rural Work Department.

5000 billion jin is simply too much. If the target is not met after submission, or if central government officials become complacent and demand further increases in grain production, the Ministry of Rural Affairs will be in a difficult position.

Leaving some room for maneuver will make the next work easier.

It is precisely because rural grain production has increased so much in recent years that we have been able to provide the funds needed to support industrialization.

In the six years since the founding of the People's Republic of China on May 1948, 5, the gap between industry and agriculture, created by the state through public grain and the unified purchase and marketing system, provided the state with approximately 1 billion yuan in funding.

It accounts for more than half of the country's industrial investment in recent years.

Why is it said that rural areas made such a significant contribution to China's early industrialization? Just look at these data. Rural public grain, commercial grain purchased and sold under unified government regulations, and agricultural and sideline products like grain, oil, and live pigs provided the country with a massive amount of capital.

Although pig production declined significantly in 1951, adjustments in 1952 and 1953 restored it to its peak. It is even now experiencing continued growth. This has neither dampened demand for pork in urban areas nor hindered pork exports.

因此1954年,农村一年给国家带来的收入就会有120亿元左右，比1952年多了20亿元。从1954年开始一直到1960年七年之内,农村工作部的计划就是给国家提供1200亿元左右的资金。

The Chairman is aware of these numbers.

That's why I'm praising the work of Wei Hongjun and Deng Zhihui. As China's industrialization progresses, agriculture's contribution to the country will gradually decrease. But in the short term, rural areas will remain crucial to the country.

"But I think there are two issues that you need to consider carefully. I call them two issues, but they are actually one issue. They are the issue of unity in rural cooperatives and the issue of cadres."

“The main issue of unity is how to unite the middle peasants in the north. They are not the new middle peasants who emerged after the land reform, but the old middle peasants who existed before the land reform.

In our country, the proportion of old middle peasants is very high. In some wealthy rural areas, the proportion of old middle peasants can reach 40%, while in less developed areas it is 10% or 20%. Although it is less than the number of poor peasants and hired farmhands, it is only slightly less. Before land reform, because the living conditions of old middle peasants were much better than those of poor peasants and hired farmhands, many of them were more educated and knowledgeable than the poor peasants and hired farmhands. We must acknowledge these facts.

"Although the old middle peasants were not as resolute as the poor peasants during the revolution, they have always been their allies. During the land reform, most of the old middle peasants also supported our land reform policy. So now that we have entered the stage of rural construction, we need to cooperate with the old middle peasants even more. Just like we had to unite the middle peasants during the revolution, now we

We still need to unite the old middle peasants and work together to build the rural areas of New China."

"We can't exclude them; we must unite with them and make them one of us. Whether it's mutual aid groups or cooperatives, when selecting cadres, we must boldly promote cadres who come from older middle-peasant backgrounds. We shouldn't set barriers to cadre promotion simply because they come from older middle-peasant backgrounds. This is not beneficial to rural development. The proportion of older middle-peasants in the ten departments of a cooperative cannot be too small; it should be at least three-tenths, and generally no less than four-tenths. Only when they all participate can rural democracy be embodied and their talents be better utilized."

If we want to carry out economic development in rural areas, we must organize all capable people in the countryside.

Landlords and rich peasants are the targets of political suppression for the time being. Although nothing will happen to them, they will not be allowed to join the struggle easily for the time being.

This process will take more than ten years, until the cadres from poor peasant families are able to take charge and the descendants of poor peasants receive education.

But the old middle peasants are different.

They have been the object of revolutionary unity since the revolutionary war. And because many of them have better living conditions than poor peasants, many of their descendants have received education. Although they have not studied for many years, they are more educated than the poor peasants.

We need to unite all these people.

The cooperatives are currently short of cadres, and we must not exclude the old middle peasants at this time.

"Yes."

Wei Hongjun and Deng Zhihui nodded.

Wei Hongjun said: "We will do a good job of organization and publicity after we return."

Rural work is complex.

Even if the central government doesn't intend to suppress cadres from the old middle peasant class, many cadres from the rural poor and hired peasant class will consciously or unconsciously want to suppress the old middle peasant class. This also involves the issue of interests.

Even among veteran cadres who have undergone the test of revolution, how many dare to claim to be selfless? At the grassroots level, conflicts over petty interests are rampant.

When the central government formulates policies, these issues must be taken into consideration.

After the Chairman finished speaking about the issues of rural unity and cadres,

He continued: "Comrade Gao Gang, Comrade Chen Tanqiu, Comrade Rao Shushi, the most important thing for our country at present is industrialization, and all work revolves around industry.

However, my country is a large country with hundreds of millions of people. Agriculture is the foundation and food is the guarantee. Once problems arise in agriculture and food cannot be guaranteed, then not only will industrialization be a problem, but the entire country will be in chaos. Therefore, we cannot neglect rural work just because of industrialization. On the contrary, we should strengthen rural work. So I am wondering, should our provincial party committee have a secretary or deputy secretary who is specifically responsible for rural work?

Gao Gang, Chen Tanqiu and Rao Shushi are responsible for the daily work of the Secretariat.

That's why the Chairman told them. Gao Gang nodded.

He immediately said, "Chairman, I think your point is very good. Since liberation, the central government's focus has shifted to cities and industry. Many central cadres have begun to neglect rural work, causing many local cadres to also neglect rural work and focus only on industrial development. Rural work must be taken seriously. I believe that every province should have a deputy secretary specifically responsible for rural work."

Gao Gang is very good at understanding the Chairman's thoughts.

The Chairman had just concluded the Finance and Economics meeting when he convened a meeting on rural work. Gao Gang knew that the Chairman attached great importance to rural work, so he immediately stated that each province should have a deputy secretary dedicated to rural work.

"I think so too." Chen Tanqiu also supported it.

"Comrade Xiuyang, what do you think?"

"There is a lot of work to do in rural areas now, so we should pay more attention to it." Everyone nodded.