The Dynamics of Advance

How improved ways of thinking and doing things spur economic development is exemplified by the Chungking Steel Co. The steel rolling capacity of this plant is greater than its smelting capacity and its steel smelting capacity is greater than its iron smelting capacity. At its first planning conference for 1958, emphasis was placed on the backward links in the chain of production and only a small increase was envisaged. Then a general discussion was held among workers and administrative staff. Here the emphasis was shifted to the advanced links in the chain of production. A totally new perspective emerged and the practical possibility of a great increase in production was spelled out.

The Peking Renmin Ribao (People's Daily) devoted a full-length leading article to this question on February 28. "On this question of balance," says the paper, "people have two views, two attitudes and two methods of work. One is the positive method, i.e., a method which results in giving the utmost support to the initiative and creativeness of the masses in fostering the growth of new things and in getting the backward to catch up with the advanced. The other method is passive. It lacks confidence and doesn't place enough reliance on the masses.... These two approaches in planning result in two types of balance. The positive type tries to solve the imbalance in the national economy in a positive way - constantly trying to elevate the targets and quotas of the backward, to move towards advanced targets and quotas. The other is the passive approach to imbalance. It tries to lower advanced targets and quotas and reduce them to the level of the backward."

Imbalance is the normal state of affairs of an advancing economy. Renmin Ribao says that to achieve positive balance people must be spirited and enthusiastic for the new and advanced. To realize this people should get out of their offices and go out among the masses, have confidence in them and not just juggle with figures behind closed doors.

To alter the backward state of China's economy and culture quickly, the editorial notes, new things must be encouraged to go faster and old things made to die quicker.