Diligence and Thrift in Building the Country

An important policy of building socialism in China. In September 1956, the political report of the Eighth National Congress of the CPC pointed out: "Building a country with diligence and thrift, running enterprises with diligence and thrift, running cooperatives with diligence and thrift, and running all undertakings with diligence and thrift are our party's long-term policy of building socialism.”

The report stated: “Waste, under all circumstances, is a hindrance to the development of production and the improvement of our living standards.” “Our national construction is still at the beginning, so we should strive to save every bit of money we can for construction and to use it to the best advantage.” Therefore, “in all enterprises, all state organs, and in social life as a whole, we must continue to practice economy and eliminate waste.”

Mao Zedong also stressed in his article "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions among the People" that China is a large socialist country but an economically backward and poor one, and that this is a very big contradiction. One way of resolving this contradiction is to make a sustained effort to practice strict economy in all respects. He said: “To make China prosperous and strong needs several decades of hard struggle, which means, among other things, pursuing the policy of building up our country through diligence and thrift, that is, practicing strict economy and fighting waste.” Therefore, the Party's policy of building a country through diligence and thrift was put forward from the actual situation of China's national conditions and socialist construction.

For implementing the policy of building a country through diligence and thrift, all economic units are required to conduct strict economic accounting, strive to improve labor productivity, save raw materials, reduce costs and improve economic benefits; it requires state organs, organizations, troops and all institutions to be diligent and thrifty, strive to save expenses, and oppose grandstanding, extravagance and waste; cadres are required to work hard and plain, be honest and upright, and share weal and woe with the masses; for the masses, on the one hand, we should gradually improve their life on the basis of the development of production; on the other hand, we should advocate active production, thrifty household management, and planned household expenses.

In the new period of socialist modernization construction, besides the above requirements, the policy of building a country through diligence and thrift not only requires the above requirements, but also requires that we should oppose the behavior of squandering state resources in various production and construction, and strive to avoid the wrong decision—making that causes waste. The CPC Central Committee led the whole country to carry out the campaign of increasing production, saving expenses and opposing waste.

Implementing the policy of building a country through diligence and thrift was of prime importance not only economically, but politically as well. Building a country through diligence and thrift was the embodiment of the Party's revolutionary tradition and revolutionary spirit of leading a plain and hardworking life in socialist construction, which was conducive for overcoming the unhealthy tendency of cadres who are unwilling to share weal and woe with the masses and like to care about personal fame and wealth and for inspiring spirit and resisting the erosion of decadent bourgeois thoughts.