The Enlightenment from Comrade Chen Yun’s Investigative Research Methods

In his speech at the symposium commemorating the 120th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Chen Yun, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “We must learn from Comrade Chen Yun’s scientific thought and working methods,” and “He regarded investigative research as an important prerequisite for decision-making, emphasizing: ‘When leading organs formulate policies, they should spend more than ninety percent of their time on investigative research work.’” As an important member of the Party’s first generation of central collective leadership with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core and the second generation with Comrade Deng Xiaoping at its core, Comrade Chen Yun participated in the formulation and organized implementation of a series of major decisions of the Party Central Committee in different historical periods. Relying on investigative research to make decisions was Comrade Chen Yun’s thought and working method of seeking truth from facts. Before every major decision, Comrade Chen Yun always conducted extensive investigative research and listened to opinions from multiple sides.

习近平总书记在纪念陈云同志诞辰120周年座谈会上的讲话中指出，“我们要学习陈云同志的科学思想方法和工作方法”，“他把调查研究作为决策的重要前提，强调：‘领导机关制定政策，要用百分之九十以上的时间作调查研究工作’”。作为以毛泽东同志为核心的党的第一代中央领导集体和以邓小平同志为核心的党的第二代中央领导集体的重要成员，陈云同志参与了党中央在不同历史时期一系列重大决策的制定和组织实施。依靠调查研究作决策，是陈云同志坚持实事求是的思想方法和工作方法。每逢重大决策之前，陈云同志总要做大量调查研究，听取多方面意见。

At the enlarged working conference of the Central Committee of the CPC (i.e., the Seven Thousand Cadres Conference) in 1962, Comrade Mao Zedong said that in socialist construction, we still had great blindness and many unknown realms of necessity, and added that there were many issues he did not yet understand. Speaking of this, he said: “Others understand more than I do; Comrade Liu Shaoqi understands more than I do; Comrade Zhou Enlai understands more than I do; Comrade Deng Xiaoping understands more than I do. Comrade Chen Yun, especially he, understands more.” He added: “His (referring to Chen Yun) method is investigative research.” Facts have proven that Comrade Chen Yun was indeed a model adept at investigative research. The scientific thought and working methods of investigative research he summarized are forever our precious asset. We must earnestly study and apply them, and carry them forward in light of actual conditions.

1962年中共中央召开的扩大的工作会议（即七千人大会）上，毛泽东同志说，在社会主义建设上，我们还有很大的盲目性，还有许多未被认识的必然王国，并说自己有许多问题还不懂得。讲到这里，他说：“别人比我懂，少奇同志比我懂，恩来同志比我懂，小平同志比我懂。陈云同志，特别是他，懂得较多。”并补充说：“他（指陈云）的方法是调查研究。”事实证明，陈云同志的确是善于调查研究的楷模。他总结的关于调查研究的科学思想方法和工作方法，永远是我们的宝贵财富。我们要认真学习运用，结合实际发扬光大。

I. Going Without Preconceived Frameworks Is the Prerequisite for Conducting Good Investigative Research

一、不带框框是搞好调查研究的前提

The purpose of investigative research is to clarify the facts and, based on the facts, make decisions and formulate policies. If one goes in with a preconceived framework or first impressions, it will inevitably hinder adherence to seeking truth from facts during the investigation, causing one to shut one’s eyes and stop one’s ears, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the actual situation. General

调查研究的目的是弄清事实，并以事实为依据作出决定、制定政策。如果带着框框、先入为主，势必妨碍在调查中坚持实事求是，使自己闭目塞听，对实际情况视而不见、充耳不闻。习近平总书记指出，“在官僚主义方面，主要是脱离实际、脱离群众，高高在上、漠视现实，唯我独尊、自我膨胀”，“有的对待上级部署囫囵吞枣、断章取义，执行上级决定照本宣科等因奉此，或者照猫画虎、生搬硬套，以前怎么做就怎么做，别人怎么做就怎么做，完全不顾本地本部门实际情况”。这样的人搞调查研究，就不可能不带框框，因此也不可能得到真实情况。

Adhering to seeking truth from facts was a distinctive feature of Comrade Chen Yun. He pointed out: “To lead our Party and state well, the most important thing is to ensure that leading cadres’ methods of thinking are on the right track.” During the Yan’an period, after repeatedly discussing with Comrade Mao Zedong how to reduce mistakes, Comrade Chen Yun distilled a distinctive “fifteen-character formula”: “Do not merely follow superiors, do not merely follow books, only follow facts; exchange, compare, repeat.” [1]1 The “fifteen-character formula” (十五字诀) is a well-known methodological principle associated with Chen Yun, encapsulating his approach to decision-making and investigation. In a conversation in his later years, Comrade Chen Yun gave a complete and detailed explanation of “do not merely follow superiors, do not merely follow books, only follow facts.” He said: “Do not merely follow superiors does not mean that superiors’ words should not be heeded. Do not merely follow books does not mean that documents and books should not be read. Only follow facts means that only by proceeding from reality and studying and handling problems by seeking truth from facts is this the most reliable.” If we combine this with Comrade Chen Yun’s practice of investigative research, we will find that the reason his investigative research could be free of preconceived frameworks was precisely because he achieved these nine characters.

坚持实事求是，是陈云同志的鲜明特点。他指出：“要把我们的党和国家领导好，最要紧的，是要使领导干部的思想方法搞对头。”延安时期，在同毛泽东同志反复探讨怎样才能少犯错误这个话题之后，陈云同志提炼出“不唯上、不唯书、只唯实，交换、比较、反复”这样一个带有鲜明特点的“十五字诀”。在晚年一次谈话中，陈云同志对“不唯上、不唯书、只唯实”作了完整而详细的解释。他说：“不唯上，并不是上面的话不要听。不唯书，也不是说文件、书都不要读。只唯实，就是只有从实际出发，实事求是地研究处理问题，这是最靠得住的。”我们结合陈云同志调查研究的实践就会发现，他的调查研究之所以能不带框框，正是因为做到了这九个字。

Comrade Chen Yun said: “Being able to hear different voices is by no means a bad thing. This is not contradictory to maintaining consistency with the Central Committee.” [2]2 The “Central Committee” here refers to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. It can be seen that his meaning of “do not merely follow superiors” is that instructions from higher levels, even the Central Committee, must be resolutely implemented, and ideological, political, and action consistency with the Party Central Committee must be maintained, but one must never detach from reality, copy and apply mechanically, but must proceed from the reality of one’s own department and region. Because only in this way can one truly seek truth from facts and implement the guiding spirit of higher levels and the Central Committee well. During the three years of hardship, due to natural disasters and the “Left” errors in the “Great Leap Forward,” grain production dropped sharply, the general population suffered from malnutrition, and many people contracted edema. [3]3 The “three years of hardship” (三年困难时期) refers to the period of economic difficulty and famine in China from 1959 to 1961, often attributed to a combination of natural disasters and policy errors during the Great Leap Forward. At that time, the Central Committee decided to have Comrade Chen Yun resume presiding over financial and economic work. Through investigation and research, he felt that Anhui’s “household contract responsibility system” and Comrade Tian Jiaying’s proposed “land distribution to households” were extraordinary measures for an extraordinary period. [4]4 “Household contract responsibility system” (包产到户) and “land distribution to households” (分田到户) refer to agricultural production methods that deviated from the collective farming model of the time, later becoming the basis for post-1978 reforms. Tian Jiaying (田家英, 1922–1966) was a senior secretary to Mao Zedong. Whether called “household contract responsibility system” or “land distribution to households,” in short, when the country encountered such great natural and man-made disasters, it was necessary to mobilize all peasants to implement the call in “The Internationale”: “We rely entirely on ourselves.” Comrade Chen Yun first exchanged views individually with members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Central Committee on this matter, then proposed to report his views face-to-face to Comrade Mao Zedong. Some comrades advised him to consider carefully and not rush to express his opinion. He said: “I bear the leadership responsibility for the country’s economic work and must be responsible to the Party and to the people. Whether this matter is raised or not, whether it changes or not, concerns the Party’s reputation and the will of the people. Since I have seen it clearly and found a solution, how can I delay the opportunity?” Later, he still met with Comrade Mao Zedong and stated his views in person.

陈云同志说：“能够听到不同声音，绝不是坏事。这和同中央保持一致并不矛盾。”可见，他的“不唯上”的意思，是指对上级乃至中央的指示必须坚决执行，与党中央在思想上、政治上、行动上必须保持一致，但绝不能脱离实际、照搬照套，而要从本部门本地区的实际出发。因为只有这样，才能真正做到实事求是，才能把上级乃至中央的指示精神执行好。三年困难时期，由于自然灾害和“大跃进”中“左”的错误，致使粮食大幅度减产，人民群众普遍营养不良，不少人患上浮肿病。当时，中央决定由陈云同志重新主持财经工作，他通过调研，感到安徽的“包产到户”和田家英同志提出的“分田到户”是非常时期的非常办法，叫作“包产到户”也好，叫作“分田到户”也好。总之，国家遇到如此大的天灾人祸，必须发动全体农民实行“国际歌”中的号召：“全靠我们自己。”陈云同志就此事先同中央政治局常委分别交换了意见，然后提出准备向毛泽东同志当面汇报自己的看法。有的同志劝他慎重考虑，不必急于提出意见。他说：“我担负全国经济工作的领导任务，要对党负责，对人民负责。此事提与不提，变与不变，关系到党的声誉，关系人心向背。既然看准了，找到了办法，怎能延误时机。”后来，他还是见了毛泽东同志，当面陈述自己的意见。

It can be seen that to achieve a grasp of the real situation through investigative research, the prerequisite must be to have no preconceived frameworks. And to have no preconceived frameworks, one must achieve “do not merely follow superiors, do not merely follow books, only follow facts.” This is certainly not easy, but if one wants investigative research to yield practical results, this is the only way, with no alternative. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “If there are different opinions on Party resolutions and policies, under the premise of resolute implementation, one may declare reservations and may submit one’s opinions to the Party’s higher-level organizations, up to the Central Committee,” and “Party organizations at all levels must support and protect Party members and cadres who tell the truth and report the real situation to the organization.” [5]5 This is a paraphrase of provisions in the CPC Constitution and related Party discipline regulations regarding the right of Party members to express dissenting opinions. It is not difficult to see that as long as one strictly follows what General Secretary Xi Jinping says, one can adhere to the principle of “do not merely follow superiors, do not merely follow books, only follow facts,” allowing investigative research to return to its essence.

可见，调查研究要做到掌握真实情况，前提必须是不带框框。而要不带框框，必须做到“不唯上、不唯书、只唯实”。这当然是不容易的，但要想使调查研究得到实效，只能如此，别无他途。习近平总书记指出，“对党的决议和政策如有不同意见，在坚决执行的前提下，可以声明保留，并且可以把自己的意见向党的上级组织直至中央提出”，“对向组织讲真话、报实情的党员、干部，各级党组织都要支持和保护”。不难看出，只要严格按照习近平总书记说的做，就能遵循“不唯上、不唯书、只唯实”的原则，使调查研究回归本真。

II. Thoroughness and meticulousness are the key to doing investigative research well

二、深入细致是搞好调查研究的关键

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Investigative research must never engage in formalism, must not engage in superficial, ‘dragonfly-skimming-the-water’ style research where people arrive but their minds do not, must not engage in ‘imperial envoy’ style research where more instructions are given and less humble inquiry is made, and must not engage in ‘being researched’ style research where investigative autonomy is poor and initiative is lost.” [6]6 This is a quotation from Xi Jinping’s remarks on the importance of avoiding superficial and formalistic investigative research methods. Comrade Chen Yun was particularly opposed to this kind of formalism in investigative research. At a meeting in his later years, he once said: “The method of investigative research, as I see it, is not for over a hundred departments to each take their notebooks and read them out one by one at a Secretariat meeting, with everyone interjecting here and there, and finally the person presiding over the meeting says a few words and it passes. The method of investigative research is also not to visit twenty-two counties in one week, which is nothing more than riding in a car and taking a tour. This kind of work method is too simplistic.”

习近平总书记强调，“调查研究千万不能搞形式主义，不能搞浮光掠影、人到心不到的‘蜻蜓点水’式调研，不能搞做指示多、虚心求教少的‘钦差’式调研，不能搞调研自主性差、丧失主动权的‘被调研’”。对于这种在调查研究上搞形式主义的做法，陈云同志是特别反对的。他在晚年的一次会议上曾说：“调查研究的方法，我看不是一百多个部一个一个地都拿本子在书记处会上念一道，大家东插一句、西插一句，最后主持会议地讲一讲就通过了。调查研究的方法，也不是一个星期跑二十二个县，那样无非是坐汽车走一圈就是了。这种工作方法太简单。”

In the 1950s and 1960s, Comrade Chen Yun went to the countryside four times to conduct investigative research. The fourth time was from late June to late July 1961, when he conducted research in three places: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. He spent 15 days living and eating at the homes of peasants in Xiaozheng Commune, Qingpu County, specializing in research on the adjustment of rural policies during the three years of hardship. [7]7 Qingpu County (青浦县) is a district in present-day Shanghai. Xiaozheng Commune (小蒸公社) was a rural people’s commune there. At that time, the Central Committee had already decided to change the collective pig-raising implemented during the “Great Leap Forward” to “both public and private, with private as the mainstay,” but there was still no clear regulation on whether sows should be raised publicly or privately, and local authorities were all waiting and watching. Therefore, one focus of Comrade Chen Yun’s rural research this time was to clarify whether it was better to raise sows publicly or privately.

二十世纪五六十年代，陈云同志曾经四下农村搞调查研究。其中的第四次，是1961年6月下旬至7月下旬到江浙沪三地调研，他曾15天吃住在青浦县小蒸公社农民家里，专题调研三年困难时期农村政策调整问题。那时，中央已决定将“大跃进”期间实行的集体养猪改为“公私并举、私养为主”，但对母猪是公养还是私养，尚无明确规定，下面都在观望。所以，陈云同志这次下农村调研的一个重点，就是要弄清楚母猪究竟公养好还是私养好。

During that investigation, in addition to observing pig-raising, private plot cultivation, and living conditions in peasant households, and inspecting fields and pigsties to examine land, crop growth, and collective pig-raising, Comrade Chen Yun also listened to two reports from the commune Party committee, convened ten forums with peasant participation, and listed ten questions for discussion. In the course of the investigation, he discovered that the places where the collective raised pigs were filthy, with piglets, adult pigs, sick pigs, and healthy pigs all eating the same feed. The pigs raised by peasant households were clean, and the peasants even caught loaches to feed them. During on-site observation, he also noticed that peasants often put weak piglets to suckle at the sow’s third teat; when asked, he learned that this teat produced the most milk. This single detail shows how meticulous and deep Comrade Chen Yun’s investigation was. In the end, he concluded that sows too should be released to peasants for private raising, and he wrote an investigation report to the central authorities.

那次调研，陈云同志除了去农户家中观察养猪、种自留地、吃住情况，去田间和养猪场查看土地、农作物生长和集体养猪情况外，还听取了公社党委的两次汇报，召开有农民参加的10次座谈会，列出10个问题让大家讨论。调查中他发现，公家养猪的地方脏得一塌糊涂，小猪、大 猪、病猪、好猪都吃一样的东西。农民家里养的猪，干干净净，还捉泥鳅喂猪吃。在实地观察中，他还发现农民常把瘦弱的苗猪放在母猪的第三个奶头吃奶，一问才知道，那个奶头奶水最多。仅此一事即可看出，陈云同志的调查之细之深。最后，他得出母猪也应该下放给农民私养的结论，并向中央写出调研报告。

Comrade Chen Yun always carried his work through to the end, never staying on the surface, and never engaging in cursory or superficial observation. He paid great attention to detail when understanding problems, especially concerning figures. In his 1961 Qingpu investigation report, to demonstrate that planting double-crop rice was inferior to planting broad beans and single-crop rice, Comrade Chen Yun cited a large amount of data, letting the numbers speak. He said that double-crop rice yielded a total of about 800 jin per year, while single-crop rice generally yielded about 580 jin. On the surface, double-crop rice increased output compared to single-crop rice, but when the full account was calculated, it was not worthwhile. First, the late rice of double-crop rice required using single-crop rice fields for seedling nursing, causing a reduction of about 150 jin in single-crop rice output. Second, each mu of double-crop rice required a total of 55 jin of rice seed, while single-crop rice required only 15 jin, saving 40 jin. Third, after planting double-crop rice, it was no longer possible to plant summer-harvest crops, whereas after planting single-crop rice, broad beans or wheat could still be planted, yielding 80 to 100 jin per mu, or 60 to 80 jin after deducting seeds. Adding these three items together, although double-crop rice yielded about 220 jin more than single-crop rice, the loss was 250 to 270 jin. In addition, double-crop rice required more fertilizer and more labor. If these fertilizers and labor were used for single-crop rice, output could increase by 60 jin. Comparing the two, planting double-crop rice was clearly not worth the gain. After reading the investigation report, Comrade Mao Zedong said: “When doing investigation and research, one should learn from Comrade Chen Yun, using data to speak, so that people are convinced.”

陈云同志做工作总是一竿子插到底，绝不浮在表面，不搞走马观花、蜻蜓点水。他了解问题非常注意细节，尤其关注数字。在1961年青浦调查的报告中，为了说明种双季稻不如种蚕豆和单季稻，陈云同志引用了大量数据，用数字说话。他说，种双季稻全年共收800斤上下，种单季稻一般收580斤上下。表面看，种双季稻比种单季稻增产，但全面算账，并不合算。首先，双季稻的晚稻需占用单季稻田寄秧苗，导致单季稻减产约150斤。其次，每亩双季稻需用稻种合计55斤，而单季稻只需用15斤，少用40斤。再次，种双季稻后不能再种夏熟作物，而种单季稻还可种蚕豆或小麦，每亩可收80至100斤，扣除种子可收60至80斤。以上三项合计，种双季稻虽然比种单季稻多收220斤上下，但亏损250至270斤。另外，双季稻用肥多，用工多。如果把这些肥料和劳力用到种单季稻，可增产60斤。两相比较，种双季稻显然得不偿失。毛泽东同志看过调研报告后说：“做调查研究，就应该向陈云同志学习，用数据说话，让人心服口服。”

III. Listening to Opinions Is the Key Point of Doing Investigation and Research Well

三、听取意见是搞好调查研究的重点

Among the “fifteen-character formula” [8]8 The “unified purchase and unified sale” (统购统销) policy, implemented from 1953, required the state to monopolize the purchase and sale of key agricultural products like grain and cotton, controlling supply and distribution. refined by Comrade Chen Yun, the last six characters are “exchange, compare, repeat.” What is called exchange refers to exchanging different opinions. He said that people often tend to be one-sided when looking at problems, taking one-sided reality as comprehensive reality. If they pay attention to exchanging views with others, especially listening more to differing opinions, it is conducive to grasping comprehensive reality, thereby truly achieving seeking truth from facts. Accordingly, Comrade Chen Yun proposed that in investigation and research, the main thing is to listen to and understand differing opinions, and further pointed out: “There are various methods of investigation and research. Exchanging views with people who hold different opinions is also a method, and an important one.” He earnestly said to cadres: “Leading cadres must pay special attention to listening to opposing views when hearing opinions. Identical opinions anyone dares to express, and they are easy to hear; differing opinions, often because leaders are not open-minded, people dare not express them, and they are not easy to hear. Therefore, we must be open-minded and listen more to differing opinions. It should also be seen that things are very complex. To obtain a relatively comprehensive and correct understanding, one must listen to various differing opinions, analyze them carefully, and concentrate them.”

在陈云同志提炼的“十五字诀”中，后六个字是“交换、比较、反复”。所谓交换，指的是交换不同意见。他说，人们看问题往往容易产生片面性，把片面的实际当成全面的实际，如果注意同别人交换意见，尤其多倾听不同意见，有利于掌握全面的实际，从而真正做到实事求是。据此，陈云同志提出在调查研究中主要要听取和了解不同意见，并进一步指出：“调查研究有各种各样的方法，找有各种不同看法的人交换意见，也是一种方法，而且是一种重要的方法。”他言辞恳切地对干部们说：“领导干部听话要特别注意听反面的话。相同的意见谁也敢讲，容易听得到；不同的意见，常常由于领导人不虚心，人家不敢讲，不容易听到。所以，我们一定要虚心，多听不同的意见。还应该看到，事物是很复杂的，要想得到比较全面的正确的了解，那就必须听取各种不同的意见，经过周密的分析，把它集中起来。”

During the rural investigations of the early 1960s, Comrade Chen Yun repeatedly raised the issue of listening to the truth. He pointed out that if those below do not speak the truth and do not report the real situation upward, leaders cannot make correct decisions, which is extremely dangerous. “It is very dangerous for a leading body to hear no opposing views. Advocate speaking honestly, but there must be conditions for speaking honestly.” The reason Comrade Chen Yun liked to go to his hometown or places where he had engaged in the peasant movement when he went down to rural areas for investigation was precisely to be able to hear the truth. Because the老乡 (fellow villagers) there knew him, trusted him, and were willing to speak their minds to him. For example, during the three years of hardship [9]9 The “three years of hardship” (三年困难时期) refers to the period of severe economic difficulty and famine in China from 1959 to 1961, often linked to natural disasters and policy failures., the peasants in Qingpu were dissatisfied with cadres who did not participate in labor, talked big, and lacked self-criticism, saying that cadres had “lips like two skins, turning them over and over always have reason,” “cadres blow oxhide [10]10 A jin (斤) is a Chinese unit of weight, equal to 0.5 kilograms or about 1.1 pounds., commune members go hungry,” and “cadres show off, commune members suffer.” Regarding these opinions, Comrade Chen Yun not only listened patiently but also took the initiative to assume responsibility. At a cadre forum, he said that there were still many problems in our work, and it was because several comrades in the central authorities had not done their work well, and he was one of them.

在20世纪60年代初的农村调查中，陈云同志一再谈到要听真话的问题。他指出，下面不说真话，不把真实情况反映上来，领导就不可能作出正确的决策，这是十分危险的。“一个领导机关听不到反面意见，很危险。提倡讲老实话，但是要有讲老实话的条件。”陈云同志每下农村蹲点调研，之所以喜欢到他的家乡或从事过农民运动的地方，就是为了能听到真话。因为那里的老乡了解他、信任他，肯把心里话对他讲。比如，三年困难时期，青浦的农民对干部不参加劳动、说大话、缺少自我批评不满，说干部“嘴唇两张皮，翻来覆去都有理”,“干部吹牛皮，社员饿肚皮”，“干部出风头，社员吃苦头”。对于这些意见，陈云同志不仅耐心听，而且主动承担责任。他在干部座谈会上讲，我们的工作还存在不少问题，是我们中央的几个同志工作没有做好，我就是其中之一。

In 1959, Comrade Chen Yun conducted an industrial investigation and convened a coal industry symposium. Considering that since the “anti-Rightist” campaign [11], some people dared not speak the truth, he first encouraged everyone to dispel their concerns at the beginning of the symposium. He said that this was a meeting for investigation and research, not speaking in front of a loudspeaker (referring to a microphone); they should “speak without scruples and casually, think left and right about problems, and not be afraid of any Right opportunism or ‘Left’ opportunism.” He specifically instructed that at the symposium, “reporting the situation is not about praising merits and displaying achievements, but mainly about talking about existing problems.” With his encouragement, the symposium was both lively and substantive; everyone spoke freely, expressed their views on a series of issues, identified the crux of various problems in the coal industry at that time, and provided a clear direction and a good start for the adjustment of the coal industry.

1959年陈云同志做工业调查，召开煤炭工业座谈会。考虑到“反右倾”以来，一些人不敢讲真话，他在座谈会开始时，先鼓励大家解除顾虑。他说，这是调查研究的会，不是在喇叭（指麦克风）前面讲话，要“无所顾忌地随便地讲，要左思右想地考虑问题，不要怕什么右倾机会主义或‘左’倾机会主义”。他特别叮嘱，在座谈会上“报告情况不是评功摆好，而主要是讲存在的问题”。在他的鼓励下，座谈会开得既生动又实在，大家畅所欲言，就一系列问题发表自己的看法，找出当时煤炭工业各种问题的症结所在，使煤炭行业调整有了明确方向和良好开端。

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, “Go both to places where work is going well and are advanced to sum up experience, and to places where the masses have many opinions, where work is done poorly, where difficulties are numerous, the situation is complex, and contradictions are sharp, to conduct investigation and research, truly putting effort into observing the real situation, coming up with practical measures, doing practical things, and seeking practical results.” In March 2023, the “Work Plan on Vigorously Promoting Investigation and Research in the Whole Party” issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee cited the first nine characters of Comrade Chen Yun’s “fifteen-character formula,” requiring that in investigation and research, one should “listen to the truth, observe the real situation, adhere to the truth, correct errors, call a spade a spade, report both good news and bad news, not solely rely on books, not solely rely on superiors, only rely on facts.” This shows that the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core highly

习近平总书记强调，“既到工作局面好和先进的地方去总结经验，又到群众意见多的地方去，到工作做得差的地方去，到困难较多、情况复杂、矛盾尖锐的地方去调查研究，真正把功夫下到察实情、出实招、办实事、求实效上”。2023年3月，中共中央办公厅印发的《关于在全党大兴调查研究的工作方案》中，引用了陈云同志“十五字诀”的前面九个字，要求在调研中“听真话、察实情，坚持真理、修正错误，有一是一、有二是二，既报喜又报忧，不唯书、不唯上、只唯实”。这说明，以习近平同志为核心的党中央对陈云同志关于在调查研究中要注重听取不同意见的主张，是高度认同的。

IV. Correcting the Purpose Is the Foundation for Doing a Good Job of Investigation and Research

四、端正目的是搞好调查研究的根本

The fundamental purpose of investigation and research is to solve problems. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to “seize the problems that the common people are most anxious, most worried, and most resentful about, and solve the issues of greatest concern, most direct interest, and most realistic relevance to the masses,” and to “effectively transform the results of research into concrete measures for solving problems and improving work, preventing more investigation and less research, more situations and less analysis, and the proposed countermeasures and suggestions from being too general, empty and abstract, and not solving practical problems.”

调查研究的根本目的是解决问题。习近平总书记强调，要“抓住老百姓最急最忧最怨的问题，解决好群众最关心最直接最现实的利益问题”，“切实把调研成果转化为解决问题、改进工作的实际举措，防止调查多研究少、情况多分析少，提出的对策建议大而化之、空洞抽象、不解决实际问题”。

When Comrade Chen Yun conducted research, whether he personally went down to grassroots units for in-depth investigations or traveled to multiple locations for inspections, or sent others down or invited people up, it was all to verify the situations reflected in documents and to understand situations not reflected in documents. Therefore, he brought very few people with him, never notified newspapers, and did not bring journalists. To avoid disturbing local cadres, he also rarely had them accompany him. On the eve of the nationwide liberation, Comrade Chen Yun was appointed director of the newly established Central Financial and Economic Commission (hereinafter referred to as the “CFEC”). At the start of his tenure, he faced an important issue: how to stabilize prices in the newly liberated areas, especially in Shanghai, so as to ensure the continued southward advance of the People’s Liberation Army and stabilize the lives of urban residents. To this end, he led a small number of CFEC cadres, traveling to Shanghai for research by a single train car. At that time, given Shanghai’s inconvenient water and land transportation and frequent enemy air raids, raw materials such as coal, grain, and cotton could not be shipped in, and factory products could not be shipped out. There was even a temporary plan to relocate factories and schools elsewhere. Through his research, Comrade Chen Yun discovered that moving factories out would solve the raw material problem but would create new problems, such as factory buildings, electricity, and mechanical maintenance, that could not be resolved. Therefore, he decided to keep the main part of Shanghai’s industry in place and find ways to overcome the difficulties. Subsequent events proved that this decision was of vital significance for Shanghai to play its role as an economic center during the recovery of the national economy and even in later periods. Yet, such an important research activity did not leave behind a single photograph.

陈云同志搞调研，无论是亲自下基层蹲点还是到多地考察，或者派人下去、请人上来，都是为了核实文件中反映的情况，以及了解文件中没有反映的情况。因此，他随行的人很少，也从不通知报社，不带记者。为了不打扰当地干部，他也很少让他们陪同。全国解放前夕，陈云同志出任新成立的中央财政经济委员会（以下简称“中财委”）主任。上任伊始，面临一个重要问题是如何稳定新解放区尤其是上海的物价，以保证解放军继续南下作战和安定城市人民生活。为此，他带领中财委少数干部，乘一节火车前往上海调研。当时，鉴于上海水陆交通不便，又常常遭受敌机轰炸，煤、粮、棉等原料运不进，工厂的产品运不出，一度酝酿将工厂和学校迁往外地。陈云同志经过调研发现，工厂搬出去，原料问题解决了，却会出现厂房、电力、机械维修等无法解决的新问题。所以，决定让上海工业的主要部分留下来，想办法克服困难。事后证明，这个决策对于上海在国民经济恢复乃至后来各个时期发挥经济中心作用，都具有至关重要的意义。然而，这样一次重要的调研活动，竟没能留下一张照片。

Comrade Chen Yun deeply understood that investigative research was meant to clarify situations and come up with solutions. Therefore, he believed that research itself could adopt different methods. He once said, “There are two methods of investigative research: one is to personally lead a work team or send a work team to the countryside or factories, which is of course very necessary; the other is that every high- and middle-ranking leading cadre should have close friends and staff around them who dare to speak the truth, through whom they can regularly hear the voices of grassroots cadres and the masses. This latter type of investigative research has the characteristics of being ‘truthful, fast, and broad.’ By truthful, I mean they dare to report real situations and speak from the heart. Because they trust you, they know you won’t target them. I have such friends. By fast, I mean that when problems are still in their infancy, they can be discovered in time. By broad, I mean that across all provinces, cities, and industries nationwide, there are many high- and middle-ranking cadres (including those retired or resigned). In a certain sense, this latter type of investigative research is even more important than the former. Both types of research are necessary; neither can be dispensed with.”

陈云同志深知调查研究是为了弄清情况、拿出办法。因此，他认为调研本身可以有不同方法。他曾说过，“调查研究有两种方法：一种是亲自率工作组或派工作组下乡、下厂，这当然是十分必要的；另一种是每个高中级领导干部都有敢讲真话的知心朋友和身边工作人员，通过他们可以经常听到基层干部、群众的呼声。后一种调查研究，有‘真、快、广’的特点。所谓真，就是他们敢于反映真实情况，敢讲心里话。因为他们信得过你，知道你不会整他们。我就有这样一些朋友。所谓快，就是当问题处于萌芽状态时，就能够及时发现。所谓广，就是全国各省市各行各业，都有许多高中级干部（包括离休、退休的）。在某种意义上讲，后一种调查研究比前一种调查研究更重要一些。两种调查研究都有必要，缺一不可”。

In 1953, to resolve the contradiction in grain purchase and sale, Comrade Chen Yun, through research, selected from among eight proposed plans the “unified purchase and unified sale” [8]8 The “unified purchase and unified sale” (统购统销) policy, implemented from 1953, required the state to monopolize the purchase and sale of key agricultural products like grain and cotton, controlling supply and distribution. as the major policy for the country’s grain work. Later, through rural investigations, he learned that in some places there were problems such as “overestimating output,” levying “excessive grain,” the inability to trade grain for adjustment, and a lack of standards for retained rations. Consequently, on the one hand, he pointed out that the policy of unified purchase and unified sale must be adhered to, and that shortcomings and loopholes could be supplemented and reformed, but it could not be shaken; on the other hand, he demanded that the policy be “supplemented,” suggesting that on the basis of unified purchase and unified sale, a “three-fix” method of fixing output, fixing purchase, and fixing sale be implemented. The result was a great stabilization of popular sentiment, making unified purchase and unified sale the basic policy for solving the contradiction in grain purchase and sale in China for a long time.

1953年，陈云同志为解决粮食购销矛盾，在通过调研拿出的8种方案中，选出“统购统销”作为国家粮食工作的大政策。后来，通过农村调查，他了解到有的地方存在将“产量估高了”、征了“过头粮”、调剂用粮无法买卖、留口粮缺乏标准等问题。于是，他一方面指出对统购统销政策必须坚持，有缺点、有漏洞可以补充改造，不能动摇；另一方面，要求对统购统销进行“补课”，建议在统购统销基础上，实行定产、定购、定销的“三定”办法，结果人心大定，使统购统销成为很长时间内我国解决粮食购销矛盾的基本政策。

Precisely because Comrade Chen Yun clearly understood that the purpose of conducting research was to solve problems related to the people’s interests, no matter what problems he encountered, he always placed people’s livelihood in the primary position of economic construction, caring for and safeguarding the interests of the masses at all times and in all places. In 1956, Comrade Chen Yun concurrently served as Minister of Commerce and proposed that doing commercial work well must strengthen political and mass viewpoints. He said, “Commercial work, including selling chickens and eggs, has its political significance. The quality of commercial work directly affects the vital interests of 600 million people and determines whether the vast urban and rural populace is satisfied with us.” In 1957, at a vegetable conference for 13 provinces and cities, he pointed out, “Ensuring the supply of vegetables and stabilizing vegetable prices is a universal demand of urban residents. The lower a person’s purchasing power, the more concerned they are about this issue.” “The supply of vegetables and other non-staple foods is in no way less significant than building factories; it should be placed on an equal footing with building factories. If we only focus on industrial construction and neglect solving the living problems of workers, workers may cause disturbances, and we will have to come back to solve them.” In 1961, through investigations in his hometown of Qingpu, he proposed that China’s collective farmland accounted for over 90% of all farmland, and increasing the proportion of private plots a bit more would not shake the socialist economic base. He said, “At a time when peasants’ grain rations are insufficient, what peasants care about most is not ‘socialism or capitalism,’ but ‘eating rice or eating porridge.’ Allocating a bit more private plot land can give peasants a little more grain rations, which is beneficial for consolidating the worker-peasant alliance and the socialist system, and is a necessary supplement to the socialist economy.” During the three years of hardship [9]9 The “three years of hardship” (三年困难时期) refers to the period of severe economic difficulty and famine in China from 1959 to 1961, often linked to natural disasters and policy failures., the country faced a grain shortage, and the people were malnourished. Through consulting experts, Comrade Chen Yun learned that the main cause of edema was a lack of protein, and since soybeans are high in protein, they could be used as a supplement in the absence of meat and eggs. Therefore, he proposed allocating 3 billion jin [10]10 A jin (斤) is a Chinese unit of weight, equal to 0.5 kilograms or about 1.1 pounds. of soybeans annually to provide 60 million urban residents with 3 jin per person per month. He also suggested using some steel to build motorized fishing boats for offshore fishing and reducing some pork exports so that residents in large and medium-sized cities could get an additional half jin of fish and half jin of meat per person per month. He said, “At present, such issues are matters of national importance. If the health of over 60 million people is poorly managed and we don’t earnestly find ways to solve it, the masses will have complaints. The people will see whether the Communist Party truly cares about them and has ways to solve their livelihood problems. This is a political issue.” He also pointed out, “Agricultural issues and market issues are major issues concerning the lives of over 500 million peasants and over 100 million urban residents; they are livelihood issues. Solving these issues should become an important national policy.”

正因为陈云同志明确搞调研的目的是解决关系人民利益的问题，因此，无论遇到什么问题，他总要把民生摆在经济建设的首要位置，时时处处关心和维护群众的利益。1956年，陈云同志兼任商业部长，提出做好商业工作一定要加强政治观点和群众观点。他说：“商业工作，包括卖鸡、卖蛋，都有其政治意义。商业工作的好坏，直接关系到六万万人民群众的切身利益，关系到广大的城乡人民对我们是否满意。”1957年，他在13个省、市蔬菜会议上指出，“保证蔬菜供应，稳定蔬菜价格，是城市人民的普遍要求。购买力愈低的人，对这个问题就愈关心”，“蔬菜和其他副食品的供应问题，其意义绝不在建设工厂之下，应该放在与建设工厂同等重要的地位。如果只注意工业建设，不注意解决职工的生活问题，工人就可能闹事，回过头来还得解决”。1961年，他通过在家乡青浦调查，提出我国的集体耕地占全部耕地的90%以上，再增加一点自留地比重不会动摇社会主义的经济基础。他说：“在当前农民口粮不足的情况下，农民最关心的不是‘社会主义还是资本主义’，而是‘吃饭还是吃粥’。多分一点自留地，可以使农民多得一点口粮，对巩固工农联盟和社会主义制度有好处，是社会主义经济的必要的补充。”三年困难时期，全国粮食紧张，人民营养不良。陈云同志通过咨询专家了解到，人浮肿主要原因是缺少蛋白质，而大豆的蛋白质含量高，在缺少肉蛋的情况下，可以用大豆补充。于是，他提出每年拿出30亿斤大豆，给6000万城市居民每人每月发3斤。他还建议动用一些钢材制造机帆船出海捕鱼，再压缩一部分生猪出口，以便使大中城市居民每人每月增加半斤鱼半斤肉。他说：“目前，这样的问题，是国家大事。如果六千多万人身体搞得不好，我们不切实想办法解决，群众是会有意见的。人民群众要看共产党对他们到底关心不关心，有没有办法解决生活的问题。这是政治问题。”他还指出：“农业问题，市场问题，是关系五亿多农民和一亿多城市人口生活的大问题，是民生问题。解决这个问题，应该成为重要的国策。”

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “We must improve the quality of investigative research, accurately grasp new situations, new problems, and new trends in economic and social development through various channels and methods, and accurately grasp what is needed at the grassroots level and what the masses hope for, so that decision-making is more in line with reality and more in line with the people’s wishes.” At present, the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, which are accelerating, global problems are intensifying, and China’s reform, development, and stability face many deep-seated contradictions that cannot be avoided or bypassed. We must further make good use of investigative research, this heirloom, to promote the resolution of development problems through deepening investigative research, grasp more real situations, understand objective laws more thoroughly, lay a solid foundation for doing all work well and taking on responsibilities, and continue to advance the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era under Xi Jinping Thought.

习近平总书记指出：“要提高调查研究质量，通过各种途径和方式，准确把握经济社会发展中的新情况新问题新趋势，准确把握基层所需、群众所盼，使决策更加符合实际，更加符合人民群众愿望。”当前，世界百年未有之大变局正加速演进，全球性问题加剧，我国改革发展稳定面临不少深层次矛盾，躲不开、绕不过。我们必须进一步用好调查研究这个传家宝，以深化调查研究推动解决发展难题，把真实情况掌握得更多一些，把客观规律认识得更透一些，为做好各项工作、担当作为打下扎实基础，把习近平新时代中国特色社会主义事业继续推向前进。

(The author is former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and former Director of the Institute of Contemporary China Studies)

（作者系中国社科院原副院长兼当代中国研究所所长）

Online Editor: Ma Jingren

网络编辑：马京仁