Unexpected Twist
During the conference, Peng Dehuai, then PRC's defense minister, wrote a public letter to Mao criticizing some elements of the Great Leap Forward. In the letter, he criticized elements like the "winds of exaggeration" (i.e., over-reporting of grain production), the communal dining and also the establishment of commune militia which he felt would undermine the strength of the People's Liberation Army.
For this reason, Mao extended the conference for more than ten days.
Read more about this topic: Lushan Conference
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