What were Mao Zedong’s goals for industrializing China?

Mao Zedong’s primary goal for industrializing China was to rapidly transform the nation into an industrial power while bypassing the slow, traditional process of capital accumulation and heavy machinery investment. Through the Great Leap Forward (1958–1960), Mao sought to implement a strategy of "walking on two legs," which aimed for the simultaneous development of agriculture and industry, as well as large- and small-scale industrial sectors.12

Key aspects of his approach included:

• Labor-Intensive Methods: Mao aimed to utilize China’s vast population as a primary production force, relying on manpower rather than capital-intensive technology.12
• Decentralized Production: He promoted the establishment of small, local industrial units, most notably backyard steel furnaces in villages and urban neighborhoods, to accelerate output.13
• Rural Collectivization: By organizing peasants into large people’s communes, Mao intended to pool labor to increase agricultural production, which would then provide the resources necessary to support rapid urban industrial growth.2
• Ideological Primacy: Mao prioritized ideological dedication among cadres over technical expertise, believing that political mobilization could overcome material and structural obstacles.132

Ultimately, this strategy was a rejection of the Soviet model, which Mao felt was ill-suited to China’s dense population and lack of agricultural surplus.12