1957165438+10 13, People's Daily published an editorial "Mobilize the whole people, discuss 40 articles, set off a new upsurge in agricultural production", criticized the phenomenon of "right conservatism" in economic work, and put forward that "we have the conditions and need to be on the production front. The Great Leap Forward Movement began. In the same month, Mao Zedong proposed in Moscow that steel output should surpass that of Britain within 15 years. 165438+1October 18 Mao Zedong said in his speech: China will have 5.2 million tons of steel this year, from100000 tons to150000 tons in five years, and from 35 million tons to 40 million tons in five years. We can catch up with and surpass Britain. In February 65438, at the Eighth National Congress of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Liu Shaoqi announced to the whole country the slogan of catching up with Britain in the output of steel and other heavy industrial products within 15 years. Later, the enthusiasm continued to rise, and the time to complete this goal continued to shorten. As an inherent requirement, catch up with Britain in 7 years and catch up with the United States in 8 years or 10 years; External separation is to strive to surpass Britain in the output of major industrial products below 15.