Iron-making by smashing pots was put forward in the period of 1958. At that time, there was a slogan to catch up with the Premier League and catch up with British steel production, because at that time we were worse than Britain in all aspects. Steel is the industrial base of a country and needs more steel.

In order to speed up the industrial development of China and catch up with the steel output of Britain, the slogan of "making iron by smashing pots" was put forward.