<P> In Shanghai, suicide by jumping from tall buildings became so commonplace that residents avoided walking on the pavement near skyscrapers for fear that suicides might land on them . Some biographers have pointed out that driving those perceived as enemies to suicide was a common tactic during the Mao - era . For example, in his biography of Mao, Philip Short notes that in the Yan'an Rectification Movement, Mao gave explicit instructions that "no cadre is to be killed", but in practice allowed security chief Kang Sheng to drive opponents to suicide and that "this pattern was repeated throughout his leadership of the People's Republic". </P> <P> Following the consolidation of power, Mao launched the First Five - Year Plan (1953--1958). The plan aimed to end Chinese dependence upon agriculture in order to become a world power . With the Soviet Union's assistance, new industrial plants were built and agricultural production eventually fell to a point where industry was beginning to produce enough capital that China no longer needed the USSR's support . The success of the First - Five Year Plan was to encourage Mao to instigate the Second Five - Year Plan in 1958 . Mao also launched a phase of rapid collectivization . The CPC introduced price controls as well as a Chinese character simplification aimed at increasing literacy . Large - scale industrialization projects were also undertaken . </P> <P> Programs pursued during this time include the Hundred Flowers Campaign, in which Mao indicated his supposed willingness to consider different opinions about how China should be governed . Given the freedom to express themselves, liberal and intellectual Chinese began opposing the Communist Party and questioning its leadership . This was initially tolerated and encouraged . After a few months, Mao's government reversed its policy and persecuted those, totaling perhaps 500,000, who criticised, as well as those who were merely alleged to have criticised, the party in what is called the Anti-Rightist Movement . Authors such as Jung Chang have alleged that the Hundred Flowers Campaign was merely a ruse to root out "dangerous" thinking . </P> <P> Li Zhisui, Mao's physician, suggested that Mao had initially seen the policy as a way of weakening opposition to him within the party and that he was surprised by the extent of criticism and the fact that it came to be directed at his own leadership . It was only then that he used it as a method of identifying and subsequently persecuting those critical of his government . The Hundred Flowers movement led to the condemnation, silencing, and death of many citizens, also linked to Mao's Anti-Rightist Movement, resulting in deaths possibly in the millions . </P>

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