Angang Constitution

The Angang Constitution (), also known as An-Steel Constitution or Constitution of the Anshan Iron and Steel Complex, refers to a set of basic experiences of enterprise management summarized by China's Anshan Iron and Steel Company (鞍山钢铁公司) in the early 1960s. This "Constitution" was formed in 1960. In 1960, Ma Bin (马宾) presided over the creation of the Angang experience (鞍钢经验), namely "two participations, one reform and three-in-one unity", mass technical innovation and revolution, which was called "Angang Constitution" and "Mabin Constitution" (马宾宪法) by Mao Zedong, and was implemented in China. Therefore, Mao was one of the key participants in the formulation of the "Angang Constitution". In 1958, prompted by the political movement of the Great Leap Forward, workers at Angang laid out rules to challenge the existing operations of their workplace. These ideas were reflected in the March 11, 1960, "Report of the Anshan City Committee Regarding the Beginning of the Movement for Technological Reform and Technological Revolution." On March 22, 1960, the Communist Party of China's Central Committee approved the document and distributed it to various governmental bodies. Mao designated the document as the "Angang Constitution" and stated that its principles should guide the operation of state enterprises. The Angang Constitution was an attempt to address the question of how workers could take the initiative and establish new forms of political organization, without which the industrial danwei might end up reproducing the same subordinate relationship of workers to bosses as existed under management at a capitalist factory. It aimed to achieve industrial democracy based on shared responsibilities and equality, which would in turn improve efficiency and morale. The Angang Constitution was a response by workers to the principles of the Magang Constitution, a Soviet model of management techniques, rules, laws, and standards which Angang had previously followed.