In 1958 the Chinese communist party launched the Great Leap Forward campaign under the new "General Line for Socialist Construction." Mao Zedong(leader of China) promised the People's Republic that within fifteen years China would exceed Great Britain in the production of major products. Although evidence is vague, Mao's decision to introduce the Great Leap Forward was based in part on his concern about the Soviet policy of economic, financial, and technical assistance to China.
The Great Leap Forward was aimed at accomplishing the economic and technical development of the country at a much faster pace and with greater results. A new plan called "the people's communes" centered on a new socioeconomic and political system created in the countryside and in a few urban areas. It also set very high goals for increases in basic products such as iron and steel. These goals were unrealistic and the plan lacked sufficient planning.
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