Central Plains Bureau, and inform the Northern Bureau, Shandong Sub-Bureau, Southeast Bureau, Southern Bureau, and Southern Committee [1]:

(1) When organizing political organs and public opinion bodies in northern Jiangsu, the Three-Thirds System must be resolutely implemented, with the Communist Party occupying only one-third of the seats. At the outset, it may even be less than one-third. All leaders from various parties, factions, and non-partisan individuals who are not actively anti-Communist should be recruited to participate. This should include the centrist and left-wing elements of the Kuomintang, as well as national bourgeoisie figures like Han Guojun and enlightened landlords. A small number of right-wing representatives may also be allowed. A genuinely united coalition government of all parties, factions, sectors, and armies must be formed, and we must avoid monopolizing power. This will have a significant impact nationwide.

(2) Labor policies must avoid being overly leftist. For now, only minor improvements should be made, such as reducing the fourteen-hour workday to thirteen or twelve hours, without implementing an eight-hour system, to ensure that capitalists can make a profit.

(3) Land policies should implement partial reductions in rent and interest to win over the basic peasant masses, but reductions should not be excessive. Interest reductions should not result in peasants being unable to borrow money, and the settlement of old debts should not lead to the confiscation of landlords' land. At the same time, peasants must be required to fulfill their obligations to pay rent and interest, ensuring landlords' land ownership rights. The operational principles of rich peasants should generally remain unchanged. It must be explained to the Party and the peasants that this is not yet the period for implementing a land revolution, so as to avoid the overly leftist errors that once occurred in North China.

(4) Agree with Hufu [2] on the approach to taxation. In the absence of a better method, taxes should temporarily be collected according to the old system, though harsh and miscellaneous levies should be appropriately reduced.

(5) The policy on eliminating traitors should be based on the principle of suppressing only a small number of the most reactionary elements universally detested by the people, with every effort made to avoid excessive killings. Apart from the government, no organizations or groups are permitted to arbitrarily arrest or punish individuals.

(6) The economic policy should aim to maximize the development of industrial and agricultural production and commercial circulation, while avoiding any disruption to production and commerce. Shanghai capitalists should be encouraged to establish industries in northern Jiangsu.

(7) The cultural and educational policy should only eliminate the cultural autocracy of the comprador big bourgeoisie, allowing the liberal ideas of the national bourgeoisie to exist and permitting liberal cultural figures and educators to run newspapers and schools.

(8) In summary, your current policies should only eliminate the autocracy of the comprador big bourgeoisie and the feudal landlords, and implement preliminary improvements in people's livelihoods. On the one hand, safeguard the human rights, political rights [3], property rights, and freedoms of speech, assembly, and association for workers, peasants, and the petty bourgeoisie. On the other hand, ensure the human rights, political rights, property rights, and freedoms of speech, assembly, and association for all capitalists and landlords, except for traitors. As long as there is no armed insurrection, all parties and social strata should have the freedom to operate. The existence of the Kuomintang should be permitted, and a progressive Kuomintang should be organized.

(9) The above guidelines should be implemented throughout Central China (and, of course, in North China as well).

(10) Report promptly by telegram on how you specifically implement each policy.

Central Secretariat
December 13
Printed based on Mao Zedong's manuscript.

Notes
[1] Southern Committee refers to the Southern Work Committee of the CPC Central Committee.
[2] Hufu refers to Liu Shaoqi.
[3] "Political rights" here and in the following text refer to political rights.