Instruction Concerning the Examination of Cadres[1]

(October 9, 1943)

Kill none and arrest few is the policy that must be upheld in this struggle against secret agents.

[1] After the examination of cadres began in the Yan'an Rectification Movement, serious deviations occurred because the enemy situation was overestimated and the erroneous method of "coercion, confession, and belief" was used. Only through much effort were the mistakes in the work of examining cadres checked. This is the instruction concerning the examination of cadres issued by Mao Zedong on October 9.