Reply to Luo Ronghuan, Li Yu, and Xiao Hua[1]

(September 14, 1944)

In the experience of vetting cadres in Yan’an, many things were excessively “Left” in the early stage, but they have since been corrected. You must not repeat them. In Shandong, you should act prudently and cautiously. Where there is no sufficient and reliable evidence, do not lightly believe that someone is a special agent. Matters such as special agents, defection, surrender, party affiliation, and mistakes must be treated separately. Serious suspects (those with evidence) may be temporarily arrested pending interrogation, but their number should be extremely small. It is especially important to uphold the policy of not executing a single one.

[1] This is the main content of Mao Zedong’s telegram in reply to Luo Ronghuan, Li Yu, and Xiao Hua on the issue of vetting cadres in Shandong.