Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai’s Telegram to Liu Shaoqi Regarding the Issuance of Instructions on Land Reform and Grain Collection in the New Liberated Areas (February 17, 1950)

Comrade Shaoqi: We have received your telegram containing the draft instructions on land reform and grain collection in the new areas.
In general, it is very good and should be issued without delay.
However, as the fourth section deals directly with the issue of land distribution itself, might we postpone its publication?
During my report to Comrade Stalin on our land reform policy, he suggested dividing the distribution of landlord lands and rich peasant lands into two distinct, longer phases.
Although we do not prohibit peasants from demanding the distribution of surplus land from rich peasants at present, we should refrain from making any definitive provisions for this in official decrees.
Despite our explanations regarding China’s semi-feudal rich peasants and our clarification that capitalist-rich peasants’ property would not be confiscated, he continued to cite the Soviet Union after the October Revolution as an example, urging us to regard the struggle against rich peasants as a serious one.
His central idea was to remain neutral toward the rich peasants while overthrowing the landlord class, so as not to disrupt production.
At the Political Bureau meeting last November, the need to handle rich peasants with caution during land reform in the Jiangnan region was also discussed.
Since this matter concerns not only the rich peasants but also the national bourgeoisie, the land reform decrees for Jiangnan must differ somewhat from those in the north.
Amendments will therefore be required to documents such as the 1933 regulations and the 1947 Land Law.
Accordingly, we propose that the State Council currently publish only the first three sections of the instructions on land reform and grain collection in the new areas, reserving the fourth section for discussion upon our return.
If revisions are necessary, they could be made and another document specifically addressing land reform itself could then be issued in April.
Should you agree, we might explain to non-Party democratic figures that the fourth section pertains to policies to be implemented only after this autumn, allowing for further deliberation until Chairman Mao returns, at which time a final decision can be reached and the document formally promulgated.

Mao Zedong Zhou Enlai February 17, 7:00 AM Printed according to Mao Zedong’s revised version.