Letter to Liu Kuiyi
(March 14, 1950)

Source: Shuxin, p. 354

According to the source, Liu Kuiyi (1878-1950) was an early revolutionary and a
founder of the Huaxing hui (China Arisen Society) and at this time was an advisor to
the People’s Military and Administration Committee of Hunan Province.

Honorable Mr. Linsheng:'

Your letter of December 27 last year has been received. I am greatly
gratified. Please permit me to apologize for being tardy in responding. With
regard to the bad things that have come into practice in the requisitioning of
grain, the government has already issued several decrees for the purpose of
correcting them; I wonder if the situation has become somewhat more relaxed
lately? The trouble of the bandits must be quelled and the chief villains must
be dealt with; this is a fixed principle. Nonetheless, in carrying out the quelling and the dealing with [the chief villains] we must have a strategy and
specific steps and measures, so that [the problem] may be resolved speedily
and the situation throughout the country may be secured and stabilized. I hear
that the trouble caused by the bandits has been on the whole resolved as far as
Hunan is concerned. Is this true? I would be very grateful if, at your convenience, you, sir, would tell me what you know about the matter.

With best and respectful regards for your good health, and apologies for the
incompleteness of this message,

Mao Zedong

March 14, 1950

Notes

. 1. Linsheng is Liu Kuiyi’s zi (honorific name). For the significance of this term and practice
€ text Oct. 15, 1949, note 1.

2. See text Jan. 17, 1951, note 1.

~~


7Z / MAO ZEDONG