Telegraph from the General Political Department Concerning the Establishment of Military–Political Committees in Units with a Large Number of Uprising Officers (October 28, 1950) To the Political Departments of the East China, Central-South, Northwest, and North China Military Regions: According to a telegram received on October 21 from the Political Department of the Southwest Military Region, the Yunnan Military Region has proposed that military–political committees be established at the corps and division levels in the Provisional Twelfth and Provisional Thirteenth Armies, which consist of units that have recently risen in revolt.

The proposal states: “In order to facilitate unity and to stimulate the initiative of the retained officers at the corps, division, and regimental levels in the Provisional Twelfth and Thirteenth Armies, and to organize their work more effectively, military–political committees should be set up at all corps- and division-level units where such personnel are present, with these officers included as members, thereby establishing collective leadership within the administrative structure. Major issues should first be discussed and decided by the Party Committee before being implemented through the committee. At the same time, this mechanism may be used for reviewing work and conducting mutual criticism, so as to cultivate a sense of organizational discipline.” The proposal further notes that the Yunnan Military Region seeks our approval and wishes to know whether it can proceed accordingly.

We have approved this suggestion. In all units under the various military regions that include a significant number of uprising officers, military–political committees may be established at or above the regimental level to promote unity and transformation. Issued by the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission on October 28, based on Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft.