Circular of the Central Committee on the Assassination of Huang Zuyan, Director of the Political Department of the Shandong Military Region
(March 18, 1951)

To all Central Bureaus, all Greater Military Regions, the Party Committee of the Chinese People's Volunteers, and forward to Sub-Bureaus, Provincial Party Committees, Regional Party Committees, Municipal Party Committees of large and medium-sized cities, all Provincial Military Districts, all Army Corps, and all Armies:

According to reports, Comrade Huang Zuyan, Director of the Political Department of the Shandong Military Region, was assassinated with a firearm by counter-revolutionary Wang Jumin at a meeting on March 13. This is an assassination of a senior Party cadre by a counter-revolutionary element hidden within our Party, a rare occurrence in the past, and should arouse the vigilance of the entire Party. Wang Jumin was the Deputy Chief of the Propaganda and Education Section of the Political Department of the Shandong Huimin Military Sub-District. He infiltrated our Party in 1941. His family background was that of a local despot, and his family was struggled against during the land reform. Wang committed suicide on the spot after committing the murder. According to telegrams from the Shandong Sub-Bureau and the Military Region, this incident is clearly a retaliatory act by counter-revolutionaries at a time when our Party and the People's Government are resolutely suppressing counter-revolutionaries. This circular is hereby issued, and you are earnestly requested to pay attention to the following:

(1) Strictly guard against retaliation by counter-revolutionaries. It must be affirmed that retaliation by counter-revolutionaries is inevitable, and preventive measures must be taken in advance; there must be absolutely no negligence. In addition to strengthening security, the most important thing is to adopt active measures to uncover counter-revolutionary organizations, destroy the lairs of counter-revolutionaries, and resolutely and swiftly execute all counter-revolutionaries who should be executed, so that the counter-revolutionaries are caught off guard and rendered incapable of carrying out retaliatory acts.

(2) It must be recognized that a small number of counter-revolutionary elements have already infiltrated the Party, the government, and the army, and we must never assume that all is peaceful and secure. Attention should now begin to be paid to this issue, investigating suspicious elements and gathering materials. Within organs at the level of prefectural Party committees and special commissioner's offices and above, within organs at the level of military sub-districts and divisions and above, and within municipal organs at the city and district levels, special attention should be paid to investigating such suspicious elements. As soon as there is material, appropriate measures should be taken to ensure the purity and security of the leading organs of the Party, government, and army at all levels. There must be absolutely no indecision, hesitation, or tolerance towards evildoers. This is of the utmost importance.

Central Committee
March 18

Published based on Mao Zedong's handwritten manuscript.