Forwarded Comment on Rao Shushi’s¹ Report Concerning the Cleaning Up of the External, Internal, and Middle Layers in the Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries
(April 2, 1951)

Comrade Shushi, with copies to Comrades Zihui, Jianying, Xiaoping, Zhongxun, Yibo, Gao Gang, and Dehuai²:

I agree with all the opinions set forth in Comrade Shushi’s report of March 29.³ Regarding the suppression of counterrevolutionaries, the current focus remains on the “external layer” and the leading bodies of the “internal layer.” However, the “middle layer” organs and key departments must be cleaned up in a timely manner, and certain individuals against whom there is already material or who are suspected must be dealt with promptly. This policy is entirely correct. The East China Bureau has also stipulated a number of steps and methods for the cleanup and handling, all of which are very correct and necessary. Responsible comrades of all central bureaus are requested to pay attention to this. Although the Volunteer Army is in a combat environment, attention must also be paid to ensuring the security and purity of leading organs at all levels and all key departments.

Mao Zedong
April 2
Published based on the manuscript.

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**Notes**
¹ Rao Shushi, then First Secretary of the East China Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
² Zihui refers to Deng Zihui, then Third Secretary of the Central-South Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Jianying refers to Ye Jianying, then First Secretary of the South China Sub-Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Xiaoping refers to Deng Xiaoping, then First Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Zhongxun refers to Xi Zhongxun, then First Secretary of the Northwest Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Yibo refers to Bo Yibo, then First Secretary of the North China Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Gao Gang, then Secretary of the Northeast Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Dehuai refers to Peng Dehuai, then Commander and Political Commissar of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army.
³ Refers to Rao Shushi’s report of March 29, 1951, to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee on the progress of several major tasks in East China at the time. In addition to reporting on work such as the movement to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea, land reform, and spring plowing in the East China region, the report focused on putting forward opinions concerning the cleaning up of the external, internal, and middle layers in the suppression of counterrevolutionaries. The report proposed that, due to insufficient subjective strength and in order to collect more materials, the current suppression of counterrevolutionaries work in the East China region must still concentrate forces first on doing a good job with the external layer, and then turn to the middle and internal layers. However, at present, the leading organs and key departments of the middle and internal layers must be cleaned up in a timely manner, and certain individuals against whom there is already material or who are suspected must be dealt with promptly; otherwise, the danger is extremely great. All Party cadres and government workers whose family members have been struggled against or executed, if they themselves have not been politically tested and still maintain contact with despotic landlord families, should all be transferred away from leading organs and key departments and must undergo examination. Ordinary members of reactionary parties, leagues, and special services within government organs who have now voluntarily confessed and registered may temporarily be retained in their posts for observation, in order to collect more materials and prepare for a comprehensive rectification and cadre examination, but they must be immediately transferred away from leading organs and key departments. Backbone elements of reactionary parties, leagues, and special services at the sub-district branch level and above, even if they have voluntarily confessed and registered, should also be dealt with in a planned manner by adopting the method of retaining their posts while transferring them for training, carrying out study and examination simultaneously. All concealed reactionary party, league, and special service elements within our Party, government, and military who continue to carry out counterrevolutionary activities (whether they are principal elements or coerced followers), once discovered and solid evidence obtained, should all be resolutely suppressed.