Central Committee’s Instructions Transmitting the Pingyuan Provincial Party Committee’s Circular on the Situation of Corruption and Degeneration Among Cadres
(December 15, 1951)

To all central bureaus, and forward to sub-bureaus and provincial, municipal, and district party committees:

This document from the Pingyuan Provincial Party Committee[1] exposes in a concentrated manner the serious corruption and degeneration existing among local cadres, which is thought-provoking. It is to be published in internal party journals. It is hoped that all provincial, municipal, and district party committees will issue a similar document.

Central Committee
December 15

[1] Refers to the circular issued by the Pingyuan Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of China on December 10, 1951, regarding the inspection and handling of anti-corruption cases and the future mobilization of the anti-corruption struggle, addressed to all municipal party committees and reported to the North China Bureau. The circular pointed out that, according to statistics from the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission for the first half of the year, among cadres at the district level and above who were punished for violations of law and discipline, 65% received party disciplinary sanctions such as expulsion from the party, probation within the party, or removal from office due to corruption, bribery, and degeneration. According to statistics from the procuratorate for 14 counties, among the illegal cases from January to August, corruption and dereliction of duty accounted for 47%. The problem of corruption is by no means an issue of isolated individuals or departments but a serious problem that is already quite widespread.