--- Notes

Commentary on the North China Military Region Party Committee’s Report on the Situation at the Military Region’s Senior Cadre Conference (December 21, 1951) To all Departments of the Central Military Commission, all Major Military Regions, and the Chinese People’s Volunteers:  We are hereby transmitting one copy of the North China Military Region Party Committee’s report dated December 15 [1] for your reference. Please circulate it widely among comrades in the major military regions and the Chinese People’s Volunteers. This report is very well written: it presents facts, offers analysis, proposes concrete measures, draws conclusions, and expresses firm resolve. It can serve as a model for implementation throughout the entire armed forces.  The report states: In order to prevent potential corruption and waste, the vigorous campaign against corruption, waste, and bureaucracy should be launched prior to the reorganization process. The committee has instructed that by the end of December, each military region, each corps, and each army submit a preliminary inspection report. Divisions and regiments are to submit similar reports no later than January 15. All major military regions and the Chinese People’s Volunteers are to formulate appropriate plans tailored to their own circumstances. Such plans have already been clearly laid out in the Northwest Military Region and the Guangxi Provincial Military Region.

Mao Zedong, December 21 Based on the manuscript.

Notes [1] Refers to the report dated December 15, 1951, from the CPC North China Military Region Committee to Mao Zedong, the Central Military Commission, the General Political Department, and the North China Bureau, concerning the situation at the military region’s senior cadre conference. After analyzing the phenomena of corruption, waste, and bureaucracy within the North China Military Region’s units and their underlying causes, the report points out that, in order to carry out a thorough ideological rectification within both the Party and the armed forces and to eradicate all forms of theft of state property, the meeting decided to immediately launch an open, mass-based, high-profile, resolute “Three-Anti” campaign. Moreover, to preclude any corruption or waste that might arise during the reorganization, this campaign should be conducted before the reorganization itself. With regard to the sequence of the Three-Anti movement, the approach will be from top to bottom, with leading cadres setting the example at every level, mobilizing the masses, promoting democracy, conducting mutual inspections throughout the ranks, and vigorously advancing the struggle against waste. This will be followed by a campaign to encourage self-confession and public denunciation aimed at combating corruption. Finally, building upon the efforts to combat waste and corruption, attention will turn to addressing bureaucracy and liberalism. In terms of focus, priority will be given to logistics departments, special forces units, and administrative and logistical sections of organs and production units; however, there will be no relaxation of education and inspection across all units regarding the proper care of weapons, state property, and public assets. The goal is to draw lessons from the campaign, establish relevant systems and mass covenants, consolidate the gains achieved, and make strict economy a regular, mass-driven task. The meeting further stipulated that, in addition to the various departments of the military region and the special forces, which are required to submit preliminary inspection reports by December 21 in accordance with instructions from the North China Bureau, the Twenty-Third Corps and all other armies and military regions must submit their preliminary reports by the end of December, while divisions and regiments are to do so no later than January 15.