Annotation on Bo Yibo’s Letter Transmitting Li Fuchun’s Report on the Progress of the Three-Anti Campaign in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (January 13, 1952)

Comrades Yibo and Fuchun:
Both letters and Fuchun’s letter of January 13 have been received. I agree with your opinions.

Mao Zedong
January 13
Published based on the manuscript.

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**Notes**
〔1〕Bo Yibo, then Deputy Director of the Financial and Economic Committee of the Government Administration Council and Director of the Central People's Government Austerity Inspection Committee.

〔2〕Li Fuchun, then Deputy Director of the Financial and Economic Committee of the Government Administration Council and Deputy Director of the Central People's Government Austerity Inspection Committee.

〔3〕Refers to Li Fuchun’s report of January 11, 1952, on the progress of the Three-Anti Campaign in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, addressed to Bo Yibo and forwarded to Mao Zedong, and Bo Yibo’s letter of January 12 transmitting Li Fuchun’s report to Mao Zedong. Li Fuchun’s report stated: The Three-Anti Campaign in the Academy of Sciences is progressing well and has educational significance for scientific personnel. Regarding the next steps, the principle that scientific personnel must be protected from harm must first be established. Those who have already conducted self-criticisms but cannot pass the review should be helped to do so. Those who have not yet conducted self-criticisms (such as institute directors) need not be named and required to do so. Regarding issues such as housing, cars, and heating for certain renowned scientists, Party and Youth League members should first be informed that these were approved by the government and do not constitute waste, much less corruption. This should then be explained to the public at an appropriate time. Secondly, it has been decided that the guidelines for conducting the Three-Anti Campaign in the Academy of Sciences must be integrated with the Academy’s specific conditions. The primary objective is to help scientists understand the dangers and sources of corruption, waste, and bureaucratic errors, recognizing that such problems also exist within the Academy. In the Academy of Sciences, the Three-Anti Campaign among scientists should primarily combine ideological enlightenment with ideological reform. The campaign’s continued development will proceed in two steps: The first step involves ideological reflection and targeted inspections. Ideological reflection should be led by Party and Youth League members, exposing bourgeois ideology to enlighten everyone. Non-Party individuals should not be compelled to engage in reflection. Targeted inspections should mainly examine whether the procurement of instruments and the use of scientific research funds were appropriate, clarifying the facts without pursuing personal responsibility or scrutinizing personal lives. The second step is to launch a rationalization proposal campaign, discussing how to improve future work, formulating work plans for the Academy and its various institutes for the year, and concluding the Three-Anti Campaign. Bo Yibo’s letter discussed two issues concerning the development of the Three-Anti Campaign: (1) In various industrial, transportation, and financial and economic departments, the Three-Anti Campaign has progressed to examining the bourgeois viewpoints of scientists and old specialists. We consider this very good and intend to promote it. (2) In most government offices, as the Three-Anti Campaign deepens and combines with opposition to the bourgeoisie’s attacks on us, participants naturally begin to examine their own thinking, distinguishing between proletarian and bourgeois ideology. We will continue to allow everyone to deepen the Three-Anti Campaign. However, if the Three-Anti Campaign has already been thorough and naturally transitions into distinguishing between proletarian and bourgeois ideology, this should be well guided.