Reply Telegram and Comments on the Summary Report
(January 26, 1952)

Comrade Rao Shushi:
The two reports from the East China Bureau, dated January 23 and January 24, have both been received. The orientation is correct, the achievements are great, and I am extremely pleased.

Mao Zedong
January 26

[I]
The report submitted by the East China Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on January 23, 1952, summarized the situation and experience of launching the Three-Anti Campaign in the East China-level organs. The report stated:
The Three-Anti Campaign in the East China-level organs and most public institutions and enterprises has entered the stage of confession and denunciation, as well as convening meetings of merchants to apply pressure from both within and without. In units where the campaign has been carried out relatively well, because leading cadres are ideologically united, have conducted relatively profound self-criticisms before the masses, and have broadly promoted democracy, thoroughly mobilizing the masses to participate in the Three-Anti Campaign, the leadership has thus gained the initiative, and the spearhead of the struggle has swiftly turned toward the anti-corruption aspect. Most units have adopted the method of combining large meetings with small meetings, calling for confessions and denunciations. On the one hand, those who passively resist, refuse to confess, or collude with merchants to form "offensive and defensive alliances" are resolutely dismissed, suspended, or arrested; on the other hand, corrupt elements who thoroughly confess their own crimes while denouncing others, as well as minor corrupt elements who voluntarily confess, are publicly declared exempt from punishment. This has enabled the campaign to rapidly deepen and develop. The report submitted by the East China Bureau to the Central Committee on January 24, 1952, mainly summarized the number of people in the East China-level organs who had confessed to acts of corruption as of January 23, among whom a total of 113 individuals had embezzled over ten million yuan.

To all Central Bureaus, with copies forwarded to sub-bureaus, provincial, municipal, and district Party committees, all major military regions, and the Chinese People's Volunteers:
The Three-Anti experience described in the East China Bureau’s report of January 23 is very comprehensive and is hereby distributed to all localities for reference.

To all comrades:
Mao Zedong
January 26

The organs directly under the East China Bureau have achieved great results, having already captured 113 tigers, large and small.

[I]
Mao Zedong
January 26

[I]
This comment by Mao Zedong was written on the East China Bureau’s report of January 24, 1952, concerning the number of corrupt individuals in the East China-level organs, submitted to the Central Committee.