Central Instructions on Public Trials of Major Corrupt Officials (February 13, 1952)

To all Central Bureaus, with copy to sub-bureaus, provincial, municipal, and regional party committees, and also to the party committees of the major military regions:

From the latter half of February to the first half of March, except in the major administrative regions where, upon central approval, a batch of high-ranking corrupt officials within their own ranks may be tried by public trial, there is no urgent need at present to try and sentence major embezzlers among industrial and commercial circles.

Similarly, in the various provinces and cities, trials of senior corrupt officials within their own organizations are not to be rushed.

With regard to the approval procedures, as set forth in the North China Bureau’s telegram of February 10 [1], which stipulated that such cases should be approved by the Central Committee and the Premier of the Government Administration Council, the Central Committee deems it necessary, for the sake of prudence, that this requirement be strictly observed in the initial rounds of trials.

Please take note of this. Issued by the Central Committee on February 13, based on Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft.

Notes [ ] Refers to the North China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee’s telegram dated February 10, 1952, concerning the approval procedures for death sentences in cases involving corrupt officials, addressed to the Inner Mongolia Sub-bureau, all provincial party committees, and the municipal party committees of Beijing and Tianjin, with copy to the Central Committee.

The telegram provided as follows: (1) Whenever any province or city convenes a public trial to hear capital cases, it must first undergo repeated deliberations by the provincial or municipal party committee, with thorough consideration given to all aspects; all judgments and speeches must be fully prepared and mature. Only then may the secretary of the provincial or municipal party committee sign off and submit the case to the North China Bureau for approval. (2) All cases proposed for the death penalty, in addition to being submitted for review within the Party, must also be presented by the chairman of the provincial people’s government or the mayor of the municipal people’s government to Premier Zhou Enlai of the Government Administration Council and to the Supreme People’s Court for approval before execution can proceed. (3) With respect to corrupt officials facing execution, the local party committee and government must consult in advance with the chief responsible person of the official’s employing organization, reaching a consensus before making a decision. (4) Major corrupt officials who are also involved in political matters are to be left unaddressed for the time being and handled during or after the later stages of the Three-Anti Campaign.