Central Plenum’s Endorsement of Deng Xiaoping’s Report on the Three-Anti and Five-Anti Campaigns, Land Reform, and Economic Issues (March 20, 1952) To the Southwest Bureau, as well as to all Central Bureaus and the Shandong, South China, and Xinjiang Sub-bureaus:  (1) The Central Committee approves Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s report of March 15 [2], deeming it correct.  (2) This report is hereby transmitted to all Central Bureaus and Sub-bureaus for their reference and implementation; it may also be published in Party periodicals.  Issued by the Central Committee on March 20, based on Mao Zedong’s manuscript.  Notes  [1] Deng Xiaoping was then First Secretary of the CPC Central Committee’s Southwest Bureau.  [2] Refers to Deng Xiaoping’s report of March 15, 1952, addressed to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee, concerning the Three-Anti and Five-Anti campaigns, land reform, and economic matters. The report summarized the discussions and views reached at the Eighth Meeting of the Southwest Bureau Committee, held from March 10 to 12 with participation of heads of various provinces and autonomous regions, on these four issues.

(1) On the Three-Anti Campaign. By the end of March or early April, the Three-Anti movement above the county level throughout the region can be brought to a basic conclusion in successive stages. For villages and townships, the Three-Anti campaign should be carried out only after the corresponding work at the county level and above has been fully completed, or else following the autumn harvest. Schools must conduct the Three-Anti campaign, but it may be postponed slightly. In areas and departments where a large number of “tigers” have been exposed, the campaign should immediately enter the stage of verifying and consolidating results. With the exception of a few units still in the peak phase of the “tiger-hunting” drive, one-third of the available forces should be immediately reassigned to routine administrative tasks; by early April, the majority of personnel should be redirected to normal operations, with the aim of restoring all aspects of work to full normality within that month. In light of the shortcomings observed in the earlier phase of the Three-Anti Campaign, practices such as coerced confessions and physical torture must be resolutely abolished.

(2) On the Five-Anti Campaign. During the previous phase, because leadership resources were concentrated on the Three-Anti Campaign, only a small number of cities conducted the Five-Anti Campaign in earnest; more commonly, the Five-Anti effort was merely incidental to the main thrust of the Three-Anti drive. The meeting resolved to first concentrate efforts on carrying out the Five-Anti Campaign in twenty-five major cities, after which it would be extended to other towns and urban centers. Cities with very few industrial and commercial enterprises should not undertake the Five-Anti Campaign at all; such issues are to be addressed through democratic reforms.

(3) On Land Reform. The third phase of land reform, covering a population of 38 million, can generally be completed on schedule before the spring plowing season. With the exception of areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, the remaining 10 million people can have their land reform concluded this winter and next spring. At present, the question of land distribution remains unresolved; it has been decided to postpone the re-examination work until this winter and next year.

(4) On Economic Work. The meeting focused on how various economic institutions could swiftly resume operations, primarily addressing the shortage of qualified cadres. Economic organs have seen the highest number of “tigers” identified, yet they suffer from an acute lack of personnel. The meeting formulated several measures to resolve these problems.