Forwarded Comment on Bo Yibo’s Report on the Preparatory Work for the Five-Anti Campaign in Shanghai

(March 5, 1952)

1. This document is to be distributed to all central bureaus for transmission to the municipal Party committees of various cities for reference.
In carrying out the Five-Anti Campaign in any city, it is essential to analyze the situation, define the strategy, organize the workers, organize the cadres (work teams), organize the command organs, and draw up an overall plan. Only then can the Five-Anti struggle be genuinely launched, with the plan being continuously revised in the course of the struggle. Under no circumstances should the Five-Anti Campaign be conducted blindly. The municipal Party committee must provide daily guidance to the districts and summarize experiences every few days. All central bureaus, sub-bureaus, and provincial, municipal, and district Party committees must discuss the local Five-Anti work every few days and must never be content with merely issuing one or two general directives.

Mao Zedong
March 5

2. In accordance with the new criteria for classification set by the central authorities, they should be divided into five categories: law-abiding, basically law-abiding, half law-breaking and half law-abiding, seriously law-breaking, and completely law-breaking.
— Mao’s note

3. The slogan of opposing profiteering should not be raised.
— Mao’s note

4. These two items should be opposed and can be classified under the category of opposing the theft of state assets.
— Mao’s note

5. Large cities differ from medium-sized cities. The district must serve as the unit for the Five-Anti Campaign, while the municipality exercises unified leadership over all districts.
— Mao’s note

6. Strict control is extremely necessary. In some cities, lax control has led to disturbances.
— Mao’s note

Printed from the manuscript.

**Notes**

1. Bo Yibo was then director of the Economy Inspection Committee of the Central People’s Government and was assigned by the Central Committee to assist in the Three-Anti and Five-Anti work in Shanghai.

2. This refers to Bo Yibo’s report of March 3, 1952, to Mao Zedong and the Central Committee on the preparatory work and deployment for the Five-Anti Campaign in Shanghai. The report stated that the Three-Anti Campaign in Shanghai was expected to be completed on schedule, and that in the past two or three days, preliminary discussions had been held with comrades from the municipal Party committee on the preparatory work for the Five-Anti Campaign, resulting in the following deployment:
   (1) Shanghai has a total of 163,000 industrial and commercial enterprises. Law-abiding enterprises account for 35% of the total, half law-abiding and half law-breaking enterprises account for 60%, and seriously law-breaking and completely law-breaking enterprises account for 5%.
   (2) There are over 500 upper-level capitalists in Shanghai, including chairmen of trade associations and directors and above of district federations of industry and commerce. Based on specific circumstances, they have been divided into three major categories: those to be protected, those to receive general protection, and those to be resolutely attacked. Opinions from various quarters are being solicited.
   (3) The content of the Five-Anti Campaign must be clearly defined. Some people still have a rather confused understanding of the Five-Anti concept. Some focus solely on opposing profiteering, some on opposing illegal foreign exchange transactions and concealment of enemy assets, and they trace these back many years, while others oppose everything indiscriminately.
   (4) Regarding the preparation of materials, personnel have been specially assigned to organize materials from mass accusations and capitalists’ confessions.
   (5) Five-Anti work teams or combat groups are to be organized and trained to serve as the backbone when the Five-Anti Campaign begins.
   (6) The leadership of the Five-Anti movement is proposed to be based on the district as the unit, strengthening the leading role of the district Party committee. The municipal Party committee will centrally oversee the development of the movement, control policy, and coordinate steps.
   (7) Before the Five-Anti Campaign begins, well-prepared materials on several major cases should be ready to be presented during the campaign, paving the way for complete victory in this struggle.
   (8) Strengthen leadership, enforce discipline, and exercise strict control.

3. In the above-mentioned report, Bo Yibo stated that Shanghai had ranked all its capitalists based on the extent and amount of their dealings with state economic departments, their impact on the national economy and people’s livelihood, and their influence within the bourgeoisie, dividing them into four categories: law-abiding, half law-abiding and half law-breaking, seriously law-breaking, and completely law-breaking. Mao Zedong wrote this comment after this passage.

4. Mao Zedong’s comment was written after the statement in Bo Yibo’s report that some people still had a rather confused understanding of the Five-Anti concept, “some focusing solely on opposing profiteering.”

5. Mao Zedong’s comment was written after the statement in Bo Yibo’s report concerning some people’s understanding of the Five-Anti concept, “some opposing illegal foreign exchange transactions and concealment of enemy assets.”

6. Mao Zedong’s comment was written after the following passage in Bo Yibo’s report regarding the leadership of the Five-Anti movement: “Shanghai is too large, with a population of six million and twenty-one district Party committees. It is practically impossible to concentrate everything at the municipal Party committee.”

7. Mao Zedong’s comment was written after the statement in Bo Yibo’s report that the Five-Anti movement should “strengthen leadership, enforce discipline, and exercise strict control.”