Comments on the Experience of the Second Campaign
(April 18, 1952)

This document No. 1–11 is excellent; it is hereby circulated to all Central Bureaus, Sub-bureaus, and provincial and municipal Party committees for emulation.

The Central Committee
April 18

[I]
Refers to the Communiqué issued on April 15, 1952, by the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to its subordinate organizations and to the Central Committee, detailing the experience gained during the second phase of the Five-Anti Campaign in Shanghai. The communiqué states that the Five-Anti Campaign in Shanghai managed to resolve the issues concerning 60 percent of all industrial and commercial households—whose employees accounted for 80 percent of the total workforce—within just forty days. Among the key lessons worthy of attention elsewhere are the following:

(1) Focus on the extremes to resolve the majority. First, emphasis was placed on 12,000 key and large enterprises, whose employees represented 70 percent of the total workforce and which played a dominant role both economically and in tax collection, thereby holding great economic and political significance. At the same time, small-scale family businesses and independent handicraftsmen with minor violations were also targeted. This approach enabled the resolution of 60 percent of Shanghai’s industrial and commercial cases within a short period.

(2) “Troops at the city gates—victory without battle,” “capture the majority, examine the minority,” “advance while persuading surrender,” and “boldly utilize captured elements” were crucial to swiftly bringing about a resolution.

(3) In terms of methodology, the use of mutual-assistance and mutual-inspection group meetings where capitalists confronted one another face-to-face, combined with workers’ accusations and reports, as well as plenary sessions conducted behind closed doors against the capitalist side, succeeded in mobilizing the masses to expose capitalist misconduct without precipitating severe antagonism or animosity between labor and management. After the capitalists had fully confessed and submitted, they were then required to make self-criticism before the workers and pass the workers’ scrutiny. This not only maintained the workers’ active role but also greatly facilitated continued production following the Five-Anti Campaign.

(4) Timely announcement of lenient treatment for 74 industrial and commercial households found guilty of serious or complete violations—specifically, exemption from punishment and criminal prosecution—set an important policy example.

(5) Strict control over all aspects of the Five-Anti Campaign ensured that the movement remained orderly rather than chaotic. News reporting was tightly regulated to create a situation in society characterized by outward relaxation coupled with inner rigor, which played a significant role in stabilizing the market and reassuring the public. Furthermore, issues arising from the Three-Anti Campaign that might have become entangled with the Five-Anti were carefully managed, keeping the campaign’s procedures clear and well-organized without compromising the standards set by the Three-Anti judgments; the timing was simply aligned with the Five-Anti schedule.