Central Forwarding to An Ziwen. Comments on the Report [2] Concerning the Work Situation During the Handling Phase of the Three-Anti Campaign in Central Organs
(June 30, 1952)

To the Party Committees Directly Under the CPC Central Committee, to All Departments of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, to the Party Leadership Groups of the Central People’s Government, with Notification to All Central Bureaus:
[1]
An Ziwen was then Deputy Minister of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and Second Secretary of the General Party Committee of First-Rank Central Organs.
[2]
This refers to An Ziwen’s comprehensive report dated May 29, 1952, addressed to Mao Zedong and the CPC Central Committee, outlining the situation and problems encountered during the handling phase of the Three-Anti Campaign in first-rank central organs, as well as his views on the next stage of work. The report stated that the central link in the handling phase lay not in trials by the people’s courts, but in finalizing cases and recovering stolen assets—especially in reaching firm conclusions on each case. To achieve this, organized summoning and interrogation of industrial and commercial operators was a crucial method; through such procedures, much evidence and numerous issues had been verified and corroborated. This round of widespread self-criticism regarding relationships with the bourgeoisie, conducted on the basis of the “tiger-hunting” campaign, was far more thorough and in-depth than previous rectification and cadre-verification efforts. Through these confessions, leaders and cadres were profoundly educated, their economic and social ties were clarified, the boundary between the working class and the bourgeoisie was clearly drawn, and the leadership gained a solid grasp of the underlying realities. The basic principle guiding the handling phase was: seeking truth from facts, neither wrongfully convicting nor letting offenders go unpunished. Only through meticulous investigation, careful deliberation, differentiated treatment, strict control, and full implementation of policy could victory be achieved. The key to the next phase lay in strengthening ideological, organizational, and institutional foundations so as to fundamentally prevent the resurgence of corruption, waste, and bureaucratism. The fundamental requirement for ideological building was to draw a clear ideological line between the working class and the bourgeoisie. Organizational reform entailed a general reorganization based on the principles of streamlining institutions and enhancing efficiency. Institutional reform primarily involved establishing and improving various systems—such as those governing finance and infrastructure—on the basis of the problems uncovered during the Three-Anti Campaign, with the central focus being the establishment and perfection of democratic institutions.

(1) We approve Comrade An Ziwen’s report of May 29. (2) This report is to be transmitted by ground transportation to all Central Bureaus for their reference and adaptation. (3) It may be published in Party publications.
The Central Committee
June 30