Comments on the Naval Party Committee’s Arrangement for Combating Bureaucracy (December 16, 1952)

Comrades Peng, Nie, Huang, Xiao Hua, and Xiao Xiangrong [1]: The Naval Party Committee’s arrangement [2] to combat bureaucracy is highly necessary. Please consider holding an enlarged meeting of the Party Committees in due course at appropriate times across the various departments of the Military Commission; the agenda may be broadly similar to that prescribed by Xiao Jingguang. If Comrade Peng deems it necessary, this should be discussed at the next regular session of the Military Commission and a decision reached. Once effective results have been achieved at the level of the Military Commission, the initiative may then be extended to the major military regions. Mao Zedong December 16

Based on the manuscript print. Notes [ ] Peng refers to Peng Dehuai, who at the time served as Vice Chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission. Nie refers to Nie Rongzhen, who at the time was Acting Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Huang refers to Huang Kecheng, who at the time was Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Director of the General Logistics Department. Xiao Hua was at the time Deputy Director of the General Political Department of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission. Xiao Xiangrong was at the time Director of the Office of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission. [ ] In a report to Mao Zedong dated December 10, 1952, Commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy Xiao Jingguang stated: “The Naval Party Committee plans to convene an enlarged meeting of the Naval Party Committee on January 10 of next year to conduct a democratic self-criticism campaign against bureaucracy, with the focus on reviewing ideological leadership over the entire force, the implementation of major tasks, and the organizational structures and working systems pertinent to overcoming bureaucratic practices, as well as to study ways of fulfilling the 1953 tasks.”