--- Notes

Commentary on Raising the Reward Standards for Taiwanese Pilots Who Defected by Flying Over [1] (July 7, 1955)  Reviewed by Liu, Zhou, Chen, Zhu, Peng Zhen, and Xiaoping [2]; returned to Peng [3] for handling. It seems appropriate to raise the amounts somewhat—say, to twenty thousand, fifteen thousand, ten thousand, eight thousand, and so forth.

Mao Zedong Printed from his handwritten draft on July 7.

Note [1]: This commentary was written on a report dated July 7, 1955, submitted by Peng Dehuai, Member of the CPC Central Military Commission, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Minister of National Defense, to Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and the Central Committee, regarding the issue of reward standards for Taiwanese pilots who defected by flying over. The report stated that, based on recommendations from the General Political Department, the Military Commission had studied specific reward criteria for defectors from Taiwan. It was believed that providing material rewards to these defectors would serve two purposes: first, it would offer political encouragement, and second, it could help alleviate certain practical difficulties they faced, thereby reducing their hesitations about defecting. Given that previous regulations lacked concrete reward standards, it was proposed to grant different sums of money according to the defectors’ level of political awareness and the type of aircraft they piloted: 1. Defectors flying jet fighters would each receive RMB 15,000. 2. Defectors flying propeller-driven fighters and bombers would each receive RMB 6,000. 3. Defectors flying transport aircraft would each receive RMB 5,000. 4. Defectors flying trainer aircraft would each receive RMB 3,000.  Following Mao Zedong’s instructions, the Central Military Commission raised the above four categories of standards and, on July 24, 1955, issued, in the name of the General Political Department, regulations on reward standards for Taiwanese air force defectors.

[ ] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Chen refers to Chen Yun, who at that time served as Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Zhu refers to Zhu De. Peng Zhen held the post of Alternate Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Xiaoping refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at that time was Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. [3] Peng refers to Peng Dehuai.