Instructions on Two Documents Concerning the Struggle to Eliminate Counter-Revolutionaries
(July 19, 1955)

To the Shanghai Bureau, all provincial and municipal Party committees, Party committees of autonomous regions, all departments of the Central Committee and the Military Commission, and all Party leadership groups within state organs:

The Hebei Provincial Party Committee’s plan of July 14, 1955, on launching the struggle to eliminate hidden counter-revolutionaries [1] and Comrade Zhang Chengxian’s conclusions delivered at the meeting of leading officials of the five-person groups of the provincial departments and prefectural and municipal Party committees [2] are both very good. They are hereby issued to you for reference.

Central Committee
July 19, 1955

To be reviewed by Liu, Deng, and Lu Dingyi [3]; handled by Shangkun [4].

This document merits careful reading. Many of the issues we have discussed are resolved here very well.

Mao Zedong
July 19

[1]
1. The focus of this struggle throughout the province shall be placed on provincial-level organs and municipalities directly under the province, and shall be largely brought to a conclusion by the end of September.
2. All prefectural Party committees are required to focus on prefectural-level organs and launch this struggle in August and September. Prefectural Party committees shall establish five-person groups to strengthen leadership over this struggle. All county Party committees shall begin in September, and with the assistance of prefectural Party committees, shall assemble county and district cadres and intellectuals in batches to conduct education on raising vigilance, thereby preparing for the work of examining cadres and purging counter-revolutionary elements.
3. All faculty and students of institutions of higher learning, as well as the teaching and administrative staff and graduating students of specialized secondary schools, shall remain at their schools after the completion of summer vacation examinations to undergo 7 to 10 days of study. Party schools and cadre schools of various departments may select specific times to organize reports, study, and discussions among students, and issue general calls for confession and denunciation. Teaching and administrative staff of primary and secondary schools, as well as medical and nursing personnel in all hospitals, shall universally undergo education on raising vigilance and shall conduct political background assessments to prepare for the purging work.
4. The guidelines, policies, and specific methods for launching this struggle must be strictly implemented in accordance with the directives of the Central Committee. The Provincial Party Committee approves Zhang Chengxian’s conclusions delivered at the meeting of leading officials of the five-person groups of the provincial departments and prefectural and municipal Party committees, and issues them together with this plan to all prefectural and municipal Party committees, all departments and commissions of the provincial Party committee, and all Party leadership groups for implementation.
5. Launching the struggle to eliminate hidden counter-revolutionaries is one of the central tasks at present. Party committees at all levels must strengthen their leadership over this struggle.

[2]
[3]
[4]

--- Notes

The main contents of the plan on launching the struggle to eliminate hidden counter-revolutionaries, submitted by the Hebei Provincial Party Committee of the CPC on July 14, 1955, are as follows:

The conclusions delivered by Comrade Zhang Chengxian, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee of the CPC, at the meeting of leading officials of the provincial five-person groups held from June 28 to July 1, 1955, on earnestly implementing the directives of the Central Committee, opposing right-leaning paralysis and complacency, raising revolutionary vigilance, and launching the struggle to eliminate hidden counter-revolutionaries, mainly covered six points:
(1) An examination of the past struggle against the “Hu Feng counter-revolutionary clique.”
(2) Further understanding of the great significance of launching this struggle, and criticism of right-leaning paralysis and complacency.
(3) The need to boldly mobilize the masses while exercising strict leadership control, so as to smoothly and soundly launch the struggle to eliminate hidden counter-revolutionaries.
(4) Regarding examination and handling: It is necessary to conscientiously grasp the limit that only about 5% are counter-revolutionary elements, pay attention to investigation and research, and differentiate treatment according to the circumstances of each case.
(5) Specific arrangements and requirements.
(6) Party committees at all levels must strengthen their leadership over this struggle.


Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, then serving as Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Lu Dingyi, then serving as Director of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Central Ten-Person Group.


Shangkun refers to Yang Shangkun, then serving as Deputy Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the Central Committee.