Comments and Revisions on Two Documents of the 14th National Public Security Conference[I]

(June 29, 1965; July 10, 1965)

Minister Xie:

I have reviewed both documents[3] and approve them for implementation as drafted. If the conference produces any good suggestions, they may be incorporated.

I have revised a few sentences.[4]

Mao Zedong
June 29

For a small number of prisoners or individuals retained on site after completing their sentences who have undergone successful reform and made exceptional contributions to production and construction—such as Wang Canwen, an engineer at the Jinzhou Electrical Machinery Plant who developed vacuum smelting and electron bombardment furnaces (a retained individual)—such persons may have their sentences reduced, be released early, or have their labels removed. They may also be granted the status of engineer or other appropriate economic benefits.

IV

The Chairman said: It is very good when all is peaceful under heaven. But great chaos under heaven is not necessarily a bad thing. Chaos (referring to war) has its immense benefits. For example, our Party has experienced twenty-five years of war (not counting the Sino-Indian border war), and did we not emerge victorious in all of them?

--- Notes

[I] Refers to the transcript of Minister of Public Security Xie Fuzhi’s speech at the 14th National Public Security Conference on June 11, 1965, and the report of the Ministry of Public Security Party Group on the 14th National Public Security Conference dated July 9, 1965. Xie Fuzhi’s speech addressed his views and opinions on the following four issues: 1. Relying on the masses for dictatorship, making fewer arrests, and not passing contradictions upward; 2. Public security work in preparation for war; 3. Churches and reactionary secret societies; 4. The "Four Cleanups" and political work within the public security force. The Ministry of Public Security Party Group’s report raised several specific issues requiring formal approval from the Central Committee: 1. Control over arrests, detentions, and reeducation through labor; 2. Strengthening reform work; 3. Several issues concerning the development of the people’s police.


[2] Part One is Mao Zedong’s comment written on Xie Fuzhi’s letter of June 28, 1965, submitting the transcript of his speech at the 14th National Public Security Conference for review. Part Two is Mao Zedong’s comment written on Xie Fuzhi’s letter of July 10, 1965, submitting the draft notice for the Central Committee to forward the two documents of the 14th National Public Security Conference to Peng Zhen, Secretary of the Central Secretariat. Part Three is Mao Zedong’s revision of a passage in the second issue, "Strengthening Reform Work," of the Ministry of Public Security Party Group’s report. Part Four is Mao Zedong’s revision of a passage in the second issue, "Preparation for War," of the transcript of Xie Fuzhi’s speech.


[3] One document refers to the transcript of Xie Fuzhi’s speech at the 14th National Public Security Conference; the other refers to materials compiled by the Office of the Central Air Defense Committee on the successful mobilization of residents in Nanning, Gejiu, and Zhanjiang to dig air-raid shelters and trenches.


[4] See Parts Three and Four of this text.