Sent to the Premier for review. I believe Liao Hansheng, like Yang Yong [2], is innocent. Both
were persecuted without discussion by the Central Committee, under the instructions of Lin
Biao [3] and others. After reading this, please give it to Jianying and Desheng [4] for their
review.
Mao Zedong
July 7, 1972

[1] On July 1, 1972, the children of Liao Hansheng, former Deputy Minister of National
Defense and Political Commissar of the Beijing Military Region, wrote to Mao Zedong, saying
that Liao Hansheng had been under isolation and investigation since January 8, 1967, and it
had been more than five years. "We heard that the Chairman had mentioned several times
that our father should be allowed to work. We are very happy and hope that our father can
come out and work for the Party and the people as soon as possible. However, there has
been no movement so far. We request that our father be allowed to return to Beijing, to his
home, and wait for the organization's conclusion outside so that he can understand the
situation, get familiar with the situation, have a physical examination, receive treatment and
recuperate, so that he can return to his post working for the Party and the people as soon as
possible." This letter was excerpted in the "Summary of Letters" No. 465 compiled by the
Letters and Visits Office of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee on July 7. Mao
Zedong's comments were written in this issue of "Summary of Letters". In December 1973,
Liao Hansheng became the Political Commissar of the Academy of Military Sciences of the
Chinese People's Liberation Army.
[2] Yang Yong. Former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation
Army. During the Cultural Revolution, he was framed and persecuted by the Lin Biao and
Jiang Qing anti-Party group. In May 1972, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the
Shenyang Military Region.
[3] Lin Biao, formerly Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the
Central Military Commission. During the Cultural Revolution, he formed a counterrevolutionary group with Chen Boda and others, and colluded with and competed with the
Jiang Qing counter-revolutionary group to seize the supreme leadership of the Party and the
state. After his conspiracy was exposed, he fled on September 13, 1971, and died in a plane
crash in Wulankhan, Mongolia. In August 1973, the CPC Central Committee passed a
resolution to expel Lin Biao from the Party. In 1981, the Special Tribunal of the Supreme



People's Court of the People's Republic of China confirmed him as the main culprit in the
counter-revolutionary group case.
[4] Jianying, also known as Ye Jianying, was then Vice Chairman of the Central Military
Commission of the Communist Party of China. He presided over the Military Commission’s
office meetings and was responsible for the Commission’s daily work. Desheng, also known
as Li Desheng, was then a member of the Central Military Commission of the Communist
Party of China, a member of the Military Commission’s office meetings, Director of the
General Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army, and Commander of the Beijing
Military Region.