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3/18/1949
- Communist Domestic Policy
by A. Doak Barnett
INSTITUTE OF CURRENT ORLD AFFAIRS Hal Ch Huung china Waler S Rogers Institute Curren World Affairs Fih Avenue York Yo Dear Rogers A major reorienaion domestic policy ca2ri Chinese Communis Par during months The Coauniss shifted aenion emphasis China urban China Th change approach which reoriena nails remely significant historic because markshe beginningof newpase historyofeCom movemen C hinao In years Communis Pary China organi radcal changes compsrsle imporance C0ms1Euoinlmmg entente iniiaed peri9d revlu1tonary effor lased until The Counis policy beganafterhesplwieKu9minangand Li Li samad succeeded Ca Ta leader The gnral during period Su bsequently labell puschism leflkis advealmrism emphasized violen sruggle capture c9nrol Urban prolearia ciies organized labor considered oundaion srenga When policy resul deTeas Cmaniss rereaed ryside helinewicndalready beenadv9caedfor several years became d9crine The Commaniss dedica emselvs oheaskf bildingsrenghuponheasis China speasan policy rural reform revolution Te since alhoug modifiCa menod since plicy sared earlier isola areas change Of policy confiscation reduclion return redistribution Sino Japanes War Tse uughasadheredundeviavingly hepr9psiiona power primarily basis agrarian reform Tae presen empaasis neref9re reverses whica asicCois policyin Chinaforalmosw nyyears The policy descrie cumen Presen Condilions Nora Cina Di For whioa contains Par Cen decisions assed January Comnis Commi Political Ba equen passed Nr I Clna January In gccerdce directions Cralee nedocuses cerofpary leaderspsbeauallyvedmevillages hecie Fm villages forward Becauseo leading organizations especially rankin mebers members ciies become completely _amiliar policies rearding which decidey Central Come Wems depend unproperie classes unite other working people democratic paries democratic roups srule agains arialism Kuominang reacVAonaries bureaucratic capitalism order reform develop ciies We evils subservience oadying igners confidence which byiperialisms invasionf China duringhepas century Weus holdono heoriginalSpiriofneunproperied andworking classes oppose subservien hougho We linancial economic learn manage facorSes carry coamerce diligently conomiclly Democratic econoyo We learn comba secre Ens iperialism KuominTn reactionaries CAies complicated illages muslarnwellinordero beabletodo hejobwell The adoption CenZral CoZee approximately Tientsin capitu lation Peiping January The acquisiTAon ciies Comniss climaxed concered drive aains remaining Kuoin large ciies North China which began September Tsinan surreder ukden Kalan urban ceners Prior Shihciacuang Howemb Comuniss andholdlargeciies businceaimehe havreakenanincreasing large number exceptions Durin period radually formulated policy which emphasizes desirability establishing Comnis conro ciies minimum disruption normal economic activities necessity allowin private economic enterprise industrial commercial continue operating under omnis control super vision imporance gradual raher radical chane ciies imperative ncessiy restoring deYelopin production particularly indusrial production suppor revolutionary The formulation eneral polic course natural outgrowth logic miliarydeelop Civil WarudofheacaheComss haveradually xended power growing number ciies The January reorienaion policy beyond requiremen ainaeneralpolicyapplicableociies however causei orders complee reoriena emphasis An editorial inearch17 issueofhe People Daily oicial Commus eiping indicates fundamental chane Shis inended uring years emphasis wllsges secondarily ciies ThisSbeen kecause villages revoluionary forces relatively easier revolutionary force dewelop Cairn fixed correc resul durin hpiodofhesoe vheperiodofresiscens Jap revolutionary eaforces revoiuion eorgiz dicry nowhecieswch arecnfmi reluony inrevoluionyrps heperiodinwch areerin forev doury sCrCoieeve newecions wesrevour yeaolded willes cidadop workin oiies illaes If cityworkwldployheciieso leadhe hiwillbeimposslbl Turherheproessofheilla impossible rsorCnafro aiculaonin industrialnaon hepple revolutionaryriscobes ardeddheCnesepplesillon eerial splyresddevoppducon hecitesd consucitesinpducinciies Itysesheraion weraldurc oldCa colonialcoy dasserts isceofciteson oldpa depdsupon loiaonofheworkers sodepds ploion llages willaes ciesssformfmmurales Theeri misses In facinhissinhenewsricsgebore Is difficult cnlyno imsaie In respects Chinese Conunss entering revolutionary ehich Li Lisan eaned They beginning however years eoluionar experience behind suppored pOwerfUl poeasan consolidated rural which includes rural North China ancuria Theransiionfromcountryo citywilln beson dness ccessorflureinnhesion andamfacWrindeterngwherhreluny foreofsminCnais impededornsmminhen Te Comaniss dependence China rural hnerland sourceosrengho heminhepas buimay beasourc ofeakness heuure ifiobstructs necessar ransiion Dowhaheyareconsolidainheirurban posiViono inueo beasourceofsrengh ofcourse ifepresenransiion successfully accomplished Their revolutionary experience primarily villa where problems neither coaplex large ciies The cellular economic autonomy asren rural areas comparatively rural relative impliiy social relaVAons country possible experman plicies concentrate simple direct lines policywhich proven success prac1ce Zn large cilis economic compli cated subtle ramifications often require quick coordinated aclion A breakdown thesrucureo supply producionordistribuio lead0 partial comple paralysis Wole ecomomy The Communists qualified onnel experience solving probleros large cities problems whilh Communss appear reasonably rural areas simple solutions serious large ciies For example budgetary financial monetary proklems comparatively speaking minor imporVuce lewarlagiel virnme fundamen bigurbanceners andtheComnss illwfacethesamesortf inflationary pressures example plagued Kuomin reducing problem simpler there Inmamerakle proklems administrai which require organizs lional experienc knowledge echniques which Comsniss For example theConiss soled probla cleaninN garbage disposal Peipin beenhere Until recently Communists haven atreets clean Class relationships which fundamenlm Conist approach Io political social economic problemsadierent involve inlarge cities rural areas In country Co carried rvolu mobilizing landless laborers middle peasants offering concrete rewards struggle against landlords lesser extent against pmasants Clas distinctions often easily delineated small merchant China present Cmmuniss although depend heavily uponintellectuals certain organized labor groups forac ivesupport cities declaring class War against economic class except called breaucratic papitalists Kuominlan government party memkers extensive economic interests bourgeoisie including nalional capitalists political private entrepreneurs olerated Under these conditions Communiss punishments rewards cities which groups support which obstruct Communists The Comanists learn about methods Of dealing urban groups The Com technical skills administravAe skills This deficiency becomes every goernment taking large scale industry because falls categoryo bureaucratic capial eCouiss drawin heavily Comnist groupso ineaps whereheirown experienceand skills limited implementation policy people problems arise enough disciplined mebers Another aajorproblewhichheCounissnowusaceforhe concerns international relations ariime power ofeeSo Thediplaicaspectsohisprobleanaynobecoae acute Tientsin hands already conrn economic aspec problea China major indus ciies foreign rophy Wi The Cois initial sepsoward reopeningsoeorein radea Tientsin herear numerous problems ironed before revive evenebasicvoluerequiredfor survival heajorciies ashey I remember Cnunis evemen China basis several prevailing rends condiions Three impor pressure agrarian reform growing ionallsa increasing acceptance arxis ideology hepas years ararian aspec moeaen probably iaporan single I possible receive increased ephasis aresulohepresen generalparyline Oneofeostnebulous bunevertheless perhaps oneofhe izporan problems which Communists policy creaeis apsychologicalonePar ofeComniss srenn reputation simplicity austerity devotion ideals corrupiono The inenan characteristics perhaps anywhere icerrinly easier In disclplin rural areas where temptation limited ciies where fleshpots abundan opportunities being astray numerous How soldiers political workers inimum allowance mille issued uniforms ainain discipline incorrupbiliy course meals In Peiping sories already being whispered soldiers buying founain watches subsistence leVel people wonderin incomese Wha impac urban cofors luxuries ovemen grown loess caves fields remains beseen biwillberemarkableifhechaneinenvironmenhas AlShough realm speculation possible neworionwahe citesyen Cerin adjmsinpyleadersp equificaions rgired_fo ldersp inurrormarenotne essarilidenct uirforl dersp inrrevol ona_pracicopan sopstxcaedtox thefor ruires perps person acquned specific person problems largeciieSo Tis doesno course Tp level leaders necessarily undergo mpora cange usome changes possible levelo The influence Li Li exanple increase because experience association problems organized Tese erely suggestions problems adjustments waich arise connecion empsis cites recen Cnese mniss Te Coniss policy necessarily dified resulofhenew dlandpolicy willundoubtedly continue eofndamlior ancein countrywhereeignyone population agriculr where peasan relign revolutionary modem S relaivy spengrpblemsvedefiniybe pushedin I isoearly judgements geralizatioms policy 9peraion Masic laceissiific consuces hecge willbrwacnginhere Sincerely yours Ao Doak BarneZ INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS ADB U S Consulate HongkongAugust Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Oun World Affairs Fifth Avenue New Yoxk N Y Dear Mr Roger The Communists possess predominance power China setting Peoples Government legalize formalize their territory under conrol their People Liberation Army Local governments being established piecemeal basis months Communists issued announcement which served notice Chinese public world groundwork being overall national goernment Communis China On June Peiping People official organ North China Buxeau ofthe Chinese Omnist Party carried prominent headline The Preparatory Committee New Political Consultative Conference established Peiping It preparing convoke Ne Political Consultative Conference establish Democratic Coalition Government prior announcement literate public China known Communists intention establish government means Political onsultative Conference outside inner circle Communists their closest political allies steps being taken direction Since brief flurry publicity June furthermore curtain dropped again political stage Communist territory At present secret level discussions taking place iPeipi New Political Consultative Conference expected convene future AccOrding prevalent rumor Peiping Communists national government ready formal inauguration October anniversary Wuchang Uprising which collapse Manchu Dynasty political observers believe machinery government cannot assembled greased started running before In establishmet formal national regime Communist territory imminent government comes existence Chinese Communist Party transformed itself party leading revolutionary movement party running government controlling major nation This government claim recognition Government China superceding Nationalist Governmen scattered refugee centers Canton Chungking Formosa On thismaJor political development I describe subseue2t letters background government politics Communist China My informtion foreign observers China fra6me2tary believe during months I spent Oommuist Peiping I gathered information impression ifficult obtain elsewhere In United Sates government comparatively restricted It enerally refer elected representative bodies bureaucracy together formulate implement policies In China however broader interpretation The right formulate policies power enforce decisions bindln6 force actual administration concentrated solely hands civil overnmen One dramatic illustration Ohinese Gommunists already overn roughly China central 6overnmen The Communists central government ithin short peiod predict government iself possess monopol governln authority territory under Jurisdiction There China Nationalist Communist errior parallel lines authority pvernment carries functionsof goverenel nature This division never completely eliminated since because social revolution forei invasion civil internal chaos pvented sebillty necessary civil goverent nopolize power peacefully relly these centers euthorit merged overlappin personnel centralizationofleadershipd control bucetrlf forces constantly operated separate certain degree three carried overnal fctions separate organizations Alst always party supre however itself conrolli thearmydthe Thesupremacyofthepartyisstriki Counist territo I therefore describe cracteris chinese Counis Part before 6oin6 goverental structu controls