Chapter 42 The Four Clean-up Campaigns 1963-1965

Journalist: “You grasped the class struggle, where did you start?”

Mao: “In 1962 I set a major tone for the class struggle, to find a breakthrough to catch up and recapture my position. I have always believed that the rural areas, with their large population, poor and ignorant peasants, are the easiest to incite, and are the main battleground for revolution.

In February 1963, Baoding in Hebei Province proposed ‘clearing accounts, warehouses, finances, and work points,’ i.e., the ‘four small clean-ups.’ In May, the Central Committee issued 10 instructions for the Four Clean-ups Movement, called the ‘First 10 Articles.’ I want to create an atmosphere of urgency in the class struggle, alarmingly suggesting that 1/3 of the country’s power is not in the hands of the Communist Party. It was said that the Four Clean-ups were to take back the power usurped by the class enemies.”

Journalist: “Oh, you create the myth that 1/3 of the regime is not in the hands of the Communist Party, but in the hands of the enemy, to start the struggle for power? Creating people fighting people?”

Journalist: “You proposed the “Four Clean-ups”, aimed at the capitalists?”

Mao: “Yes, in 1964, the rural areas of Hebei to carry out the ‘Four Clean-ups’ (clean-up accounts, clean-up, clean-up warehouse, clean-up work, clean-up property) campaign, I said to Liu Shaoqi: ‘Wang Guangmei accompanied you on a trip, a trip abroad to visit, why not squat in the countryside, and peasants ‘three with(eat with, live with, work with),’ he in order to cope with me, told Wang Guangme to go down to Fanning County, Hebei Taoyuan brigade squatting, a stay of more than 2 months, to obtain the ‘Taoyuan experience,’ written into the text, by my main instructions to praise, forwarded to the whole party. But soon, in early 1965, I changed the “Four Clean-ups” to clear the organization, clear political, clear ideological, clear economic, focusing on the whole capitalist, the spearhead pointed directly at the central Khrushchev figures, (Khrushchev stepped down in 1964 and was placed under house arrest) I secretly resolved to let Liu Shaoqi die shamely like a pig or dog.

In January 1965, holding the ‘Party Constitution’ and the ‘Constitution’ in my hands, I passionately expressed my views during the Central Conference. I extensively discussed class struggle and the struggle over the party’s line of march. I spoke for two hours and compelled the Party Central Committee to transform the ‘Four Clean-ups’ in the economic realm into the ‘Four Clean-ups’ of class struggle. The focus of the struggle was directed squarely at the capitalist-roaders, including those at both the local and central levels. Liu Shaoqi questioned which minister in the central government was a capitalist-roader, and I blurted out, ‘Isn’t it Zhang Linzhi (referring to the Minister of Coal)?’”

Mao: “Yes, after the document was sent to the whole country, I called on cadres at all levels to go down to carry out the big Four Clean-ups, but the delay in pushing, most of the wait-and-see attitude, the cadres of the provinces rarely go down to carry out the campaign, I was very dissatisfied.

In September 1963, Liu Shaoqi noticed that I said 1/3 of the regime is not in my hands, too much, will cause confusion, hit a large number of cadres. With the assistance of Peng Zhen, he formulated 10 specific policies, known as the ‘Post-10 Rules,’ emphasizing two unity, uniting more than 95% of cadres and more than 95% of the masses, narrowing my 1/3 enemy to less than 5%.”

Journalist: “Oh, Liu Shaoqi narrowed your 33% of the enemy to 5%?”

Mao: “Yes, Liu Shaoqi then called the Minister of Organization An Ziwen specific arrangements, and said not to go down, can not be a member of the Central Committee, can not be the provincial party committee secretary, secretary of the local party committee. The whole country heard the wind, the provincial cadres went down more than 180 people, the local party committee level went down more than 1,000 people. I saw the thunder and lightning is very happy, at the same time feel Liu Shaoqi command than my spirit, most of the party and government cadres go with him, my prestige is not as good as his.

Liu Shaoqi also sent his wife down to engage in Four Clean-ups, in November 1963, Wang Guangmei alias to Fanning County, Hebei Taoyuan brigade squatting, engage in rooting tandem.

In 1963, the four-clear movement up, there was a chaotic struggle, beating people to death, Hunan Macheng on the struggle 330 people, beating bundle hanging kneeling more than 100 people. In Hunan, 76 people committed suicide by March 1963. Although the central government quickly issued a ban on beating notice, but the class struggle is carried out, beating people died constantly, Hubei 1963 pilot, more than 2,000 people died.”

Journalist: “Your class struggle orders once issued, is to beat people to death, unmanageable.”

Mao: “In 1964, the movement expanded, the central ministries drew 1/4 cadres 4,000 people to go down to the four clean-ups, the cadres were also more and more rectified, a commune in Qinghai, to remove cadres accounted for 47%, more violence. Beijing Tong County to go to the task force of more than 20,000 people, beating a lot of people, more than 70 suicides occurred. Criticism is widespread and bloody, Qinghai even happened to die still pull the body on the field criticism.”

Journalist: “A good reason to adjust the economy to save lives, by your big grasp of class struggle orders, make a bloody?”

Mao: “Yes.”

Journalist: “You grasp the ‘Four Clean-ups’ Clause 23, laid down to knock down the capitalists?”

Mao: “Yes, December 1964, I returned to Beijing, I grabbed Liu Shaoqi and their formulation of the ‘Four Clean-ups’ ‘rural ten articles,’ is to solve the ‘Four Clean-ups’ and ‘Four Unclean-ups’ economic ‘I denied the ten articles, and asked Chen Boda and Kang Sheng to draft another ‘23 articles,’ proposing that the focus should be on the capitalists, from the bottom to the top to the central government, blowing the prelude to the Cultural Revolution. Liu Shaoqi and the others did not dare to sing against me. I made a careful layout and prepared to open a big net to catch the capitalists, but Liu Shaoqi and the others were insensitive and did not expect that they were the biggest ones I was referring to.

December 15, 1964 onwards, the Political Bureau held a meeting of the Four Clean-ups work, the provinces first report the situation, Deng Xiaoping kindly said to me: the President is not well, the meeting in general, can not have to participate.

On December 15, 1964, the meeting in Beijing Assembly Hall, listening to Wang Guangmei told the Taoyuan brigade four clean squatting experience, Jiang Qing walked around behind the screen to listen, I did not attend, and so the meeting adjourned, I asked Tao Zhu: I did not participate in it, the meeting is adjourned? Some people shit on my head, I retired to the Second Front, can still speak well.

On December 20th, when I participated in the discussion, Liu Shaoqi interrupted and offended my authority. I emphasized that the key focus of the ‘Four Clean-ups’ was to purge the capitalist-roaders. Liu Shaoqi responded, saying, ‘We should start from practical matters and address whatever issues arise. It’s not about factions, but about individuals. When we mention factions, it encompasses a large group.’ I replied, ‘Left, center, right, utilizing contradictions, breaking them down one by one, both through persuasion and confrontation. Our party now involves cooperation between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang, as well as a united front. A minority has become rotten, Qinghai has become rotten, Guizhou and Gansu have become rotten.’ I continued, ‘We must first target the jackals and then the foxes. We cannot succeed without targeting those in power. Shoot the horse before shooting the man, capture the leader before capturing the thief. We have captured Wang Heshou from the Ministry of Metallurgy.’ Liu Shaoqi insisted, ‘Perhaps we shouldn’t be too absolute. We currently face internal and external contradictions, with the intertwining of contradictions between enemies and ourselves.’”

Journalist: “At this meeting, how do you point out that Zhang Linzhi is a capitalist? Is there any basis?”

Mao: “I remember in 1963, Zhongnanhai Security Corps has more than a dozen platoon guards, some of them have given me body searches, massage, and served me, guaranteed to go to the Beijing Coal Institute under Zhang Linzhi, special instructions to enter the undergraduate program without examination, but by the college test culture, are less than junior high school level, how to read the undergraduate program, was beaten back, the Central General Office had to assign another job, this matter I hold a grudge, Zhang Linzhi is not like that. I just beat him up as a capitalist. Other people think that Zhang Linzhi in the coal mine to engage in production bonuses, to engage in material stimulation, is a capitalist, in fact, Zhang Linzhi bonus system I do not know.”

Journalist: “Isn’t it normal for Liu Shaoqi to discuss with you at a meeting?”

Mao: “No, this is an affront to my authority. 26 December 1964, my birthday banquet, I said to Li Fuchun: ‘you are engaged in an independent kingdom, tail high.’ He knew that I was ‘referring to Li but actually scolding Liu.’

On December 28, 1964, I went on a tirade and deliberately took the party constitution and the constitution with me and said, ‘I am a member of the party and a citizen. We have two factions in the Party, a socialist faction and a capitalist faction.’ I rushed at Liu Shaoqi and said: ‘What’s your big deal, I can knock you down by just moving one little finger.’”

Journalist: “At the meeting, you admittedly said move one little finger and knock down Liu Shaoqi?”

Mao: “Yes, under my murderous anger, Liu Shaoqi to find me to make amends, and specifically to find 17 Politburo members, to open a life meeting to make a review, saying that the President is not enough respect, I said not respect the problem, is the problem of Marxism with revisionism, the principle I never give way. I could not easily catch the pigtail, on the line whole him.”

Journalist: “You have been in the meeting openly scolded, openly said to rectify Liu Shaoqi?”

Mao: “Yes, in January 1965, the Politburo meeting to discuss the Four Clean-ups, I spoke 23 opinions, the first one said the Four Clean-ups goal is to rectify the capitalist, Liu Shaoqi opposed this statement on the spot, he meant that the fault lies in the cadres, the root in the rich, the focus on the grassroots, eyes down. I focus on the top, the roots are above, all the way to the central, China out of revisionism how? Liu Shaoqi said: a province can be independent, rebellion. But still I said it counts, I am the whole capitalists.”

Journalist: “You engage in Four Clean-ups, is ready to go from the bottom to the top of the whole capitalists, all the way to Liu Shaoqi?”

Mao: “Yes, the four clean-up campaign for two and a half years, in 1/3 of the country, more than 5 million cadres, more than 70,000 people died. Not tossed to national chaos. My goal of grasping the class struggle was basically achieved. In general, the situation in the urban and rural areas of the country was stable, the urban economy developed normally, and people’s lives improved. By the second half of 1965, it basically calmed down and gradually turned to preparations for the launch of the Cultural Revolution and the rectification of Liu Shaoqi.”