3. The Nature of the Regime

The Chinese Communist Party and the Peasantry

From International Socialism (1st series), No.78, May 1975, p.18.

1. Communist Party of China, statement

‘The policy of the Party is only to help the peasants in reducing feudal exploitation but not to liquidate feudal exploitation entirely, much less to attack the enlightened gentry who support democratic reforms.’
(cited Brandt et al., p.278)

2. Mao Tse-tung, November-December 1936:

‘We have already adopted a decision not to confiscate the land of the rich peasants, and, if they come to us to fight against Japan, not to refuse to unite with them.’

3. After 1945, the Party promised the confiscation of Japanese-held land and its redistribution in the northeast. The Central Committee (4 May 1946), then promised to buy landlords’ ‘surplus’ land through compulsory purchase. But in calculating the ‘surplus’, it allowed landlords 50 per cent more than middle peasants and 100 per cent if they were active in the anti-Japanese war. Land purchased was sold at half price to the peasants.

September 1947 – a Party National Land Conference in Hopei approved a new Land Law reversing Party policy and instituting the confiscation of land and belongings of landlords and the ‘surplus’ property of rich peasants. Chairman Mao not present, but immediately intervened to denounce ‘Left’ excesses in the Conference.

Mao Tse-tung, directive (11 February 1948):

‘There has been an erroneous emphasis on “doing everything as the masses want it done”, and an accommodation to wrong views existing among the masses.’

Mao Tse-tung, telegram to Liu Shao-chi (in charge of the Land Conference), February 1948: he reiterates the former policy, saying the rich peasants must be neutralised, not rejected.

Mao Tse-tung, attends Conference in Hopei that criticises Liu Shao-chi for adopting the slogan of ‘doing what the masses want’. Li Yen-tzu attacks Liu for arguing that the ‘general settlement of the land problem must primarily rely on the spontaneous movement of the masses.’

4. Peasants who resisted were invariably described as ‘bandits’:

‘Everywhere we are making great progress in the work of exterminating bandits in Central China. In Hunan province, during the past year, about 38,700 bandits were killed, wounded, captured alive or forced to surrender. In Hupeh province, during the three months of May, June and July, the total number of bandits exterminated was more than 12,000.’
New China News Agency, Hunan report, 20 August 1949.

5. Central Committee statement (15 February 1953):

‘It is necessary to permit the continued development of the economic system of the rich peasant.’

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