OFFICIAL DISCUSSES LAND-REFORM PROBLEMS AFFECTING OVERSEAS CHINESE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700040468-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 27, 2011
• Sequence Number: 468
• Publication Date: February 19, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for
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CLASSIFICATIQjt_ITYIINFORMATIOON
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD N0
Economic - Land reform
Daily newspaper
New York
5, 7 Jan 1952
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
OFFICIAL DISCUSSES LAND-REFORM PROBLRM3
AFFECTING OVERSEAS CHINESE
Wu Chih-chih, chairman of the Committee on Overseas Chinese Af-
fairs of the Kwangtung Provincial Government, discusses six problems
of land reform procedures giving concern to Chinese overseas and
their relatives in China. They are: classification, land and mov-
able property distribution, overseas Chinese remittances to China,
restitution by overseas landlords, rent deposits and loans, and over-
seas Chinese and foreign travel permits.
He pints out that in handling several of these matters land
reform ?ifficials have made regrettable errors and points the way to
rectification.
ProviTheialcha
jate Affairs
vernment, WuCChhiib-chih,, in discussing Chinese
not Kwangtuindicang
and r place the
the problems of land reform as related to overseas Chinese and their families
resident in China, pointed out that in the heien which has the heaviest propor-
tion of overseas population, among the experimental land-reform heien, 97.8 per-
cent of the overseas families are in the poor and hired farmer class, 0.6 per-
cent in the wealthy farmer class, and 1.6 percent in the landlord class. This
is considered fairly representative of the classification throughout Kwangtung.
Areas from which figures are available show that land distribution to fam-
ilies of overseas Chinese has been on the same basis as for those with no over-
seas connections. Where poor and hired farmers had an average of 0.16 moll each
before land reform they now have 0.5 moo. Middle-class farmers who formerly
averaged 0.6 moo each now have 0.66 mou. In addition, all the above classes with
overseas connections shared in the distribution of movable property. In accord-
ance with the legal proclamation (Regulation VI of the Government Administration
Council) on land-reform procedure among families of overseas Chinese, small bnnd-
holders renting out a portion of their land were not disturbed in their ownership
if the amount of land rented out was not more than twice the average holding for
people of the same class in the area.
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CONFE 6 Li
Wu discussed six problems in connection with land reform that have'jiven
concern to Chinese overseas.
In some areas land-reform workers have tended to lower the c_.esifi-
cation of people with overseas Chinese connections, reducing landlords to
wealthy farmers and.so on down the line. The purpose was to ake land reform
easier for them. However, in other areas the amount of overseas remittance
income was added to local land income, and this resulted in raising the classi-
fication with resulting hardships to many. Sine the government, aside from
the destruction of the remnant of feudalism among overseas Chinese, has in mind
only the protection of thei.r interests, any errors in classification should be
adjusted equitably by the authorities concerned with the aid of the masses.
2. Distribution
In some cases of land distribution overseas Chinese ware counted in on
the distribution on the same basis as others. Thus, some overseas landlords
were mistakenly given as much land as local people. On the other hand, in
other places some folk in the poor and hired-farmer classes were receiving
small remittances from overseas, they were denied any part in the distribution
of movable property. The law relating to this matter (Regulation VIII of the
Government Administration Council entitled "Method of Dealing With Land and
Property of Dependents of Overseas Chinese. Resident in China" proviJes that
such dependents shall share in the distribution of land and movable property
on the same basis as all others in the same class. -f they have a regular
income from overseas and are unable or unwilling to engage in agricultural
production, they may be given less land or none at all according to the ac-
tual conditions involved.
There is a vast difference between income from rent exploitation by
landlords in China and remittances from Chinese overseas. The principle on
which the Central People's Government works in the matter of foreign exchc:^C^
.An expressed in the phrase "Foreign exchange is a state business, but o;e?r-
seas Chinese exchange remittances to dependents are private business." That
means that dependents receiving remittances of foreign currency from abroad
turn it in to the government banks and take its equivalent in people's cur-
rency as their own private property.
However, in some areas from 2 to 5 percent has been deducted from
such remittances. In other cases, remittances of overseas landlords have -'.
confiscated and the local authorities have presumed to act as their agents
in handling the funds. In still other cases, overseas remittances have beer
regarded as funds secured from rent exploitation and used as an excuse `_or
raising the recipients' classification in the land-reform statue. This i, a
very pave error. In the future, land-reform cadres should not permit sach
violations of the law to go on. Most of these remittances come from Cia nose
laborers abroad and should be used to buy equipment for increta:in;, prclu-tcr
or for purcl ce of daily necessities in a time of shortage, th.l" -z.the government's relief load. If by the receipt of moderate re ttacee %?-a
dependents of overseas Chinese may live a little better, no discoiu_:gei;.ent
should be offered them.
Overseas Chinese landlords residing in China, like ail others should
be required to refund rent and rent deposits, but the law must be observed and
no advantage taken of them. However, any who show a disponi-.ion le be r c!-I''
trant or nonlaw-abiding should be turned over to the courts.
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5. Rent Deposits and Loans
Dependents of overseas Chinese who rent out a small niece of ground
may have difficulty over rent deposits and loans. Authorities should aid by
counseling on the settlement of such problems with a view to the inte_?nal bar-
Many of the agricultural community. Privileges of free borrowing and lending
for industrial or commercial purposes should not be abridged.
6. Overseas Chinese and Foreign Travel
The latest ruling of the Ministry of Public Security and the Commis
Sion of Overseas Chinese Affairs states that no wicked landlord will be per-
mitted to leave the country. Some overseas landlords are included in the list
of those denied exit. Otherwise, small landholders who rent out land, those
landlords who are chiefly engaged in industry and commerce for a livelihood,
and descendants of landlords born overseas who are not guilty of exploitation
or other illegal activities within China may be permitted to leave the country
after complying with the required procedures.
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