MISCELLANEOUS ECONOMIC INFORMATION, TIENTSIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005300990002-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 8, 2007
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 1, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300990002-6
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT Miscellaneous Economic Information,
Tientsin
This material contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States within the mean-
ing of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C. Secs. 793
and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in
any manner to an unauthorized person to prohibited
by law.
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
1. Since early April there has been no meat or fish available on the open market
in Tientsin. In addition, vegetable oil, flour, and rice are in short supply
and are rationed in the following amounts per person a month:
Vegetable oil
Flour
Rice
Amount
8 Jiang
8 cattiest
8 catties
2. Many Chinese in Tientsin are convinced that there is a shortage of food in
that area because large quantities of foodstuffs are being shipped to the
USSR. During May 19514. source heard a Chinese woman shout the following in a
food market in Tientsin: "Why is MAO Tse-tung sending all our rice out of
the country? This is supposed to be a people's government." The woman was
not arrested.2
3. Farmers in the Tientsin area must sell their entire crop to the government
authorities,who arbitrarily set the price and bank the money for them. The
money cannot be withdrawn from the bank.. The farmers are given 1 Jiang of
STATE X ARMY X NAVY X AIR X FBI AEC
(NOTE: Washington distribution indicabd by "X"; Field distribution by "#".)
I - -IORR Ev I
Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300990002-6
23 December 19514.
 Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300990002-6
vegetable oil per person a month and 1 catty of millet or kaoliang per person a day,
in addition to a few vegetables daily. Although many farmers in the Tientsin area
are anxious to leave their farms and live in Tientsin, where they believe they would
be better off, the government authorities compel them to stay and work their farms.
11.. The Continental Oil Mill and Refinery, at #1+ Yunnan Road, Tientsin, is now pro-
ducing only peanut oil, all of which is for export. The oil is produced according
to specifications set by the government to insure a standard quality. Government
chemists inspect the plant and the product as often as two or three times a week
for this purpose. The plant has three old "OLIER" presses, built in France, one
old "RED LION" press, built in the U.S.A., two presses built in Tientsin in 1944,
and one new press built in Tsingtao during 1953 and acquired by the plant in the
latter part of that year. The new press is a copy of a Czechoslovakian model and
is superior to any of the other presses. The plant is now producing approximately
150 tons of peanut oil a month, from approximately 1+50 tons of peanuts. Prior to
the acquisition of the new press from Tsingtao the plant was able to produce only
a. total of 100 tons of oil a month. The Continental Oil Mill and Refinery,
is actually under 25X1
the control of the Chinese Communist Government through nu , an employee of
the company and head of the company's labor union. In early 19514., FAN was promised
by the government that he would soon become a member of the Chinese Communist Party
because of his good work with the company. 25X1
suppression.
Comment. There have been numerous t flour rationing
was ns u-ted in Tientsin on 1 November 1953 described the flour 25X1
ration as follows: 8 catties per month for each ordinary city dweller; 12
catties per month for each official, school teacher, and high school student; 25X1
and 15 cattier per month for each workman in the government-operated plants.
Comment.) [Chinese in Tientsin often openly
discuss the shipment of foodstuffs the u R, with apparently no government
Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005300990002-6