POLITICAL INFORMATION: LIU SHAO-CH'I

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R000400150014-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 25, 1999
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: March 7, 1947
• Content Type: IR

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A
This docurnelit is hereiivl z t6
CONFIDF.InTIAL in 0c3ol'clance vP,h the
letter -cf 16 Octoter 13-78 horn the
Director of Central !intelligence to Alte.
Archivist of the UnIted States.
Next Review Date: 2008
COUNTRY China
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NFIDENTIAL 25X1A
UMW Political Informatioa: LIU Shao-ch'i
V?i *
mumm See below .
25X1X
EVALUAT:Ott OF
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Sea w
tAllYcxopr
DATE:
INFO.
DIST.
PAGES
SUPPLEMENT
Sae below
141. .11
1947
1. LIU Shao-chli, vice-chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, is one of the most
powerful of ' the Chinese Communist heirarchy and second, only to LAO Tse-tung in
Trestle* and influeneci. He la very shy and quiet. He re4 an early trade union
leader and areanizer in China.
2. He is new rerarded along rith chairman rAo as the clearcat ane most precise thinker
in Tenon. He is considered the foremost theorist and rarxist echolar among the mem-
bers of the Chitese Communist Party. SourceB reports that LIU is the author of
several book in Chi nese on rArxism and that he composed the report on the revision
of the Chinete Communist Party regulations in the 6th National Congress of the
party held ih Yenta) in May 1945.
Source for earagrath 3: 25X1X
1, During the semmer ane fall of 1946 Then there was much speculation regarding MAO
Tse-tung's ill health ane the possibility that MAO would have to be replaced, LIU
was most atop tentionee as MAO9s successor; however, many members of the Central
25X1X Committee of the party felt that L1U's quietness and lack of power to exrrese him-
self publicly did not make him thP ideal man to head the party. There was a great
deal of envy among the heirarchy of the party regarding the selection of a member
to replace chairman MAO.
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25X1A
CITRAL ISTELLIGEWE Gaoup.
25X1X
Source
Source for rararraeh he
I e, LIU dresees very simply. 'Then interviewee by source 'LIU was wearing hozespen
woolens,, black Wool cap, heavy felt shoes ane broen scarf. LIU has a- long.
slender Jace, brotn eyes, straight nose and full lies..
25X1A 25X1X'
Note: The information in the following rareerarhs 5 - 19,
was obtained by in a rersenal interviee with LIU. All the information
in quotation marks are the direct words of LIU hlesolf; ne atterrt has been Made
to alter1the ranner in which LIU has 0x-3-reseed himself In this verbatim account.
Where Infereation elven by LIU in the interviee has also been reecrted br et-ether
source, tee other source is indicated in earentheais before the era' of the een-
'tenciebetne dieereeed one the evaluation in cl:aneed accordingly in the rarcin of
rerort. The remaining informetioe is evaluated
25X 25X1X
5e "I was born in Yinohan, Yunan Province am one of three sons of a
peasant family. I have been married teico and have three sem, all of ehom are
students in Tensile. One sop, by my first rife, vele exeetted.inelaekieg by the
25x1A Kuomintang. Teas born euring. an eroch of change ane avaf:ening in China. I am
49 years Of are." 0111111111Commot: 49 arrears to be a istake,
25X1X
iererts LU le e;ete aT, 19C*51 aE 1900.. In earaerarh 9 LIU in'-
25X1X
!!!!!!!lhat he eat, in Vladivostok and went on to Russia. in 1919. In paragraph
10 he states "we were twenty". ?L1U ras,erobably born in 1899 or 1900. The fact
that LIU is regarded as a "thinker" and that are is much revered in China are
factorsewhich would tend to make LIU state that he is cider than he actually
Re is rrObat.ly 47 years of are.)
6. 25X1A
ury elder brother had been a comrany corrander in the revolution which swept the
Manchus off the tevone. Comment: The Chinese Revolution of
1911), Pefore I be reachee the age of eighteen, I come ender the influence of
this brother. He cane from the struggle loaded dewn with ramphlets ane leaflets
written by Dr., SUN Yat-sen advocating the overthrow of the ronarchy? Fired with
meal and eager to share in the modern way of life which had come to China, I cut
off my queue, the aymbol of the old ray of life. My schoolmates derided me and
my family 1aughee? They called me 'the young revolutionary'. Then MAN Shih-
Mai came to power. Mr hatred for him was as great in its intensity ifs my love
foe/ SUN Tat-sen, and it depressed me to learn that the party Dr. SUN od had
fallen Infers the personal ambitions of TUAN
25X1X
7,, "A few yearn later I eas In Peiping. I enrolled in Peking University and VIA
active in the student boycotts against the Japanese 1y think-
ing was influenced by the ray Fourth Student rovement of 1919. .e3otern sciences
were being introduced Into China for the first time and with them care Uarxism.
I devoured both vith the eagernees of youth. (See raracrarh 2 above). The uni-
vereity split into tic camps -- those rho -ere eventually to bocce:: Chirose Com-
munists, such as JEN Pi-shih, nor a rcrber of tie) Iolitburo; ane LC (Thia-lun and
mrG Tsu-tec, rho were regarded as Trotskyites. I ww stueying no rartirelar
subject. At the end of one year, I rand afford to continue no lonve.
25X1A
Comments Durinp the reriod of the First :;erle War and parti-
cularly at tt.e tire ef the 7ersail3es e'rerey rnny young C)Inese Students enrolled
in Poking University. The university did not have strict rules rerardine regis-
tration, atteneence, etc; as a result students could attend only a few classes and
have a great eoal of tire to engage In extra-curricular activities. Lem of the
leaders and participants in the boycott of Japanese goods, demonstrations, pamphlet
writing were enrolled in Peking Unirersity. Only recently has this university
tightened its rules,..)
8. "There were others in the safe rreeicarent fellow students who had joined me in
revolutionary fervor. We talked often of Russia ane yearned to go there to see the
revolution in progress. One day I said 'why not' ane from thst time onward ire be-
gan to plan for a journey to this unknown land. JEN Pi-shih and SHOU Ching-kuan,
now a Comounest ronerol, and two other students, who have since returnee, to oreinery
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? life, forme the exreeition, e had little roney, a varue idea cf how to croceed
on our jeurney? ane a hurninr Pesire. Sorarinr together our tuition money for
the net; semester ue used it to rurchase steamer rassare free Shane's' to fleet-
vostok. We boarded the vessel in Shanghai, taking third class accormoeations.
The shin was the 'Jun Prosperity', small, uncomfortable, and eirty. We sent
seven meeerably seasick days before laneinr in Vladivostok, None of us could
speak Ressian exceet for a smatterinr I had ricked up from four months study. Wi
were able to rake simple rurchases but not to bargain. Vladivostok.was in Japan-
ese hares. The year was 1919 ane the Jaeanene rere peying little attention to
25X1XLL.L".
9. "From Vladivostok we Tent to Khaborovsh after cbtaininr a eans from e Chinese news-
feeleneae. in the _atter city we met the Red' Army, but to our chaeriu ue were in-
terned for five rays insteal of 'ming welcomed. ee rroteatee ve rere earxists
who ranted to :cin the revolution ane wore enroute to roscov to eo so. 'Ley must
have snilee at our reuthfelness ane enthusiasm. 7:e felt we were on an ireertant
mission. They wanted to sere us 'ack but we refused to buere. After a fee days of
waiting, 71e were cleared to go to Chita. Arriving at Chita we were asked to iden-
tify ourselves, ane on the spur of the rorent, replied eehinese Cemrundsts'l which
was a little rrematurc since the earty was not to be ereanizcd for sonetime. At
Chita we talkce with eoviet officials and convinced the we sheul' go to Loscov,
It had taken us a renth to reach Chita ane LODCOW seenee far =ay; but our hopes
were stlel hirh. Finally we were elven perrission to proceed with our fare and
lodging raid for the rest of the way. Two eenths later we arrived in Loseow, The
train trip had been an event. Along the way the locorctive would run out of fuel
ane the rassenrers evil? have to ret off ane po into the ferrsts to ring back fire-
wood. When we rullee into the station in Loscow, we were tired, excited ane yet
extremely harry. le were twenty ane full of the optimism of yeuth, But when we
saw the city and came into contact with le are and thieves and ren in ram, our
faith was a little shaken ane our belief in the revolution uneerrent eisillusion.
We felt maybe the revolution hadn't been so roee. The eoreitory in which we were
housed va6 cold ane bare ane the food was detestable. ee were always hunger.,
O. "For the first seven months we attended clasees in Russian ecenomics and history of
the international labor moverent at the Far 1-astern University, which had nct yet
formally erenee ite doors. There were no desks ane no chairs in the building; it
was crude and difficult. Later we became associated with the First Far eastern Later
Conference which orenee in the spring cf 1120. Refore it began, we did clerical jobs,
kept the tecords; ane when it orenee, re became delegates rerresenting ourselvesThc Kuenintane had sent eelerntes ane tier? rere mnny others from China, Korea and
other Far 'east coureales. There pc met the leaders of the Irternationale ane talked
lone and le-ressivelr wit ' them. After'-eras we returnee te Chine via Chita ane
1. "tick in ehangeal I then knee ry :ife,s role. The Coerumist 'arty had been organized
in my absence -- tp(lve ren neetinr secretly in the first congress had been raided by
the eolice after 'ch they fled their schoolhouse rereozveoue ane finisher- their work
aeoare a junk in 2122. IIIIIIII1Comment: Lost sources use 1923 as the
eate
of the toleration of the Chinese lommunist Party.)
25X1A
"I vent to Honer ane joined LAC Tse-tung and rorkee with him in founding trade unions,
ty rrerarntion completed, I set out for the fawns iron and steel works at kinghsiang,
riangee, : pot e job teere ene 11:4 set aeoet orranazing the workers For the next
three years this was ey assignment -- organizing, organizing, orpanizing, and then eon,
ducting strikes. I became director of the unions 111111111111111g I felt these
unions were the best oreanized in Chinese -history, We did much -- corrected terrible
working conditions ane increased weres. During this period we had the full support of
the workers",
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13, "In 3925 an rerresem:utive of the Hanko--Tayeh-P inghsiane Trade Union I eent to
Shanehal to hole a conference of raileay and maritime trade organizations in order
to create 'miens Shanghai van role and inhosrital,ln so I vent Lo 25X1A
elneton, arriving there a month -after SUN Yat-sen death,
25X1A Comment:
rr. SUN died in ieiring on 2- Larch 1925). It vac always one of the bitter
eisarrointments of my "life Vat I never knew this man I cherished so much. The
Second Labor Congress opened in Canton On I Lay, 1925 with 400 members. I as 25X1X
electee its vice-eireeter and then returnee to Shanghai . Soon
after my arrival the Paned Lay 30th incident, in which s rinkine rorkers were fired
teen, tweiC -.LaceG Jauncnec a eeneral strike in erotest ever British trutality',
14, "Tired and 0:!sco?ragee I left for Changsha, Nunan. There for the first time in
me eereer I -as leeer to undergo the nnre execrience in tanchuria (see raraerah
15 below ane corernt) -- I was arrestee. The then gevernor of Hunan, CHAO Eeng-tii,
one of the tools of the northern earlords, uncercnoniously thrust re into :rieon
an undesira4e -erson -lithout trial or charge. Comment: CEAPX1A
Nrnr-tii (1tIL ), governor from 1921 to 1926: nee eeeeasee). Noes of this
euickly reachoe re corraees. The ecvernrent at Canton -- the rue:rent:no- -- also
ienrnee rr it. Teloeraes began eourire irto Chinngslei ocrsneinr y relensc. The
KuonIntgng Serene Coneress sent n teleerne ane its chairman, .4.7.rG Ching-vci, sent
a eererrel one. The prvPrncr thorcuehly flusteree, called re in, aroloeized, an:
then rekesee re en the ceneitien ehat I nhcele never nenin return to Hunan. I he'
bern in eel1 ene month under cene!tlers -Itch at first mere bae Inut 14erare rrogres-
sively better as eviefnce cf ry porularity inereanee".
. "I returnee to ranker nre joiner' 4.1,o "ort;ern Punitive ExTeeltion of 1926 against
the -,arlores, rrranizirr trq 'e unier.1 glory t!e re-ee. In Kankoe alac vaJ held the
Pacific ".rade Union Cerferenre in Thieh Fnrl Browder ras a rarticirant rceresenting
Arerican traee unienc ee mere beth elected tr 'he secretariat ehich aeortee two
resclutione fevorine ceereration rith the Kuom4ntane and cverthrow of the northern
,varlores who rreventee national unity. Chinese laecr was under Communist leadership
at that time but the Kuomintang betrayer' us ane set sheut our destruction, ee were
'forced to po uneergreenc",
25X1X
"I ared tn Kianqjrherc I was elected to the Party Central Committee in 1927
The Iolithuro was-not to be created until 1931- I organized
trade unions In the Communist 'Soviet areas or Su-wei-ai-ch'u (tie
as they mere 'known ehen the lone rarch began, the Corrunists retmatine (000 mil
under the attack of the Kuomintarp, I eent alone as rolitical commissar accompanyi
rw
Pl71G Te-huai, row vice-corraneer in chief rf the Chinese Communist armies
ee ate grass for two yronths There mere many, many difficulties IM
14111WAll along tl-r route me mere harasnee an strafed by rlanes. I could not be-
gin to tell you cf -fte trage;y nne drama of this terrible journey", (See rararrarh 19
below ane corer:it).
"After arriving in the nert!-..vest I -aused for a -Lile ene teen -uahee cn to Tientsin
and Fciring. It wan -r7 the wirter of 1935. I 7as -;ce,7ing, uneergyoune, creanizing
sentire-tt aga'nst the Ja7enrso. Fcr two years, I lived in ieirine lqeine constantly,
rrmaln'rg Inecore during Qe day, nought always by '1-0 Yurrintang, but eluding them. -
I use(' a nurbor ef false names in erftiee ramrhlets and sending letters to the news-
papers. I arraneee the clearance for Leger Snow to enter the Communist areas theueh he
never :new it aria es have never met."
25X1X
"lfter the ear "rake cut, I helree establish euerila bases in e!,ansi ane organized the
North China rurcnu of the -arty Then I roved to Central China and helred25X1X
?ant the sends cif the "ew Fourth army for which I became Pelitical Commissar
After 1942, I returnee to Yenan and have ben working within the rarty ever
sInce , I have participated in every major movement of the rant twenty-five years and I
think I have found the "cad to the solution of the China rroblem in the Chinese Communist
Party",
XIX
25X1X
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19 "My seem(' arrest was at the hands,of.Chang Haueh-liang, the Young Marshal- it
took place in 1929 at Vukeen where 1 was organizing workers secretly. ChANG4s
men broke;up a strae and arrestee thr leeers0 thekily I was unknown to the
police ant dresnee simrly as a 7,erker, After two months in jail and regular
25X1A
beatings,j was releasee for lack of evidence'. : Cont:
1929 may not be the eorrect.date for this incident? In order for It to be so,
LIU rould ,have had to have left Xiancsi where he was elected to the Party Central
Committee ,in 1927, gone to gukden in 1929, ane returned to Hunan to join ?2Erc
To-ftai in 1930 and take tart in the Long :,:arch)
This document contains informatioi.
affecting theme...lanai defense of
the United States within the meaning
cr the Enplanes? Act 501 U.S.C. 31
and 32 as amended' 3161.12EXialwal
Its transmission or the revelation
of its contemn in any manner to an
unauthorised person is prohibited
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