CHINESE COMMUNIST TRAVEL AND RESIDENCE CONTROLS IN THE EAST COASTAL AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A000800400007-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 22, 2003
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 13, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELL!GENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794,0! the U.S. Clods, as
amended. Ite transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form it prohibited.
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CONFIDENTIAfl
COUNTRY
China/Hong Kong/Macao
REPORT NO.
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SUBJECT
Chinese Communist Travel and
DATE DISTR.
1.ApiiL.
1953
Residence Controls. in the
East Coastal Area
NO. OF PAGES 5
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REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
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THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
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1. In late November 1952 the Ministry of Public Security established a number of
special inspection stations Along the Peiping-MUkden, Peiping-Hankow, Tientsin-
P'ukiou, Shanghai-Nanking, and Canton-Hankow Railways. These inspection stations
were to dispatch agents disguised as merchants andYbravellers to ride on trains
and assist local police and troOps'in their surveillance duties. Personnel of
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the inspection stations were to watch for Nationalist and other foreign agents,
guerrillas,
guerrillas, and saboteurs, and were to investigate the activities of railway
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2. In early November all persons travelling between Shanghai and Hong Kong were
subjected to an extensive body and baggage check upon leaving the North Station
in Shanghai. Each passenger was interrogated and required to furnish his name,
native place, occupation, address, destination, and mission. The most extensive
and time-consuming search was made at the border town of Shench'uan 22-32, E 114-08)
The inspection was usually conducted at the Lbhu Bridge. Communist political
police conducted the examination, followed by custom officials and then interro-
gation inspectors, who also made the final baggage check. In some cases a body
search was made. The final exit visa examination took place at the opposite end
of the Lohu Bridge, where the official chop and date of exit were affixed. It
took as long as two hours for a passenger to cross the border after the final
exit permit stamp had been acquired. If everything was in order, the traveller
was then permitted to enter British territory.
3. During November passengers returning to the mainland from Hong Kong and Macao
were checked against a prepared list, with photographs, at Shenchluan. The list
and photographs included government workers and persons with anti-Communist back-
grounds and were not from the original file of travellers who held certificates.
About forty men who resembled photographs of people on the list were detained
at the guard house of the border Defense Bureau for more interrogation.
4. In early November a passenger arriving in Canton had only to present his baggage
for inspection. Once registered at a hotel; he was free from further investigation.
5. Train travel in November between Shanghai and Hong Kong was well organized,
and each passenger had a seat. Civilian as well as military police patrolled
the cars, and at night there were guards posted at the exits of every car.
Guards were at every bridge and tunnel along the way. Occasionally, when trains
passed over a bridge or through a tunnel, all passengers were required to draw
their window-blinds. The public address system broadcasted continually from 6
a.m. to midnight. All passengers were instructed to watch their fellow travellers'
and to be alert for bandits and spies.
6. In late August the communists set up Control points in the T'angnan (1048/0589)
area, which is south of T'aihu between Wuhsing.(N 30-52, E 120-06) Hsien, Chekiang
Province, and Pgingwangchen (N 31-00, E 120738), Kiangsu Province. Regular check
points were at Haukeou (N 31-14, E 120-28) and Tach'ienchen (N 30-56, E 120-10).
7. Boats of the V'aihu Water Security Bureau were patrolling the southern part of
T'aihu day and night in late August. The T'aihu Water Security Bureau had been
known as the 'Water Public Security Bureau of the T'aihu Administrative Office and
was reorganized and renamed in early November. NI Ta-ch'eng (0242/1129/2052) was
named chief of the new bureau and CHANG Cheng-tung (1728/2973/2639), his deputy.
8. In early September resident and travel controls in Fukien were as follows:
a. Resident registrations were controlled by the census sub-sectiOn'of the
Rublic Security Department) a residents' committee and its sub-sections
maintained the records of the Public Security Department.
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b. Every house was required to have one record book which was kept by the
head of the house for the registration of residents there. These books
were purchased from the census sub-section at a cost of JMP 2,000.
c. When processing a resident's registration record, the public Security
Department classified each person as either reliable, uncertain, or suspect.
A reliable tenant usually had one monthly police check. Those regarded with
suspicion had repeated checks and detailed interrogations on background and
personal history. Anyone whose background was especially suspicious would
be arrested for formal questioning.
d. When applying for resident registration at a new address; the applicant Was
required to present his previous resident certificate and have the guarantee
of two shop-owners in the area. Only after there had been an investigation
and official approval would the applicant be made a legal resident. Unmarried
minors could not make their own applications but had to apply to the police
through the head of the house in which they were going to reside. The -
Public Security Department usually ran three or four checks on every new
application for residence registration.
e. All persons were required to report on the activities of new tenants. The
Public Security Department organized local youth into "Little Devil"
squads which reported on all new arrivals. A disparaging report on any.
person Usually resulted in detailed investigations and repeated interrogations
by the police.
f. Any tenant who wished to move to a new address within the jurisdiction of
the same public security office was required to report verbally to the
authorities and submit his residence certificate for re-registration. If
he wished to move tb another area falling under the jurisdiction of another
public security office; he had to secure a removal permit at the public
security office in his area; reporting in an application the reason for moving,
the time of moving; and the new address. Within three days after arriving
at the new address; he had to report to the local census sub-section for a
new registration certificate.
g. Anyone who was Visited by a friend or relative for an overnight stay had
to report this to the tenant/sub-section. A visitor who planned to stay for
a Month or more had to acquire a removal permit from his own zone and
surrender it to the authorities of the zone in which ,he was staying, after
which he had to apply for a new residence permit.
h. Anyone living in Fukien who desired to make a business or pleasure trip
outside his own town for a period of three or more days was required to make a
verbal report to the census sub-section or the residents' sub-section.
If the trip was to take more than a monthi the traveller was required to
submit a report giving the reason for the trip, the places to be Viaited, and
the duration of the trip. Certain classes of people were not allowed to
travel Unless they had special permits or documents from the Public Security
Department.
i. A person who wanted to go to Hong Kong or Macao on business was required to
submit a written report to the local police sub-station stating his original
address, his occupation; the purpose of the trip, and the intended length
of stay. If the applicant happened to be the head of a house or the owner of
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: cc, or factory; he had to secure the guarantee of two other shop or firm
owners. The ordinary individncril needed the guarantee of at least two other
people for trip to Macao or ng cc:. If approval was granted., the persoa
had to return home within the allotted time and. report immediately to the
police sub-station. If he failed to 0 so? the guarantors were held responsible.
It was extremely difficult to obt in a one-way trip to Nemo or Kong
with the stated Intent of not returning to the main1 nap end, it was practically
ssible for -owner or factory owner to get permission to leave the
rontria rinrhdl permanently.
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j. Overseas Chinese returning to the 171Milralund could make agiplication fbr a
temporary resident's permit:, but only after three ffiriaraths of residence In
any area were they allowed to sly for a legal resident's permit.1 It
was pc, si cle to expedite the Frames irog of a legal permit by bribing a
lower official, but it was almost I doc.ssicle to bribe an official to supply
le/pa docents
k. Identity books were not issued in Foochow. This differed from the situation
In Canton; "where every person was required to carry an identity book issued.
by the local 01,11c security authorities.
9. Prior to 10 November 195fe the ibeangtung Census Control Bureau- placet issien and
city census contrgl under MEOW offices integrated- with hales and city publis
aecurity offices. rBach census office consisted of an investigation adb-section,
which handled the investigation and registration a births, deaths, and resident
movements; a, detective sub-section, which controlled the activities and_ thinking
of inhabitanta of the area"' and a review sub-section, which was in charge of reviewing
all affairs in connection with the census. The census in the seiburban area- was
taken care of by the chtu governmenta or by the farmers associations. The'
Census Control Bureau also established the following rules for census registration
and identification In Tunengtung:
a.
Each house
house.
II;
to have a census registration book which was kept at that
b. The census registration book had to have the nalge, age, native place,
profession, education, _dependents and date of arrival, and departure of
each person who lived_ in the hous:.
c. Any person who lived at a use other than the one in which he was registered
had. to apply to have his name added. to the census. lie had to give a reason
for making the application., turn in three photographs, and fill out an
application torn. In bal. Only after the approval of the public secnority office
could the person be listed in the census book of the house to which he had.
moved.
d. After December 3.949 city residents were required to have resident cards
issued. by the public security bureau. These resident carts incluiled the
name? age, profession, address, and photograph of the cari holder.
e. In addition to resident cards, workmen had. labor union bards, and merebents
had. guild or chamber of commeree cards.
f. People living in the suburban areas did not need. resident cards, but fesrmers
held. farmers association neesisership cards and. workers had. labor melon cards.
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10. In early October 1952 the KWangtung Farmers Association directed all the
social and political activities of the peasants, supervised the elimination
of the landlord class, estimated and evaluated the agricultural output,
and expedited the payment of taxes by the peasants. The authority of
the association was restricted to those matters which were directly related
to agricultural problems. The maintenance of public law and order in
Kkangtung was the responsibility of the regular police bureaus.
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