NATIONAL POLICY MACHINERY IN COMMUNIST CHINA (CIA CONTRIBUTION TO SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL POLICY MACHINERY)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A000100690001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 96
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 21, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 21, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

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21 October 1959
No. 5401/59
r
Copy No. ~,~
NATIONAL POLICY MACHINI';RY IN COMMUNIST CHINA
(CIA Contribution to Senate!' Subcommittee on
National Policy M ~chinery)
THIS MATERIAL CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECT-
ING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES
WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE LAWS,
TITLE 18, USC, SECTIONS 793 AND 794, THE TRAN3MIS-
SIGN OR REVELATION OF WHICH IN ANY MANNER TO
AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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 ., .,
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Page
I.
INTRODUCTION
1
II.
THE PARTY
Policy Formulation .
3
The Supremacy of the Party
3
The Party Congress
5.
The Central Committee
6
The Central Political Bureau
7
The Standing Committee of the .Politburo
8
The Special Position of Mao Tse-tong
9
Factors Favoring Bold Policy
Policy Execution
10
The Party Secretariat
11
Central Organs of the Party
11
The Investigation Department /SRCRET7.
13
III.
THE PARTY AND THE ARMED FORCES
15
IV.
THE PARTY AND THE GOVERNMENT
16
The National People's Congress
16
The Chairman of the Chinese. People's Republic
17
The State Council and the Premier
17
Foreign Affairs
19
Th
`
e Ministry of Public Security /3
ECRET7
20
The Role of the State Council
22
Annual Planning--National Economic Commission
22
"
Long-run Planning--State Planning Commission
23
Specialized Planning Commissions
Economic Staff Offices, Economic Ministries, .
25
and Local Governments
25
Agricultural Policy
26
Objectives
26
The Pace of Agricultural?Socialization
Some Effects of Policy Shifts on Government
28
Operations
29
VI.
SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS .. '.
31
E
I. Peiping's 19.58 Shift in Foreign Policy..
34
ANNEX II. Adoption of the Commune Program ~ECRET7 42
~~
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I. INTRODUCTION
This is a study of Communist China's machinery for
formulating national policies and Por implementing those
policies by appropriate executive decisions. The open-
ing chapter describes the all-important role of the party,
both in the formulation of policy and in monitoring the
execution of policy. Succeeding chapters set forth the
role of the government, which is to draw up detailed na-
tional plans consistent with the policq guide lines
prescribed by the party and to see they are carried out.
The last two chapters describe how this party-
government apparatus of policy-making and execution has
worked in two rather specialized fields--in economic af-
fairs and in scientific affairs. Two separate papers
along these same lines have been included as annexes.
The Yirst, which deals with a 1958 shift in foreign pol-
icy,, is a free-hand reconstruction of how the machinery
was manipulated by the authorities in this instance. The
second deals exhaustively with the decision to set up
communes in China.
Oa the whole, the distinctive features in Communist
China?s policy machinery we would emphasize are:
1. The theoretical formulations of Marx, Lenin,
Stalin, and Mao Tse-tong give a sense of direction and
purpose to Chinese Communist policq-makers.
2: Broad national policy is not formulated in the
government, but by the party. within the party, it is
the Politburo--and particularly its Standing Committee-
which is the real center of national policy formulation.
3. The party also has organs to monitor the execu-
tion of policq. .The powers of these organs are not merely
to coordinate but to direct and enforce..
4. Policy implementation is Further controlled by
the assignment of individuals to interlocking positions
in party and government.
5. National viewpoints are represented in Commu-
nist China's top policy-making council. The responsi-
bilities of the individuals in the Standing Committee of
the Politburo cut across departmental lines.
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6. No effort is made to assure the repieseritation
of disparate political viewpoints in the Standing Com-
mittee.~ The Communist Party is of course supreme; and
. the panty is dominated by Mao Tse-tung and his long-
time associates.
7. Mao Tse-tung occupies a special position of au-
thority in policy-making. He considers the views of his
associates, but he has on occasion authorized policies
that did not meet with their whole-hearted approval.
8. Mao considers that his responsibility for pol-
icy-making requires time for reflective thinking and
freedom from administrative details. He holds no gov-
ernment post:.
9. The top leaders in China have had long experi-
ence in policy-making roles. They are knowledgeable
and confident to the point of cockiness.
10. Survival of the fittest is the rule in Commu-
nist politics; only ,the boldest and most ruthless reach
the top. This fact tends to make for aggressive pol-
icies.
11. Consonance with existing public opinion is not
an all-important criterion for deciding whether policies
are workable. The .feasibility of public indoctrination
and exhortation--i.e., of making public opinion follow
policy--is regarded as more significant. The mass prop-'
aganda campaign is :an invariable ingredient of policy
implementation efforts.
12. A prominent role in this process of indoctrina-
tion and exhortation is taken by organs of the party and
government which are ostensibly loci of power. Actual-
ly they serve primarily as sounding-boards .f or informing
lesser officials and generally popularizing new policy
lines.
It'will.be observed that not all the features in this
listing relate to methods and organizational forms. Per-
haps the most significant derive from 'intangibles such
as philosophical doctrine and individual personality.
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i~
CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY ORGANIZATION
UNClAS$IFlED
With a membership above 1000, 1t
funetione In prncticc mainly as a
'sounding boars for pTevlounly de-
termined policy.
CENTRAL COMMITTEE
Precluded from major policy formu-
latlon role by niac -above one hun-
tlred ninety -and Wrequent meel-
inga. Sorves to clarHy prcriously
determined policy and regard oub -
s[anding Party service.
Elective rosponelbillly
Responslhltlty for policy
formulatlon and execution
Organlrallon Deft.
Propaganda Dept.
Soelal Af(nire Dept.
General Political Dept.
Unllod Front Dept.
RurN Work Deft.
lnduelrinl Work Dept.
FWance and Tredc Dept.
Communisation Dryl.
Watson Dept.
Military AUnirs Committee
ONer central organs
Conslata of taanty-six high level
Party me mbcrs. It has an Import-
ant, practlcal role In nntlonal policy
formulation. '
STANDING COMMITTEE
OF THE CENTRAL POLITICAL
BUREAU
Consists In October, 1959 07 the
seven lop mnn on the Centrnl Po-
lID