Launched 1952
Who did it target?
Business men and capitalists
The five antis were: bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property, cheating on government contracts and stealing economic information
Method
Ordinary people were enlisted as spies and informants to help the Five Antis cadres.
Some forced to public meetings where they were accused and humiliated before being fined and having their businesses seized
Outcomes
- By 1953 around 450,000 private businesses had been accused of one of the five antis and around 340,00 were found guilty
- Many committed suicide: The number of suicides during the campaign was about 200-300,000
- Created a climate of fear
- According to a reporter in Hong Kong in 1951, “those who come out of communist China with an astonishing unanimity refer to… this constant haunting fear… The arms of the party are far reaching. They extend… to each individual and affect the words and thoughts of all.”
- Loh Recalls "the sight of people jumping out of windows became common place"
- Funeral homes held several at once in the same rooms to meet demands
- 30,000 people attended one meeting against local party bosses accused of corruption
- In Shanghai 99% of businesses were found guilty of at least one of the five antis
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