What did the declassified documents reveal?

This Declassified episode presents a United States Department of State Airgram from April seventh, nineteen sixty-four, detailing the reported removal of Chinese Vice Premier Hsi Chung-hsun from office. This record is available at vault.fbi.gov and documents2.theblackvault.com. This document, identified as CI01609, was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and released by The Black Vault. The declassification authority for this document is not specified within the record itself, but its public availability confirms its status as an unclassified historical record. The document, an Airgram A-eight-one-zero, from AmConsul Hong Kong, dated April seventh, nineteen sixty-four, states: "Vice Premier Hsi Chung-hsun Reportedly Removed from Office." It continues: "OIR zero-zero-nine-three-slash-sixty-four reports that Central Committee member Hsi Chung-hsun was removed from his post as Vice Premier in nineteen-sixty-two or nineteen-sixty-three because he told Chairman Mao that his treatment of Kao Kang had been unfair. Despite the fact that this unwise remark was made during a movement for free and frank expression (probably the 'High Tide of Democracy' movement), Mao, deeply offended, sacked Hsi. After his dismissal, Hsi was accused by one of his servants of operating a 'Love nest' in a small house in Peiping, where he was alleged to have had illicit relationships with at least thirty women, 'though not at the same time.' One or two of the women had been wives of other high-ranking Party members, including the wife of a deputy director of the Commission for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, Chu Wu. Chu had a nervous breakdown after his wife's cavortings were revealed, but recovered and resumed his duties. Hsi's ultimate fate is still unknown. Comment: In [one line redacted] files, Hsi was last reported in Peiping on [one line redacted] nineteen sixty-one at a Bulgarian national day reception." The document is signed for the Consul General by John H. Holdridge, Chief, Political Section. The document itself contains no further agency context or contextual statement. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. Find this document and more at storyflo.com, and directly at archive.org/download/us-china-intel-CI01609/CI01609djvu.txt.

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

FBI This Declassified Episode Presents A United States Department Of State Airgram

◆ BLUF — The short version

This Declassified episode presents a United States Department of State Airgram from April seventh, nineteen sixty-four, detailing the reported removal of Chinese Vice Premier Hsi Chung-hsun from office. com. This document, identified as CI01609, was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and released by The Black Vault.

Date: SEP 4 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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Episode notes

This Declassified episode presents a United States Department of State Airgram from April seventh, nineteen sixty-four, detailing the reported removal of Chinese Vice Premier Hsi Chung-hsun from office. This record is available at vault.fbi.gov and documents2.theblackvault.com. This document…

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What was FBI This Declassified Episode Presents A United States Department Of State Airgram about?: This Declassified episode presents a United States Department of State Airgram from April seventh, nineteen sixty-four, detailing the reported removal of Chinese Vice Premier Hsi Chung-hsun from office. com. This document, identified as CI01609, was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and released by The Black Vault.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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