The Red Army, in its desire to unite with the Northeast Army to resist Japan, hereby addresses all officers and soldiers of the Northeast Army: Deputy Commander Zhang Xueliang, Chairman Yu, Commanders Wang, He, Dong, and Wan, with a copy forwarded to the commanders of all divisions and regiments within the Northeast Army, as well as to every soldier.  Since September 18, 1931, more than four years have passed. During this period, not only have thirty million compatriots in the Three Eastern Provinces become victims of Japanese imperialist bandits—slaughtered like lambs to the slaughter—but provinces such as Rehe, Chahar, and Hebei have also been successively occupied. The entire North China region is on the verge of becoming a second “Manchukuo.” Chiang Kai-shek’s Nanjing government’s so-called long-term resistance has, in fact, proven to be nothing but perpetual capitulation. Chiang Kai-shek is the greatest traitor in Chinese history; he seeks to sell out the whole of China to Japanese imperialism!
Under Chiang Kai-shek’s order of non-resistance, the Northeast Army abandoned your homeland and your ancestral lands, leaving your parents, wives, brothers, and sisters at the mercy of Japanese imperialist bandits—subjected to oppression, exploitation, and brutal massacre. When you reflect upon this, how can one fail to feel profound sorrow and burning hatred? The Japanese imperialist bandits and the traitorous ringleader Chiang Kai-shek are your irreconcilable enemies. You should rise up without delay to fight both Japanese imperialism and the treacherous Chiang Kai-shek, striving to reclaim our Three Eastern Provinces and all of North China. For the vast majority of the Northeast Army’s officers and soldiers are genuinely opposed to Japanese aggression and willing to risk their lives against it; therefore, the Japanese imperialists and the traitorous Chiang Kai-shek deeply resent the Northeast Army. Ever since the Northeast Army withdrew from the Three Eastern Provinces, Chiang Kai-shek has consistently denied them any respite or opportunity to reorganize. Instead, he has repeatedly ordered them to march southward to engage the Red Army, while refusing to allow them to confront the Japanese invaders. Why? Because the Red Army opposes Japanese imperialism and the nationalist, pro-imperialist policies of Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang regime! Today he dispatches the Northeast Army to one location to battle the Red Army, only to shift them again tomorrow to Gansu or Shaanxi to continue that same campaign. His aim is to set Chinese against Chinese, pitting the anti-Japanese Northeast Army against the equally determined Red Army, thereby delighting the Japanese and inflicting grievous losses upon the Northeastern forces. Reflect upon this: Is Chiang Kai-shek’s treacherous scheme not utterly despicable?

Not only does Chiang Kai-shek force the Northeast Army to fight the Red Army, but he also subjects them to relentless oppression everywhere. He refuses to grant the Northeast Army any decent territory, instead consigning them to the most impoverished regions of Shaanxi and Gansu—even the relatively wealthier areas of southern Gansu and southern Shaanxi remain off-limits. The treatment meted out to Northeast Army personnel is profoundly unequal; their pay and provisions are scarcely half those enjoyed by Chiang Kai-shek’s own elite troops. Life for the rank-and-file is truly miserable, let alone providing for their families.

Chiang Kai-shek’s sinister designs do not end there. He has infiltrated his fascist party cadres into the ranks of the Northeast Army to spy on their movements, sow discord, spread false rumors, and undermine internal unity with the intent of dismantling the army. Moreover, the Northeast Army receives no reinforcements or adequate supplies of arms and ammunition from Chiang Kai-shek.

In short, Chiang Kai-shek seeks to annihilate the Northeast Army, scattering its officers and men to die of hunger, disease, or combat—thus depriving Japanese imperialism of a formidable adversary and reducing one of his own political rivals. Consider then: Is the future of the Northeast Army not perilous? At present, the Northeast Army finds itself on a slippery slope, mired in difficulties, lacking a common goal around which to rally. Consequently, morale is low, and there is a deep rift between officers and enlisted men. If this situation persists, the consequences will be dire.

So where lies the way forward for the Northeast Army? Could fighting the Red Army be the solution? Or perhaps launching an offensive into the Soviet-controlled base areas? No. Such actions would not only fail to resolve your predicament but would, in fact, lead you straight into a dead end. Do not mistake your true enemy; do not regard your friends as foes. One wrong step can never be undone; one error inevitably leads to another.

The true enemies of the Northeast Army are the Japanese imperialist bandits and the traitorous leader Chiang Kai-shek. Therefore, resisting Japan and opposing Chiang Kai-shek constitute your sole path to salvation. Among the officers and soldiers of the Northeast Army, who among these patriotic warriors will boldly stand forth, denounce Japanese imperialism and the traitorous clique, and plunge headlong into the fray to restore honor to the Chinese nation? And who among you would hesitate to sacrifice everything to reclaim the Three Eastern Provinces and liberate the provinces of North China?

Once the Northeast Army raises the banner of anti-Japanese, anti-traitor struggle, unity will be restored throughout its ranks, with officers and men marching in unison, transforming the Northeast Army into a revolutionary force of the Chinese people. At that very moment, which Chinese citizen would fail to support and cherish the Northeast Army, offering it spiritual and material aid? Which patriotic man of action would refuse to join the Northeast Army in a common cause—to fight for justice and glory on behalf of the Chinese nation? Would not every officer and soldier of the Northeast Army then become a national hero, renowned throughout China and the world? Is there a greater avenue for achieving lasting fame and serving the country than this?

The Northeast Army already possesses a glorious history of resistance against Japan. Its heroic defense at the Great Wall resonated throughout China. Had the Northeast Army, backed by the unwavering support of the Chinese people, persisted in that struggle to the bitter end, the Three Eastern Provinces would surely have been reclaimed long ago, and Japanese imperialism would never have dared to encroach further. Yet the past is past. What we must do now is renew our resolve, revive that indomitable spirit of yesteryear, and carry forward the fight for the independence and liberation of the Chinese nation. “Rather perish than surrender!”—this is the resolute response of all the Chinese people to the Japanese imperialist invasion, and it serves as a clear rallying cry for the Northeast Army’s anti-Japanese movement.

The Chinese Soviet Government and the Red Army hold the Northeast Army, with its proud tradition of resisting Japan, in the highest regard and are deeply concerned about its future development. Accordingly, we venture to offer a few humble suggestions to the leaders and soldiers of the Northeast Army. The Chinese Soviet Government and the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army stand ready to ally with any anti-Japanese armed force to establish a National Defense Government and an Anti-Japanese United Front, thereby engaging Japanese imperialism in direct combat.

The Red Army, in its desire to unite with the Northeast Army to resist Japan, hereby addresses all officers and soldiers of the Northeast Army. We are prepared, first and foremost, to work together with the Northeast Army to realize this vision, placing ourselves at the forefront of the national anti-Japanese struggle. We are confident that the noble and righteous officers and soldiers of the Northeast Army possess a profound sense of justice and patriotism, capable of setting aside all past misunderstandings and misgivings to promptly answer the call of the Soviet Government and the Red Army to resist the enemy. Among four hundred million Chinese, those who willingly submit to Japanese domination or contentedly accept national subjugation are exceedingly rare—save for a handful of traitors and collaborators. So long as we raise our voices high, we firmly believe that it will not be tens of thousands or even millions who respond to our appeal, but rather tens of millions, perhaps even hundreds of millions of our fellow countrymen. With the collective strength, courage, resources, and wisdom of four hundred million Chinese, we shall surely triumph over Japanese imperialism! [The claim that “China is incapable of resisting Japan” is merely a deceptive slogan concocted by Chiang Kai-shek and other traitors to deceive the Chinese people and surrender to the Japanese imperialists—a far cry from the enduring spirit of our ancient Yellow Emperor. We are Chinese, and we must fight to the very end for China’s independence and liberation! Saving China is our own sacred duty!]
As for the specific modalities of establishing a National Defense Government and an Anti-Japanese United Front, we propose that representatives of all interested parties convene for joint consultations. Any individual or representative committed to the anti-Japanese cause is a friend of the Soviet Red Army, and we warmly welcome them to our base areas, extending to them our sincerest hospitality. At the same time, we invite experts to examine and assess whether the Soviet system might be suitable for application in China.
Space does not permit further elaboration. We respectfully submit these thoughts for your careful consideration. With best regards, the following comrades: Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Ye Jianying, Cheng Zihua, Zhang Yunbao, Liu Guangdan, Liu Yalou, He Gaogang, Zhou Enlai, Lin Biao, Yang Shangkun, Zhu Rui, Xu Haidong, and others mentioned above.
oO References from the History of the Communist Party of China (Volume III), People’s Publishing House, 1979; Materials on the Xi’an Incident, Volume I, People’s Publishing House, 1980; Teaching Reference Materials on the History of the Communist Party of China (Volume VI), Archives of the Department of CPC History, Renmin University of China, 1980. The Red Army, in its desire to unite with the Northeast Army to resist Japan, hereby addresses all officers and soldiers of the Northeast Army.