Telegram to Lin Biao, Nie Rongzhen, and Others[1]

(November 11, 1935)

Zhang Xueliang, because our two armies have joined forces, has ordered all his units to remain uniformly immobile, build blockhouses, prepare grain, and wait until after his grand assembly[2] has convened and reinforcements have arrived before launching an offensive. As it appears there is no possibility of maneuver for a short time, all units should intensify training in place, survey and map the terrain on both banks of the Hulu River for several tens of li at a scale of 1:50,000, eliminate local bandit forces, gather a month’s supply of grain, and dispatch some personnel to carry out in-depth local work, so as to facilitate future operations.

[1] This is the main content of a telegram from Mao Zedong to Lin Biao, Nie Rongzhen, Xu Haidong, and Cheng Zihua, to be forwarded to Peng Dehuai and Zhou Enlai.

[2] This refers to the Fifth National Congress of the Kuomintang, held from November 12 to 23, 1935, which Zhang Xueliang attended.