Main Content of the Negotiations with Nanjing[1]

(February 9, 1937)

Zhou:

(1) Regarding the political stance in negotiations with the Ning side[2], please refer to the telegram to the Third Plenary Session[3].

(2) On military matters, we agree to propose an initial reorganization into twelve divisions and four armies, with Lin, He, Liu, and Xu[4] as army commanders, forming a Route Army, with a commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief, Zhu[5] as the commander and Peng[6] as the deputy.[7]

(3) Regarding provisions, if the other side agrees to immediately change the designation, they shall be received according to the treatment of the Central Army. If the other side still wishes to delay the change, then monthly support shall be at least 800,000 to 1,000,000.

(4) If there is an organization such as a National Defense Committee, the Red Army should send representatives to participate. If there is temporarily no such organization, the Red Army still needs to have representatives stationed in the capital to participate in national defense preparations.

[1] This is a telegram from Mao Zedong and Luo Fu (Zhang Wentian) to Zhou Enlai.

[2] Refers to the Nanjing Nationalist Government.

[3] Refers to the telegram sent by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on February 10, 1937, to the Third Plenary Session of the Fifth Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang.

[4] Lin refers to Lin Biao, then President and Political Commissar of the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese Military and Political University. He refers to He Long, then Commander-in-Chief of the Second Front Army of the Red Army. Liu refers to Liu Bocheng, then Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army. Xu refers to Xu Xiangqian, then Commander-in-Chief of the Western Route Army of the Red Army.

[5] Zhu refers to Zhu De.

[6] Peng refers to Peng Dehuai, then Commander-in-Chief of the Red Army’s Frontline Forces.

[7] On February 12, 1937, Mao Zedong and Zhang Wentian telegraphed Zhou Enlai, adding: “All Red Army guerrilla units in provinces other than Shaanxi and Gansu shall uniformly be reorganized into local militia or defense corps, including those with over a thousand personnel, and they must absolutely not be transferred to Shaanxi and Gansu for concentration.”

(5) On the Party issue, it suffices to seek no arrests and no disruption of the organization. The organizational leadership within the Red Army shall remain unchanged.

(Changjiang[1] returns tomorrow)

Mao, Luo

9th, 23:00

[1] Changjiang, namely Fan Changjiang, a journalist. At the time, he was conducting interviews in Yan’an as a reporter for the Ta Kung Pao and returned to Xi’an on February 10.