Reply Concerning Principles for Negotiations with the Nationalist Party
(February 12, 1937)
[1]
Please note the following points:
(A) The defense zone should include Jinji and Lingwu. Even if the Northeast Army is genuinely redeployed, we should still demand Haiyuan, Guyuan, Zhenyuan, and Xifeng Town, since the existing defense area is simply insufficient. However, we are not encouraging the Northeast Army’s withdrawal; rather, once such a move becomes unavoidable, we may seek control over all of Northern Shaanxi and Ningxia—something we have already proposed to Nanjing and which it would be appropriate to raise again at this time. To avoid adding to Chiang Kai-shek’s difficulties, we agree to postpone further discussion until a later date.
(B) Although a defense zone was designated for the Western Route Army, no actual handover has taken place, nor has a ceasefire been established. We should therefore insist on both a ceasefire and the handover of the designated territory.
(C) All Red Army guerrilla units outside Shaanxi and Gansu are to be reorganized into civilian self-defense corps or guard units, including those numbering over one thousand. Under no circumstances should they be transferred to Shaanxi and Gansu for centralization.
(D) Efforts should be made to either reject or at least delay the appointment of political instructors and liaison officers.
(E) Funding must begin to be disbursed from February onward.
(F) In the telegram sent to the Third Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee, we stated that if they implement five measures, we will implement four. During your negotiations, you should raise these points simultaneously; otherwise, the other side will pressure us to make further concessions. What we have put forward are, in fact, the minimum conditions, and we should not yield any more. Moreover, implementation will require time—persuading cadres and the general public will not be easy. Only by insisting that the Nationalists implement their five measures can we prevent them from forcing us to concede further or demanding immediate action.

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