To Zhou Enlai[1]

(March 11, 1937)

Please assess the possibility of going immediately to Nanjing or Guling to conduct direct negotiations with Chiang Kai-shek. At present, the issue cannot be resolved without negotiating with Chiang. If we accept the points raised by He Zhonghan[2], it would not only be extremely dangerous, but also possible that even the He proposal will be overturned in a few days. Therefore, we absolutely cannot agree. As for the external manifesto, there is already Mao’s talk[3] (brought by Yunsheng[4]). It is advisable to temporarily postpone the Party’s manifesto.

[1] This is the main content of a telegram from Mao Zedong and Luo Fu (Zhang Wentian) to Zhou Enlai concerning issues such as direct negotiations with Chiang Kai-shek.

[2] Refers to the major revisions made by He Zhonghan to the proposal finalized on March 8, 1937, by Zhou Enlai, Ye Jianying, and Gu Zhutong, He Zhonghan, and Zhang Chong, which was to be submitted to Chiang Kai-shek for final decision. Also known as the “He Proposal.” Its main contents included: changing the “Shaan-Gan-Ning Administrative Region” to a local administrative region directly subordinate to the respective provincial governments; reducing the authorized strength of the reorganized Red Army to three divisions totaling 27,000 men; changing the phrase “obey unified command” after the Red Army’s reorganization to “obey all orders”; and omitting any mention of ceasing the offensive against the Western Route Army in the Hexi Corridor.

[3] Refers to Mao Zedong’s talk with the American journalist Agnes Smedley on March 1, 1937.

[4] Yunsheng, namely Li Yunsheng, was the pseudonym of Feng Xuefeng.