Uphold Long-Term Cooperation Between the
Guomindang and the Communist Party
(March 9, 1940)

To Comrades Wu and Li,¹ and for transmittal to Comrades Liu and Yuan² in
Luoyang:

1. We have taken notice of all your telegrams. Now is definitely not the time to
turn small ruptures into big ruptures. When negotiating [with people] outside [the
Party], you must remain calm, firm, and quietly await instructions. Concerning the
problem of southeastern Shanxi, Zhu [De] and Peng [Dehuai] have replied to you
about reestablishing unity. As for the question of the overall policy, Zijiu³ can go
to Xi'an to meet with the venerable Lin' on the 18th of this month and receive
instructions. In about a week, the venerable Lin will leave Yan'an for Xi'an.
2. When Yuan sees Mr. Wei,⁵ he can inform him that the Central Committee of
the Chinese Communist Party firmly upholds the long-term cooperation between
the Guomindang and the Communist Party and has never varied in this respect. He

can express our deep respect for Messrs. Chiang [Kaishek], Cheng [Qian], Wei
[Lihuang], and Yan [Xishan], who are leading the War of Resistance. It is only
with that group of people who will not talk of cooperation, and talk only of friction, that we are dissatisfied. We express our profound dissatisfaction with the
unfair treatment of the Eighth Route Army, with the refusal to recognize the border region, with the refusal of North China to recognize the anti-Japanese political
power, with the fact that the freedom of parties and factions is not recognized
nationwide, with the oppressive policy adopted toward constitutional government,
and with the deprivation of any freedom of public opinion. We hope that Mr. Wei
will convey to Mr. Chiang our hopes that these points will be dealt with justly, and
be resolved reasonably.

Mao Zedong
the 9th, noon

Also inform Zhu [De], Peng [Dehuai], and Yang [Shangkun]

Our source for this text is *Wenxian he yanjiu*, no. 3, 1985, p. 5 (pp. 165-66 of the annual
volume).

1. The reference is to Wu Yunfu (1904-1969), and Li Tao (1905-1970), both of whom
were natives of Hunan and had joined the Communist Party in 1926. Wu was subsequently
given training as a radio specialist, played a leading role in radio communications during
the period of the Jiangxi Soviet, and participated in the Long March. During the period of
the anti-Japanese war, he served as secretary of the Military Affairs Commission and in
various other capacities. At this time, he was assigned to the Eighth Route Army Liaison
Office in Xi'an and was subordinate to Lin Boqu. Li served in the Political Department of
various Red Army units during the Jiangxi period, participated in the Long March, and
assisted Zhou Enlai with negotiations during the Xi'an Incident. At this time, he was head
of the Communist Party liaison offices in Xi'an and Wuhan.
2. Liu is Liu Shaoqi. Yuan is Yuan Xiaoxuan, referred to above in the text of March 5,
1940, p. 431.
3. Zijiu is Liu Zijiu (c. 1901-1988), who was head of the Henan Party Organization
Department during the early years of the war.
4. The venerable Lin (*Lin lao*) is Lin Boqu; for his biography see the relevant note to
Mao's letter of August 26, 1939, to his sons. In addition to his role in Xi'an, Lin was also
chairman of the border region government in Yan'an.
5. The reference is to Wei Lihuang. Regarding him, see above, the relevant note to the
text of March 5, 1940.