At Present Central China Should Conscientiously Develop Northern Jiangsu[1]

(July 12, 1940)

Enlai, Hufu, Xiang Ying, Chen Yi, Xuefeng, Kecheng[2]:

Your telegram received. We all agree.

1. The unit under Ye and Guan[3] has routed the diehard troops. Chen Yi has arrived in northern Jiangsu and has ordered Su Yu[4] to lead the Jiangnan Command and the 2nd and 6th Regiments across the river. The Huaibei troops east of the Jinpu Railway[5] are also on their way to reinforce.

2. The current struggle strategy in central China is to deal with Han Deqin[6] and other diehard troops in northern Jiangsu with full force and to conscientiously develop northern Jiangsu. Toward Li Pinxian[7] we should adopt a defensive posture and strive for détente, so as to prevent Jiang and the Guangxi clique from uniting against us. Do not cut off the channels for smuggling goods from enemy-occupied areas in Anhui Province. And ask Xuefeng to protect the routes by which Yu Xuezhong[8] transports pay and ammunition; do not prohibit passage. If we are notified, our troops should take responsibility for protection.

3. Since Chen Yi and Su Yu moved north, southern Jiangsu has been relatively weak in military strength and lacks a commander. Comrade Xiang Ying is requested to make proper arrangements to maintain our existing areas there and to prepare to move the army headquarters and the main force from southern Anhui to southern Jiangsu at an appropriate time.

Mao, Zhu, Wang

12th

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[1] This is a telegram from Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Wang Jiaxiang, Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, to Zhou Enlai, Hufu (Liu Shaoqi), and others.
[2] Xiang Ying was then Secretary of the New Fourth Army Sub-Commission of the CPC Central Military Commission and Deputy Commander of the New Fourth Army. Chen Yi was then Commander of the Jiangnan Command of the New Fourth Army. Xuefeng and Kecheng refer to Peng Xuefeng and Huang Kecheng, who were then respectively Commander and Political Commissar of the Fourth Column of the Eighth Route Army.
[3] The unit under Ye and Guan refers to the Advance Column of the Jiangnan People's Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army under the Jiangnan Command of the New Fourth Army. The column commander was Ye Fei and the deputy commander was Guan Wenwei.
[4] Su Yu was then Deputy Commander of the Jiangnan Command of the New Fourth Army.
[5] The Jinpu Railway refers to the railway from Tianjin to Pukou, now a section of the Beijing-Shanghai line.
[6] Han Deqin was then Chairman of the Kuomintang Jiangsu Provincial Government and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang Lusu War Zone.
[7] Li Pinxian was then Chairman of the Kuomintang Anhui Provincial Government, Deputy Commander of the Kuomintang Fifth War Zone, and concurrently Commander-in-Chief of the 21st Army Group.
[8] Yu Xuezhong was then Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang Lusu War Zone.