Instructions Concerning Retaining Captured Officers and Soldiers and Admitting Intellectuals in Large Numbers
To Chen Yi and Others
(October 12, 1940)

Chen Yi, and inform Ye, Xiang, Hufu, Huang Kecheng:

(A) As for captured soldiers, only a small number of bad elements are to be released; the rest are all to be taken in to replenish our own forces, given training, and thereby increase the combat effectiveness of the troops. A portion of the lower-ranking captured officers who possess a slight degree of revolutionary spirit should also be retained. All other officers are to be treated well and released, and not a single one is to be killed (no matter how reactionary).

(B) Admit intellectuals in large numbers. As long as they have even a slight degree of revolutionary enthusiasm, accept all corners regardless of their social origin, and take them all in without exception. Open large-scale branch schools of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University; if there are students, they can admit four to five thousand. Also recruit students from Shanghai to open training classes for financial and economic personnel and training classes for administrative personnel. Open ordinary middle schools and normal schools (to admit young people who lack sufficient enthusiasm but are willing to engage in educational work). Open Party training classes. All these are for the purpose of building extensive base areas.

(C) From beginning to end, do not raise the slogan of opposing Han [Deqin]; from beginning to end, express willingness to unite for the War of Resistance and to cease friction.

Mao, Zhu, Wang