Regarding the treatment of anti-communist captives, any officers, soldiers, spies, special agents, or renegades captured during attacks on us by domestic anti-communist forces, no matter how reactionary or heinous their crimes, shall in principle not be killed under any circumstances.
This policy is the best method to isolate and disintegrate the anti-communist forces and must be thoroughly understood by the entire Party and army from top to bottom.
As for disposal measures, all reactionary elements and useless personnel shall be treated leniently and released, while soldiers and useful personnel who can join our army shall be retained. Insults (such as beatings, scolding, or forcing them to write confessions) or acts of revenge are strictly prohibited.
If there are individual cases of critical importance requiring execution, approval must be obtained from military organs at or above the division level and equivalent bodies, Party branch bureaus and regional Party committees or above, or the highest governing organs of each base area. Organs below the brigade level, prefectural Party committees, or commissioners have no authority to approve executions.
Detailed regulations on this matter will be issued separately by the Central Committee. For now, all localities shall implement this general directive accordingly.
Issued by the Secretariat of the Central Committee
October 18, 1940
Printed based on Mao Zedong’s manuscript.

Note: This telegram was sent to the Northern China Bureau, Central China Bureau, Northwestern Bureau, Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, and other regional radio stations.