To Zhou Enlai Concerning the Delayed Reply to
Liu Weizhang's Telegram and Other Matters
(December 30, 1940)

1. The earlier draft of a reply to Liu Weizhang's telegram will not be dispatched
as yet, as everyone takes the view that it would be better to delay it for a while.¹
Since they oppose the Communists, let them go on doing it; since they are suppressing the Communists, let them go on doing so, all of which will only provoke
widespread indignation and discontent throughout the country. We can make our
position known at that time and need not be in a hurry to do so now.
2. The "telegram of the 8th" must be refuted, but that can also wait to be done
until January or February of next year.
3. The "telegram of the 8th" contains a terrible number of erroneous characters.
For one thing, please send it out again through the battlefield telegram station, and,
for another, please notify Liu Weizhang for him to send us a telegram through
official channels. Because of sabotage by the telegraph office, there may be fewer
mistakes if they send it themselves.
4. Mutual concessions in northern Anhui need not be mentioned; mentioning
this may cause the Guangxi clique to look down upon us. Once our main forces are
restored, we shall deal them a blow.

Our source for this telegram is Mao Zedong ji. Bujuan, Vol. 6, p. 241, where it is reproduced from Wannan shibian.
1. Liu Fei (1898-1983), zi Weizhang, was a native of Hunan. After participating in the
Northern Expedition, he studied military science in Japan, returning to China in 1934. At
this time, he was deputy chief of the Guomindang military command headquarters. The
telegram referred to here had been drafted by Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, Ye Ting, and Xiang
Ying on December 18, but never sent.