Speech at an Emergency Meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee[1]

(January 18, 1941)

The Guomindang recently wiped out the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui, and now it has openly announced the disbandment of the New Fourth Army. This shows the Guomindang’s resolve to bring about a major rupture with the Communist Party. That the Guomindang has done such a grave thing must have been instigated by the imperialists. The Guomindang’s “Hao Telegram” and “Qi Telegram” were concrete steps in preparation for the rupture. Even after we sent the “Jia Telegram,” they still did not change their attitude, which proves they have made up their minds to oppose the Communists. Now the Guomindang is preparing to launch large-scale attacks on the troops in central China and is making mass arrests of Communist Party members everywhere. Therefore, all our offices must carry out a withdrawal in self-defense.

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[1] On January 18, 1941, an emergency meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee discussed documents refuting the statement made by the spokesman of the National Government’s Military Council on January 17 and decided to revise and publish them according to the original draft. This is part of Mao Zedong’s speech at the meeting.