January 22, 1941: The Xiyi Military Headquarters, commanding six regiments, remains encircled in the Maolin area south of Jing County and has yet to break out. Supplies are now exhausted, ammunition is gone, and their situation is extremely critical, with the real possibility of total annihilation. Although two regiments under Fu Qiutao have managed to penetrate into the mountainous terrain of Ningguo, they have not yet escaped the outer encirclement. It is requested that urgent representations be made to Chongqing and that an appeal for assistance be issued nationwide. Accordingly, the most serious démarche should be lodged with the authorities: if the encirclement is not lifted immediately, we shall dispatch troops forthwith to provide reinforcement; the responsibility for any breakdown in relations will then lie with the other side. The communiqué we are issuing today should be disseminated without delay. O().