Reply to Zhou Enlai’s Telegram[1]

(February 26, 1941)

Your telegram of the 25th[2] noted. (1) Unless the Twelve Points are satisfactorily resolved and completely implemented with definite guarantees, it is decided not to attend the Political Consultative Conference. (2) The conditions put forward by Zhang Chong cannot be accepted, and the official letter of the seven Political Consultative Conference members cannot be withdrawn. (3) If the other side is sincere in resolving the issues, then (a) the Political Consultative Conference should be postponed for two months; (b) within these two months, the Twelve Points and all outstanding cases should be resolved; (c) a plane should be sent to bring Enlai back to Yan’an for discussions so that the other side’s opinions can be considered.

[1] This is the main content of the reply telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to Zhou Enlai.

[2] On February 25, Zhou Enlai telegraphed Mao Zedong and the Secretariat of the Central Committee, reporting on the negotiations with Zhang Chong that day. The telegram stated: “Zhang Chong came again this morning, and we talked for about three hours. I firmly told him that the official letter of the seven Political Consultative Conference members cannot be withdrawn.” Zhou Enlai also stated in the telegram that Zhang Chong proposed three specific measures and asked him to telegraph the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China: (1) Militarily, the regular troops of the 18th Group Army should move north of the Yellow River, while all other guerrilla units should remain in Central China to cooperate with friendly forces in combat; (2) The Political Consultative Conference should instead invite Dong Biwu and Deng Yingchao to attend the meeting; (3) The current military attacks should cease, political oppression must be comprehensively resolved, and Chiang Kai-shek must be asked to take responsibility for rectification, ensuring no new incidents occur. Zhang Chong’s sole request was that the Communist Party Political Consultative Conference members attend the conference, and he hoped for a reply by tomorrow morning.