Comrade [Liu] Shaoqi:

I am in receipt of your telegram of the 12th; it is all correct, and I agree with all of
it. Only in the second paragraph there seems to be something in item A that does
not fit in with item B, so please check it again and think about it. Our Anti-Japanese
National United Front includes all big landlords and big bourgeoisie who are still
resisting Japan. It is an alliance of the entire nation, not just an alliance of the
workers, the peasants, and the petty bourgeoisie. It is indeed so as far as resistance
against Japan is concerned, but where democracy is concerned, the big landlords
and big bourgeoisie are forces to be opposed resolutely. Within our base areas, on
the other hand, in order to protect their economic interests and wage a legitimate
struggle against us, the landlords and big bourgeoisie may support our democratic
régime. Therefore, during the course of the War of Resistance Against Japan,
whether throughout the country or within the base areas, our policy toward the big
landlords and big bourgeoisie, except in the case of Chinese traitors, should be to
draw them in, on the one hand, and to attack them, on the other. That is, draw them
in with regard to resisting Japan and attack their anti-Communism and opposition
to democracy. At present, however, drawing them in is the main thing, and attacking is supplementary; attacking is a means to attain the end of drawing them in.
This point is in agreement with your view in item B of paragraph 2, but it seems to
be not in harmony with item A, and I very much hope you will take this into
consideration. (To isolate the big bourgeoisie in China is different from isolating
the bourgeoisie in Russia. In China we only isolate their anti-Communist aspect,
while in Russia the policy is absolute isolation.) As for the mistakes in Peng
Xuefeng's telegram of May 3, I have a telegram in reply which will be sent to you
at the same time, and when you receive it, please let me know what you think.

Mao Zedong

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong wenji, Vol. 2, pp. 356-57, where it is reproduced
from Mao's handwritten manuscript.