Telegram to Zhou Enlai[1]

(November 10, 1941)

Reconnaissance over successive days shows that He Wending is still at Taolimin and has not moved. Wang Zhen and He Jinnian have already concentrated approximately six thousand troops in the Three Borders area, which may be sufficient to intimidate He Wending into not coming. On your side, there is no need to continue negotiations. If the other side proposes reducing troop strength[2], you must absolutely not agree to it. As for Chiang using the threat of a rupture to intimidate us, that is nothing but empty boasting; he absolutely does not dare.

--- Notes

[1] This is the main content of Mao Zedong’s telegram to Zhou Enlai.


[2] On November 9, Zhou Enlai telegraphed Mao Zedong and Zhu De, reporting two points conveyed to him by Liu Fei from Chiang Kai-shek: 1. The order for He Wending’s unit to take over the defense has already been issued and cannot be changed; 2. He Wending’s unit will absolutely not attack the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region. If we attack him, it will inevitably lead to a complete rupture. Revoking the order is impossible; troop strength can only be reduced in the future.