Reply to Chen Yi’s Telegram[1]

(July 20, 1942)

The telegram from the Military Commission indicating the policy directive for the Fifth Division has been sent, and I trust you have received it. It aligns with the views expressed in your telegram[2]. However, at present, it is not appropriate to publicly propagandize the crimes of the diehard troops, as our side is currently resuming negotiations with the Kuomintang and should not provoke it.

[1] This is the main content of Mao Zedong’s reply to Chen Yi’s telegram.

[2] In his telegram of July 18 to Mao Zedong, Chen Yi reported that the Fifth Division of the New Fourth Army, facing an urgent situation due to attacks by Kuomintang troops, had requested to dispatch units westward for assistance. He considered this approach inappropriate and advocated that the Fifth Division should primarily engage in dispersed and independent operations. He also stated that since the provocations were initiated by the Kuomintang side, the New Fourth Army headquarters planned to publicize this matter openly to expose the schemes of the diehard troops, but would await the Central Committee’s decision on the stance before proceeding.