The Border Region’s Financial Difficulties Have Been Overcome[1]

(February 9, 1943)

Zhou, Lin:

(1) Hu Zongnan has requested to send personnel to be stationed in Yan’an; Zhu has already replied by telegram agreeing. Hu hopes that when Lin returns he will have a long talk with him; after arriving in Xi’an, Lin may stay a few extra days. (2) After several regiments of Li Xianzhou arrived in western Shandong, they suffered severe blows from the Japanese bandits. (3) Han Deqin has sent people to contact Huang Kecheng, requesting cooperation in resisting Japan. (4) The Border Region’s financial difficulties have been overcome. At present, the Party, government, and army have accumulated assets worth over five hundred million in Border Region currency (equivalent to over two hundred fifty million in legal tender). This year it has been decided to greatly develop agricultural, industrial, salt, and livestock production, and the slogan of ample food and clothing has been put forward. If there is no drought, there are great ways to achieve this; the people’s economy will also greatly develop and can reach ample food and clothing. The Border Region’s Senior Cadres’ Conference (over three hundred people from the Party, government, army, and civilian sectors) launched thoroughgoing self-criticism, achieving satisfactory resolution on issues such as past history, current tasks (production and education), rectifying the three styles, better troops and simpler administration, and unified leadership. The atmosphere is entirely new, and all matters have become easy to handle.

Mao Zedong

Jia

[1] This is Mao Zedong’s telegram to Zhou Enlai and Lin Biao on issues including the overcoming of the Border Region’s financial difficulties.