Reply to Zhou Enlai’s Telegram[1]

(May 19, 1943)

In the operations in southern Taihang, the Japanese forces first attacked Sun Dianying[2] and Pang Bingxun, and then attacked our 129th Division. Sun and Pang suffered a crushing defeat. The 129th Division fought bitterly for half a month and has achieved victory. I have telegraphed Peng Dehuai that our army units cooperating in the operations in that area should immediately withdraw northward (it seems there are no national army troops left in that area), so as to give the Kuomintang no pretext whatsoever.

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

[2] Sun Dianying, then Commander of the New 5th Army of the Kuomintang forces.