Act Immediately to Stop the Civil War[1]

(July 4, 1943)

Chiang Kai-shek has massed over twenty divisions of troops to encircle the Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia Border Region, and hostilities may break out within a few days; the situation is extremely tense. Please immediately disseminate the above information abroad and launch a movement to stop the civil war. In particular, notify the relevant personnel in Britain and the United States, and at the same time approach Chang Chih-chung and Liu Fei to negotiate a halt. The sooner the better.

[1] In May 1943, the dissolution of the Communist International led Chiang Kai-shek to believe that the time had come to oppose the Communist Party. He thus lost no time in whipping up an anti-communist propaganda offensive in an attempt to eliminate the Communist Party. At the same time, Chiang Kai-shek reinforced his troops around the Shensi-Kansu-Ningsia Border Region in preparation for an attack on it. This is the main content of a telegram Comrade Mao Zedong sent to Comrade Tung Pi-wu at the Office of the Eighth Route Army in Chungking upon learning of the situation.