Letter to Chen Yi1
(December 1, 1944)
Comrade Chen Yi:
I read your letter and was quite inspired by it. Thank you very much!
I have telegraphed Chongqing today that we will not submit a reply and that
Zhou [Enlai] and Dong [Biwu] will both come back. We will delay it for a while
and then discuss what we should do next. In terms of the primary policy, just as
you said, there is no other option but this.
The achievements in the White [Guomindang-controlled] areas must be
recognized. You are quite right. In addition, there are issues such as the “south
and north” and the Party in the south. I had wanted to talk about them for a long
time, but I temporarily forgot. I am afraid that I may have forgotten other things.
It seems necessary to talk about them at the Seventh Party Congress. All that is
unfair must be corrected and returned to fairness in order for us to unite together
to fight against the enemy. Whenever you have any new ideas, please let me
know.
Since you and Nie [Rongzhen] have become publicly known, it is no longer
necessary for [Liu] Bocheng to remain secret. He was invited to the meeting at
the Party School yesterday, but he did not show up. This is because he was not
formally informed that he can appear in public. You can tell him first, and I will
also tell him.
Please discuss with Peng Zhen the arrangements for backward cadres. In my
opinion, your ideas are very good.
In your thinking, grasp this one thing and you will grasp everything; you will
have nothing to worry about, and nothing will block your path. If you are always
prepared to hold firmly to the truth and are always prepared to correct mistakes,

there is nothing that you cannot do. If only several dozen leading core cadres in
every base area and other places realize this point, all the problems will be
resolved. Politically the entire party is maturing day by day. This can be seen
from the telegrams coming in from various places.
Salutations!
Mao Zedong
Notes
Our source for this text is Mao Zedong shuxin xuanji, pp. 246–47, where it is reproduced from the
manuscript.
1. Chen Yi, acting commander of the New Fourth Army, at the time was in Yan’an to attend the Seventh
Party Congress.