Letter to Deng Baoshan1
(December 22, 1944)
Venerable Brother Baoshan:
We will not forget that you made great efforts to change the situation last year.
In particular, we will not forget your great beneficence in holding the northern
front and protecting the border region in the eight years of the War of Resistance.
Another year has passed since our meeting and talk last autumn. The situation is
developing very quickly. The entire international and domestic situation has
changed. Many words I want to say will be communicated by [Liu] Shaoting2 in
person. In sum, only with the united forces of the people can we defeat the
foreign invaders and rejuvenate China. There is no other way. If we want a
simple summary of the eight years of the War of Resistance, my humble opinion
is that these words are quite appropriate. I wonder if you agree with me or not?
When will we meet and talk with each other again? I am looking forward to it
very much.
Respectful Salutations.
Wishing you good health!
Sincerely yours,
Mao Zedong
Notes
Our source for this document is Mao Zedong shuxin xuanji, pp. 250–51, where it is reproduced from the

manuscript.
1. Deng Baoshan (1894–1968) was commander of the Twenty-first Army Group and commander of the
First Army of the Guomindang army, and commander-in-chief of the Shanxi-Shaanxi-Suiyuan Border
Region during the War of Resistance. Mao and the Chinese Communist Party leadership addressed a letter to
Guomindang military leaders, including Deng Baoshan, on October 26, 1936; see Vol. V, pp. 420–23. Deng
later led his army to join the Communist side in early 1949.
2. Liu Shaoting (1894–1973) was a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia
Border Region during the War of Resistance.