(1) Question: Is it possible to avoid civil war not by force but through an agreement? Answer: Yes, it is possible, because this accords with the interests of the Chinese people as well as with those of the ruling parties in China. At present, China needs only one policy—peaceful nation-building—and no others; therefore, a civil war in China must be resolutely prevented.

(2) Question: What concessions is the CPC prepared to make in order to reach an agreement? Answer: On the condition that nationwide peace, democracy, and unity are achieved, the CPC is prepared to undertake significant concessions, including reducing the size of the armed forces in the liberated areas.

(3) Question: What compromises or concessions must the central government make to satisfy the CPC’s demands? Answer: The CPC’s position is set forth in the CCP Central Committee’s most recent manifesto. This document calls upon the Nationalist government to recognize the democratically elected governments and people’s armies in the liberated areas, permit their participation in accepting Japan’s surrender, severely punish traitors and collaborationist troops, carry out fair and reasonable army reorganization, safeguard the people’s freedoms and rights, and establish a democratic coalition government.

(4) Question: Do you see any hope that the negotiations will lead to an agreement, even if only a temporary one? Answer: I have full confidence in the outcome of the talks. I believe that, with the joint efforts and mutual concessions of the KMT and the CPC, the negotiations will produce an agreement that is not merely temporary but sufficient to ensure long-term peaceful nation-building.

(5) Question: If the negotiations break down, could the KMT–CPC issue be resolved without bloodshed? Answer: I do not believe the negotiations will fail. Under any circumstances, the CPC will adhere to its policy of avoiding civil war. There will be difficulties, but they can be overcome.

(6) Question: What is the CPC’s attitude toward the Sino-Soviet Treaty? Answer: We fully endorse the Sino-Soviet Treaty and hope for its complete implementation, as it is conducive to the welfare of the peoples of both countries and to world peace, particularly peace in the Far East.

(7) Question: After Japan’s surrender, do you intend to continue occupying the territories you now hold? Answer: The CPC’s demand that the central government recognize the democratically elected governments and people’s armies in the liberated areas simply amounts to a call for the government to implement local self-government, which the Nationalist Party had long ago pledged. This would safeguard the political, military, economic, and educational democratic reforms at the local level that the people themselves initiated during the war—reforms that are entirely consistent with the ideals of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Nationalist Party.

(8) Question: If a coalition government is formed, to what extent are you prepared to cooperate with Chiang Kai-shek? Answer: Should a coalition government come into being, the CPC will devote itself wholeheartedly to working with Chairman Chiang to build a new China that is independent, free, and prosperous, and to thoroughly implement Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles of the People.

(9) Question: How many Communist Party members in North China will be affected by your actions and decisions? How many of them are armed? Where else are CPC members active? Answer: The line of action for Party members is determined by the Party’s Central Committee. The CPC currently has more than 1.1 million members. Under its leadership, over 100 million people now enjoy democratic life. Guided by the principle of voluntary participation, they have organized armed forces numbering over 1.1 million and a militia exceeding 1.1 million. In addition to being stationed in the provinces of North China and the Shaanxi–Gansu–Ningxia Border Region in the Northwest, these forces are also deployed in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, and Guangdong provinces. CPC members, meanwhile, are spread throughout all provinces of the country.

(10) Question: What is the CPC’s concept and interpretation of a “free and democratic China”? Answer: A “free and democratic China” will be a state in which all levels of government, up to and including the central government, are elected through universal, equal, secret ballots and are accountable to the people who elected them. It will realize Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles of the People, Lincoln’s principles of government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” and Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms. It will guarantee national independence, unity, territorial integrity, and cooperation with other democratic powers.

(11) Question: Within a multi-party coalition government, what are the CPC’s plans for construction and recovery? Answer: In addition to democratic reforms in the military and political spheres, the CPC will propose to the government the adoption of an economic and cultural development program. The primary objectives of this program are to alleviate the burden on the people, improve their living standards, carry out land reform and industrialization, encourage private enterprise—except in monopolistic sectors, which should be operated by a democratic government—and, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, welcome foreign investment and develop international trade. It will also promote mass education and eradicate illiteracy. All of these measures are in keeping with Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s legacy.

(12) Question: Are you in favor of nationalizing the armed forces and abolishing private armies? Answer: We fully support both the nationalization of the armed forces and the abolition of private armies. The common prerequisite for these two measures is the democratization of the state. What is commonly referred to as the “Communist Army,” in fact, is an army voluntarily organized by the Chinese people during the war solely for the purpose of defending the motherland. It is a new type of military force, entirely different from all previous personal armies in China. Its democratic character provides valuable experience for the genuine nationalization of the Chinese armed forces and serves as a useful reference for improving other branches of the military.