Control with All Our Might the Two Cities
of Changchun and Harbin and the Entire
Length of the Chinese Eastern Railway
(March 24, 1946)
To the Northeast Bureau, and for the information of Lin Biao, Huang [Kecheng],
and Li [Fuchun]:1
	 1.	 U.S.-Soviet and Sino-Soviet relations have already improved. The Soviet
army will complete its withdrawal in April, and it has already informed
Wang Shijie2 of the judgment that Chiang Kaishek will definitely move his
troops north from Shenyang and fight us for Changchun and Harbin.
	 2.	 The overarching policy of our Party is to use all our strength to control the
two cities of Changchun and Harbin as well the entire length of the Chinese
Eastern Railway3 and to spare no sacrifice whatsoever in fighting against
the occupation of Changchun, Harbin, and the Chinese Eastern Railway by
Chiang’s army, with southern Manchuria and western Manchuria as subsidiary directions.
	 3.	 Toward this end, please promptly approach Elder Brother Chen4 about permitting our side to dispatch troops to occupy the cities of Changchun and
Harbin and the entire Chinese Eastern Railway. If you obtain his approval,
then command Zhou Baozhong’s5 unit to take on the task of occupying [the
two cities and the line] and to vigorously carry out bandit suppression.
	 4.	 Huang and Li’s troops should mobilize to control the Sipingjie6 area resolutely and with all their might; if the army of the diehard enemy advances
northward, thoroughly annihilate it and by no means allow it to advance
toward Changchun.
	 5.	 Southern Manchuria’s7 main forces should, in their present area of activity,
resolutely destroy the enemy attacking Liaoyang, Fushun, and other areas;
if they can wipe out one or two divisions, they should then pin down a large
number of troops of the diehard enemy troops and block their northward
advance.
	 6.	 If, because of fighting, the army of the diehard enemy consolidates its position in the Liaoyang-Fushun region and consequently can pull out its troops
to head northward toward Sipingjie and Changchun, you must prepare to
promptly shift the main forces in southern Manchuria toward Sipingjie and
Changchun, join up with Huang and Li and Zhou Baozhong, and fight to
defend northern Manchuria,8 leaving a considerable number of troops to
defend the Liberated Area in southern Manchuria.
	 7.	 We expect you to consider the above and notify us by telegram.

---

Notes

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 3, pp. 153–54, where it is
reproduced from Mao’s handwritten manuscript preserved in the Central Archives.

--- Notes

1.  Mao Zedong drafted this telegram on behalf of the Central Committee. Lin Biao
was commander-in-chief of the Northeast Democratic Allied Army. The Northeast People’s
Autonomous Army was renamed the Northeast Democratic Allied Army on January 14,
1946. Huang Kecheng and Li Fuchun (1900–1975, native of Hunan) were commander and
political commissar, respectively, of the Western Manchuria Military Region of the Northeast Democratic Allied Army.

2.  Wang Shijie was foreign minister of the Guomindang government.

3.  The Chinese Eastern Railway refers to the sections of the Chinese Changchun railway between Changchun and Harbin, and between Harbin and Suifenhe.

4.  A reference to the Soviet military representative.

5.  Zhou Baozhong was commander of the Eastern Manchuria Military Region of the
Northeast Democratic Allied Army.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719511-101

6.  Sipingjie is the former name of today’s Siping in Jilin Province.

7.  Southern Manchuria refers to the central Liaoning area, east of the Shenyang-Dalian
section of the Chinese Changchun railway, encompassing Andong (today’s Dandong),
Zhuanghe, Tonghua, Linjiang, Qingyuan, and southeast Shenyang.

8.  Northern Manchuria included the areas of Harbin, Mudanjiang, Bei’an, Jiamusi,
and Qiqihar.