Military and Political Deployments in the
Northeast after the Occupation of Changchun
 (April 19, 1946) 1
To Peng [Zhen] and Lin [Biao], and to be forwarded to Zhou [Baozhong], Chen
[Yun], and Gao [Gang]:2
	 1.	 The occupation of Changchun has had an immense effect on the overall situation in the Northeast as well as on the entire country. Please transmit orders
commending the meritorious officers and soldiers.
	 2.	 Yang [Guofu]’s division3 should move southward immediately, or at the latest after a few days of rest, to join in the battles. We must enhance our forces
in the Siping area, destroy the main force of the New First Army, and prepare
to fight continuously to achieve several big victories. Only by so doing will
we be able to defend Changchun.
	 3.	 Make the utmost efforts to take the cities of Harbin and Qiqihar.
	 4.	 Make the utmost efforts to mobilize the millions of masses in the cities of
Changchun, Harbin, and Qiqihar, as well as the region extending approximately two hundred li to the east and to the west of the Changchun-HarbinQiqihar railway. Help them to organize and to arm to become the central
region controlling the entire Manchurian region. Prepare everything rapidly
to defend Changchun. For this purpose, we should send many cadres who are
experienced and who understand our tactics to work in the county towns in
the vicinity of the central region. They will mobilize the masses, eliminate
the bandits, liquidate the Chinese traitors, reduce land rent and interest on
loans, improve the employees’ remuneration, and distribute the land of the
major Chinese traitors. These tasks must show results in the very near future.
Yet we must pay attention to maintaining a broad national united front and
offend only a minority rather than a large number of people. Traitors, evil
gentry, and local tyrants whom the masses denounce must be punished, but
do not implicate too many others. Workers’ wages and other labor compensation must not be raised too much. We must adopt policies of cooperation
between labor and capital, developing production, bringing about a prosperous economy, and benefiting both labor and capital. We should never focus
merely on the short-term and one-sided advantages for the workers at our
own expense.
The Central Committee

Our source for this telegram is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 3, pp. 171–72, where it is
reproduced from Mao’s handwritten manuscript preserved in the Central Archives.

--- Notes

1.  This document contains conventional Chinese characters indicating two different
times, one meaning from 5:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M., and the other meaning noon, or from
11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. The telegram may have been drafted in the morning and revised at
noon, but there is no way of knowing.

2.  Zhou Baozhong was deputy commander-in-chief of the Northeast Democratic
Allied Army and commander of the Jilin-Liaoning Military District. Chen Yun and Gao
Gang (1905–1954, native of Shaanxi) were political commissar and commander, respectively, of the Northern Manchuria Army of the Northeast Democratic Allied Army.

3.  Yang Guofu was commander of the Seventh Division of the Northeast Democratic
Allied Army.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719511-115