Prepare to Capture Yanzhou, Liaocheng, and Boping[1]

(June 18, 1946)

Comrades Chen and Shu, and Liu, Deng, and Bo:

(1) It is hoped that preparations for the two campaigns to capture Yanzhou and Liaobo[2] will be completed within this month. However, do not launch any attacks until the final directive is received from the Central Committee.
(2) Recently, we have gained many areas, and a brief period of calm is needed in the short term.
(3) If Chiang Kai-shek’s side resumes its offensive in the Northeast after the 15-day deadline expires, or launches a large-scale attack on our Subei region, you may then proceed to capture Yanzhou, Liaocheng, and Boping.

The Central Committee
June 18

[1] This telegram was drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and addressed to Chen Yi, Commander of the New Fourth Army and concurrently Commander of the Shandong Military Region; Shu Tong, Director of the Political Department; and Liu Bocheng, Commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region; Deng Xiaoping, Political Commissar; and Bo Yibo, First Deputy Political Commissar.
[2] "Liao" refers to Liaocheng in Shandong Province. "Bo" refers to Boping, a former county that was merged into Chiping County, Shandong Province, in 1956.