Heighten Our Vigilance and Do Not Be Taken In[1]

(August 24, 1946)

Over the last three months, the Kuomintang and the United States have conspired to lure Lin Biao, Chen Yi, Li Xiannian, He Long, and other important leading comrades to the major cities for negotiations, in an attempt to detain them and thereby facilitate their offensive. This scheme was seen through by us and rejected. Recently, the Kuomintang and the United States conspired to lure Li Yunchang before attacking Rehe, but this has now been rejected. After the Chiang Kai-shek army succeeds in its attack on Rehe, it will attack Harbin, and at that time similar deceptive schemes may again arise. It is hoped that the Northeast Bureau, as well as Li, Wu, and Bian, will be mentally prepared in advance and by no means be taken in. Over the past eight months, we have been deceived by the Kuomintang and the United States in numerous and extremely serious instances, and we must heighten our vigilance.

[1] This is the main content of a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to the Northeast Bureau, the Rehe Sub-Bureau, and to Li Lisan, Wu Xiuquan, Bian Zhangwu, Zhou Enlai, and Ye Jianying. Bian Zhangwu was then a member of the CCP group at the Changchun Executive Sub-Office of the Peiping Executive Headquarters for Military Mediation.