Letter to Chen Jinkun1
(September 22, 1946)
Mr. Chen Jinkun:
Today I read your article, “Why I Take Part in CPC Work.” It speaks with the
force of justice; it can strengthen the will of warriors and sap the spirits of those
who are crafty and evil. I plan to send it to Liberation Daily for publication and
to broadcast it to the whole nation. Right now, Chiang’s army is carrying out a
large-scale attack against Zhangyuan,2 and I intend to invite you to Yan’an so we
can plan together how to carry out our work. What do you think of this? I look
forward to your reply.
Mao Zedong
Our source for this letter is Mao Zedong shuxin xuanji, p. 274, where it is reproduced
from the handwritten manuscript.
1.  Chen Jinkun (1887–1959, native of Hunan) was a jurist from Changde city, Hunan
Province. After arriving in Yan’an from Beiping in 1946, he served as a member of the
Legal Committee of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and as presi
dent of the People’s Court of North China.
2.  Zhangyuan is another name for Zhangjiakou, a prefectural-level city in northwestern
Hebei.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719511-229