To Liu and Deng:

Your telegram of 1 November is noted. (1) Which enemy unit you strike in the next step may be decided later in light of the situation at that time, but the general principle is to tie down Qiu Qingquan and Hu Lian so as to prevent them from joining the Southern Shandong front. If striking Sun Zhen can draw Qiu and Hu westward to reinforce, then striking Sun Zhen would be best; if striking the 75th Division can detain Qiu and Hu, then striking the 75th Division would be best; if striking Jinxiang, Yutai, Shanxian, Chengwu, Dingtao, and Caoxian is sufficient to threaten Xuzhou, draw Qiu and Hu, and directly coordinate with and support Northern Jiangsu, then moving south to launch surprise attacks on the aforesaid cities would be best. (2) Under Xue Yue’s command, Li Mo’an (Central Jiangsu), Li Yannian (Northern Jiangsu), Feng Zhi’an (Southern Shandong), Wang Jingjiu (Western Shandong), Wang Yaowu (Jiaoji Railway), and units directly under Xue Yue total as many as eighty brigades, constituting the strongest enemy force in the entire country, while our forces in Central Jiangsu and Northern Jiangsu are currently in difficulty. If Qiu and Hu join the Southern Shandong front and cut off the Longhai Railway, it will be extremely difficult for Central Jiangsu and Northern Jiangsu to hold out, which would be highly disadvantageous. We hope you will pay attention to this situation.

Military Commission
3 November