Zhu and Liu [1]: All your telegrams have been received; your handling of matters is entirely correct.
Has Comrade Shaoqi’s health improved? I hope he will rest assuredly for a month and resume work only after full recovery.
We are both in good health; I am much better than when I was in Yan’an.


Since mid-April we have been stationed in the upper reaches of the Dali River, where we have spent nearly two quiet months.


From the 9th to the 11th of this month, Liu Kan [2] led four brigades on a raid through our headquarters area and nearby localities such as Wangjiawan, Woniu Cheng, and Qingyangcha. Apart from some minor losses sustained by the local populace, there were no other casualties or damage.


At present, Liu’s forces have withdrawn back toward the region between Yan’an and Bao’an [3], their sole purpose being to harass us.


To sum up the three-month campaign in the Border Region: during the first month, local work was somewhat disorganized. Starting from the second month, however, everything fell into place, with the Party, government, military, and people firmly united in their struggle against the enemy.


Within the enemy ranks, mutual recriminations are growing daily, morale is declining, and they have become increasingly pessimistic about the future. By contrast, our confidence remains very high, and our fighting spirit is strong.


Peng and Xi [4] led the Field Army to eastern Gansu at the end of last month. Due to the tenacious resistance of Ma Bufang’s 82nd Division, they failed to capture Heishui, but they did annihilate one regiment of the Second Cavalry Brigade and one regiment of Ma Hongkui’s 81st Division near Quzi.


They are now pressing the main body of the 81st Division at Huan County, intending first to break through the western encirclement line and then to advance into Guanzhong.


Chen and Xie’s [7] Column has been undergoing rest and reorganization this month and is scheduled to be redeployed westward on July 1 to coordinate with the Border Region Corps [8] in opening up the Northwest front.


In the Northeast, progress has been extremely rapid: in less than a month, we have destroyed more than six enemy divisions (or equivalent units), retaken over thirty cities, and brought an additional five million people under our control. We are currently conducting operations against Siping.


Since the annihilation of the Nationalist 74th Division in Shandong, the situation there has stabilized, and we are now planning new offensive operations.


Liu and Deng [9] are resting and regrouping this month, preparing to launch a major offensive at the end of the month. They have also newly formed four columns, bringing the total number of operational columns in that theater to eight.


Looking at the overall situation, this month should be regarded as the beginning of a comprehensive counteroffensive.


Over the next six months, if you can (1) resolve the military issues in Jin–Hebei–Chahar satisfactorily, (2) hold the Land Conference successfully, and (3) establish and effectively operate the Financial and Economic Office, accomplishing these three tasks alone would constitute a significant achievement.


Printed from Mao Zedong’s manuscript dated January 15, 1948.