To Chen, Xie, and Han, with notification to Liu and Deng, and Peng [2]:  (1) We have received your telegrams of the 30th at 6:00 a.m., the 31st at 6:00 a.m., the 31st at noon, the 1st at 10:00 a.m., and the 1st at 7:00 p.m.   The capture of Xin’an, Mianchi, Yiyang, Luoning, and other localities, together with the annihilation of over 4,000 enemy troops, is most gratifying.   (2) Your operational area encompasses a vast region south of the Yellow River and the Wei River, north of the Han River, west of the Pinghan Railway, and east of the Xi’an–Hanzhong line.  Cadres should become thoroughly familiar with the geography, enemy situation, and local conditions of this area.  They should be prepared to conduct mobile operations in all directions—east, west, north, and south—for at least half a year, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy, so as to establish a base area.   (3) Principles of operation: Firmly seize strongholds and cities where the enemy garrison is weak; take advantage of opportunities to capture those with moderate defenses when circumstances permit; avoid strongly fortified positions.  The main emphasis should be placed on maneuvering to engage the enemy in mobile warfare, occupying the broad rural areas, eliminating reactionary armed forces, and mobilizing the masses.  It will be necessary to endure a difficult period before a base area can be gradually established.   (4) For the present, suspend the attack on Hengshui.  A portion of your forces will keep the enemy at Luoyang under surveillance, while the main body advances westward, seizing, as opportunity permits, any or several of the seven towns of Shanxian, Lingbao, Wenyang [3], Lushi, Luonan, Shangxian, and Shangnan, with particular emphasis on clearing out reactionary armed elements from the countryside of these seven counties.  Your second-phase maneuvering direction will be either east toward the Pinghan Railway or south north of the Han River; this will be determined temporarily as conditions warrant.

Issued by the Military Commission at 12:00 noon on the 2nd, based on Mao Zedong’s manuscript.

Notes [1] The Chen–Xie Force refers to the Chen–Xie Corps of the Jin–Hebei–Lu-Yu Field Army, with Chen Geng as Secretary of the Front Committee, Xie Fuzhi as Deputy Secretary, and Han Jun as a member of the Standing Committee.   [2] Liu and Deng refer to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, who at that time served respectively as Commander and Political Commissar of the Jin–Hebei–Lu-Yu Field Army.  Peng refers to Peng Dehuai, who was then Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Commander and Political Commissar of the Northwest Field Army.   [3] Wenyang was merged into Lingbao County, Henan, in 1954.