To Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping and Others[1]

(October 12, 1947)

Since you advanced into the Hubei-Henan-Anhui border region and established a firm foothold there, and in coordination with Chen and Su north of the Huai River, Chen and Xie in western Henan and southern Shaanxi, Peng and Zhang in the Northwest, and Xu and Tan in Shandong, our army has completed the strategic deployment for the second year of operations on the southern front, fought many victorious battles, compelled the various enemy forces on the southern front to disperse and respond piecemeal, placing them in a passive position, and created the conditions for our army to destroy the enemy in large numbers henceforth. It is hoped that all comrades, under the correct leadership of Liu and Deng, will continue to exert themselves, unite the entire Party and the entire army, overcome difficulties, and fulfill the great strategic task.

[1] This is the main content of a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, and forwarded to all columns and brigades.