Telegrams of Condolence on the Death of
Feng Yuxiang1
(September 7, 1948)
(Xinhua News Agency dispatch, Northern Shanxi)
The chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party,
Mao Zedong, and the commander-in-chief of the Chinese People’s Liberation
Army, Zhu De, sent telegrams to the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese
Guomindang and to Madame Li Dequan, the wife of Feng Yuxiang, to offer condolences on the death of Feng Yuxiang. The content of the telegrams is as follows:


To Mr. Li Jishen,2 and to all the gentlemen in the Revolutionary Committee of
the Chinese Guomindang:
It was with great shock and sorrow that we learned of the death of Mr. Feng Yuxiang
while he was returning to China. Mr. Feng had been working painstakingly for the sake
of the democratic undertaking for many years, and upon his return to China, he would
certainly have made many contributions to the democratic undertaking of the Chinese
people. That he suddenly met with this accident is truly a loss for our country and people. We specially send this telegram to offer our condolences and express our sadness.
Mao Zedong
Zhu De
September 7th


Dear Mrs. Feng, Madame Li Dequan [1896–1972, native of Beijing]:
We were greatly shocked and saddened to learn of the unfortunate deaths of
Mr. Feng Yuxiang and your daughter. We express our great sorrow and condolences. Mr. Feng’s efforts toward the democratic undertaking were a great contribution to our country. We will strive, after overcoming our sorrow, to accomplish
Mr. Feng’s unfulfilled wishes.
Mao Zedong, Zhu De
September 7th


The source for our text is Renmin ribao, September 12, 1948, p. 1.


1.  Feng Yuxiang was a warlord who initially supported the Guomindang and held positions in the Nationalist army and government. After the War of Resistance Against Japan, he
became an outspoken critic of the Chiang Kaishek regime and an ally of the Chinese Communist Party. He died during a shipboard fire, in the Black Sea near Odessa, on his way from
the United States to China to attend the Political Consultative Conference.


2.  Li Jishen was the founding chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Guomindang, which was established in 1948.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719436-145