Yang Chengwu’s Unit Must Encircle Several Enemy Forces[1]

(December 1, 1948)

Yang, Li, and inform Yang, Luo, Geng, Cheng, Huang[2]:

Your task is to ensure the encirclement of several enemy forces, so as to draw the enemy in the east to move westward for reinforcement. Therefore, the emphasis is not on annihilation, but on encirclement. After you have encircled several enemy forces, tightly construct fortifications to secure the encirclement and do not allow them to escape. This is of utmost importance.

The Military Commission

1 December, 14:00 hours

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, addressed to Yang Chengwu, commander of the Third Corps of the North China Military Region, and Li Tianhuan, deputy political commissar and concurrently director of the Political Department.
[2] Yang, Luo, Geng refer to Yang Dezhi, Luo Ruiqing, and Geng Biao, who were respectively commander, political commissar, and chief of staff of the Second Corps of the North China Military Region at the time. Cheng, Huang refer to Cheng Zihua and Huang Zhiyong, who were respectively commander and chief of staff of the Second Corps of the Northeast Field Army at the time.