Encircle the Enemy Forces in Beiping from
the Southeast
(December 13, 1948, 4:00 P.M.)
To Lin [Biao], Luo [Ronghuan], and Liu [Yalou]; Cheng [Zihua] and Huang
[Zhiyong]; and for the information of Nie [Rongzhen] and Bo [Yibo]:1
	 1.	 We received all your telegrams.
	 2.	 Cheng and Huang should follow the instructions in the telegram sent by Lin,
Luo, and Liu at 21:30 on the 12th, and quickly go to the vicinity of Beiping
to command three columns. All three columns should move directly toward
Beiping.
	 3.	 After Cheng and Huang arrive in the area north of Beiping, if the enemy
forces in Beiping have not retreated, [Cheng and Huang] should use two
divisions (it should not be one division, nor should it be one column) to control the Nankou-Badaling2 line. All remaining units should take a direct route
from the area west of Beiping to the areas south and southeast of Beiping to
take control of the [Bei]ping-Tian[jin] railway.3 They should encircle the
enemy forces from the southeast (they should not go to the area southeast of
Tong county).
	 4.	 After Cheng and Huang arrive in the vicinity of Beiping, if the enemy forces
in Beiping are retreating, [Cheng and Huang] should also make a detour
to wipe out the retreating enemy forces according to the method described
above. After the retreating enemies are eliminated, [Cheng] Zihua should
immediately lead two divisions to occupy Beiping and should take responsibility for maintaining order (pay attention to discipline). The other troops can be placed under the direct radio command of Lin, Luo, and Liu, or under
the command of Xiao [Jinguang] and Chen [Bojun],4 and should pursue the
enemy toward Tianjin. In this situation, no forces will remain in Nankou.
	 5.	 After Cheng and Huang arrive in the vicinity of Beiping, if the enemy forces
in Beiping have already completed their withdrawal, [Cheng and Huang]
should still handle things according to the above instructions.
	 6.	 Other matters should all be handled according to Lin, Luo, and Liu.
	 7.	 We have ordered the Seventh Column of the North China Army to advance
from Liangxiang5 to the [Bei]ping-[Tian]jin railway.
	 8.	 We appoint Nie Rongzhen as garrison commander of the Beiping-Tianjin
region; Bo Yibo as political commissar; Peng Zhen as secretary of the
Beiping Municipal Party Committee; Ye Jianying as deputy secretary of
the Beiping Municipal Party Committee, director of the Beiping Military
Control Commission, and mayor of Beiping; Huang Kecheng as secretary of
the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and director of the Tianjin Military
Control Commission; and Huang Jing as mayor of Tianjin. Today and tomorrow, Nie, Peng, Ye, Huang, et al. should advance with cadres by train from
Pingshan to the areas around Beiping and Tianjin.
The Military Commission

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Notes

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 5, pp. 397–98, where it is
reproduced from Mao’s handwritten manuscript preserved in the Central Archives.

--- Notes

1.  Mao Zedong drafted this telegram on behalf of the Central Military Commission.
Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, and Liu Yalou were commander, political commissar, and chief-of-staff, respectively, of the Northeast Field Army. Cheng Zihua and Huang Zhiyong were
commander and chief-of staff, respectively, of the Second Corps of the Northeast Field
Army. Nie Rongzhen and Bo Yibo were commander and political commissar, respectively,
of the North China Military Region.

2.  Nankou is a town in western Changping county, Beijing. Badaling is a section of the
Great Wall in southern Yanqing county, Beijing.

3.  The Beiping-Tianjin railway is part of today’s Beijing-Shanghai railway.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719436-211

4.  Xiao Jinguang and Chen Bojun were commander and deputy commander, respectively, of the First Corps of the Northeast Field Army.

5.  Liangxiang was a county incorporated into Beijing in 1958.