Reply to Pan Hannian [1]
(January 20, 1949)
(1) The CCP’s attitude toward the current situation can be found in Chairman Mao’s statement of the 14th. Any party may act in accordance with this statement. (2) The Nanjing clique is the chief culprit in the civil war. Li and Bai also bear responsibility for the civil war. If they wish to mitigate their culpability for the civil war, they must make concrete and genuine contributions to the cause of the people’s liberation. If Li Zongren still intends to replace Chiang, and Bai Chongxi still intends to obtain U.S. aid to oppose our army, they will not be able to gain the people’s understanding, and it can be concluded that there will be no good outcome. (3) If Bai wishes to send representatives to contact Liu and Deng, they may proceed to the Zhengzhou municipal government for consultations.

[1] This is the main content of the reply drafted by Mao Zedong on behalf of Zhou Enlai and Li Kenong in response to Huang Shaohong’s message to Pan Hannian. Li Kenong was then director of the CCP Central Committee’s Social Affairs Department. Huang Shaohong was then a member of the Kuomintang Central Committee and vice president and legislative member of the Control Yuan of the KMT government.
Li refers to Li Zongren. Bai refers to Bai Chongxi, then commander of the KMT’s Central China Military and Political Affairs Headquarters.
Liu and Deng refer to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping.