We have carefully read your telegram of February 1 and are deeply touched by your kind sentiments. For more than a century, the Chinese nation and the Chinese people have been engaged in a struggle for liberation, with one generation following another in heroic sacrifice. The blood of countless martyrs has been shed across our beautiful land, while countless generations of our people have displayed a spirit of heroism. The victory of this People’s Liberation War was achieved because the Chinese people were unafraid of oppression, stood united in their struggle, and because all democratic parties and people’s organizations rose up in concert, working together in solidarity. As a result, the People’s Liberation Army received support from every quarter, while the enemies of the people were completely isolated, thereby making the outcome of the war unmistakably clear. However, remnants of the enemy still remain, hatching treacherous schemes: they pretend to seek peace in order to gain breathing space, claim to be awaiting foreign aid as a pretext for negotiations, mouth the Eight Points yet shield war criminals, keep their eyes fixed on the United States, and their feet poised for retreat to Guangzhou. If we are to secure final victory in the people’s liberation struggle, it is essential that all democratic forces throughout the country unite in purpose and resolve, press forward with renewed vigor, and strive for a truly democratic peace…

On February 1, democratic figures who had arrived in the Chinese People’s Liberated Area—Li Jishen, Shen Junru, Ma Xulun, Guo Moruo, and others—sent a telegram to Chairman Mao, celebrating the great victory of the People’s Liberation War.