Telegram to Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, Nie Rongzhen, and Others[1]

(February 3, 1949)

(1) Regarding Fu Zuoyi, our attitude is as publicly expressed by the Xinhua News Agency: what he did in the past was wrong, but what he has done this time is right. We have already publicly declared amnesty for his war crimes, and there will absolutely be no further actions against him. He should not engage in any so-called middle-of-the-road line; he should draw closer to us and refrain from issuing ambiguous public statements. Instead, he should issue statements that speak from the standpoint of the people, that is, from our standpoint. If he is temporarily unwilling to issue such a statement, that is also acceptable; he can wait and think it over before speaking. The above attitude should be clearly and repeatedly explained to Fu himself and those around him, both publicly and privately. In particular, you should do more work with Deng Baoshan, Zhou Beifeng, Wang Kejun, Yan Youwen, and others. At present, it is necessary for Fu to remain in Beiping (either inside or outside the city) to facilitate the reorganization of Fu’s forces and to strive for partial peaceful resolutions in Taiyuan, Wuhan, Nanjing, and Shanghai. For the time being, do not allow him to fly to Suiyuan. In the future, it will be permissible for him to go to Suiyuan or elsewhere. After entering the city, Lin Biao should meet with Fu and Deng for a thorough discussion. (2) Nanjing has announced that an eight-member local people’s delegation from Nanjing will fly to Beiping on the 1st. Soon after, a five-member delegation from Shanghai, including Yan Huiqing, Zhang Shizhao, Jiang Yong, Chen Guangfu, and Leng Yuqiu, will also come to Beiping. It is said that they have obtained Li Zongren’s consent and are engaged in exploratory work for a partial peace in the Shanghai-Nanjing area. You should not refuse their arrival in Beiping. After they arrive, you should receive them courteously, ascertain their intentions, and report to the Central Committee.

[1] This is the main content of a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, Nie Rongzhen, Ye Jianying, and Peng Zhen.