Dealing with Foreign Warships and
Steamboats When They Enter the
Huangpu River
 (May 20, 1949, 9:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.)
To Su [Yu] and Zhang [Zhen], and to the General Front Committee, Liu [Bocheng],
Zhang [Jichun], and Li [Da]:1
We received your two telegrams, one sent at 1:00–3:00 P.M. on the 19th, and
the other sent at noon on the 20th.2
	 1.	 The Huangpu River is an internal river of China, and foreign warships are
not permitted to enter. Any warships that dare to enter and freely move about
must be attacked. If a warship fires on us, we must return fire until we sink it
or expel it.
	 2.	 But if a foreign warship is only docked in Shanghai and does not move or fire
on our forces, then do not attack it.
	 3.	 You should attack all Chinese and foreign ships that come and go on the
Huangpu for the purpose of loading troops, goods, and materials for the
enemy.
	 4.	 As for those Chinese and foreign ships that are docked and immobile in
Shanghai, or those that we have agreed can move, you should permit them to
dock or sail and you should also protect them.
Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 5, pp. 589–90, where it is
	 5.	 In order to deal with the interference of foreign warships, you must be prepared both psychologically and in terms of actual strength. That means you
must annihilate or expel the military forces of the foreign intruders. If you
feel that the strength of your soldiers or your artillery is insufficient, you
should swiftly call in reinforcements from other places.
	 6.	 In your telegram sent at noon on the 20th, you said two ships have raised
foreign flags. We ask you to investigate which countries’ flags they are so
that you can inform us. With regard to any future matter involving foreign
ships, you should thoroughly investigate and report your findings to us.
The Military Commission

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.
Su Yu was deputy commander and second deputy political commissar of the Third Field
Army, and Zhang Zhen (张震) was chief-of-staff of the Third Field Army. Liu Bocheng was
commander of the Second Field Army, Zhang Jichun was deputy political commissar and
director of the Political Department of the Second Field Army, and Li Da was chief-of-staff
of the Second Field Army.

2.  The first telegram from Su Yu and Zhang Zhen stated that three American cruisers,
six Guomindang steamers, and others set out for Wusong on the afternoon of May 18 and
only after that could they be shelled. The second telegram reported that five enemy cruisers
(two flying foreign flags, and three without flags) were along the river from west of Gaoqiao to Linjiazhuang. They were shelling the position of the 269th and 262nd units, but Su
and Zhang did not allow their troops to return fire for fear of hitting the wrong ship. Both
telegrams requested advice on how to deal with the situation.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719436-272