The Key to Resolving the Xinjiang Issue
Is the Close Cooperation Between Our Party and the Uyghur Ethnic Group
(September 26, 1949)

To Comrade Peng Dehuai [1] and for the information of the Northwest Bureau:

Your telegram of the 25th has been received.

(1) Tao Zhiyue [2] has sent Zeng Zhenwu [3] to Lanzhou [4] for negotiations, which are exploratory in nature. You should work on Zeng Zhenwu to win him over to our side, rather than focusing on the specific resolution of the Xinjiang issue, as no concrete resolution can be discussed before our army enters Xinjiang.

(2) Regarding Zeng Zhenwu’s opinion that we should not advance our troops this winter, you should not refute him—that is, do not indicate that we will definitely advance this winter. However, in practice, you should make thorough preparations by November 1 or 10 (including fur coats, fur hats, felt boots, water canteens, vehicles, gasoline, grain, silver dollars, banknotes, etc., and most importantly, political mobilization and cadre preparation) so that the actual advance can take place in early or mid-November.