Central Telegram Concerning the Renaming of the Ethnic Military and the Establishment of a Xinjiang Branch Bureau (October 12, 1949) To Peng Gan [1], and to the Northwest Bureau: We have received your telegram of the 9th, at you hour. (1) The Yining Ethnic Military must have one person serve as deputy commander of the New Province [2] Military Region, as previously indicated in our earlier telegram. (2) The Ethnic Military should be renamed the People’s Liberation Army; they already harbor this intention and have requested that we dispatch political officers to them. The details regarding this matter, as well as the number of divisions to be formed and their specific designations, will be determined after you [3] arrive in Dihua [4] and consult with the leaders of the Ethnic Military. (3) A portion of the Ethnic Military should advance to Dihua, while another portion should move to Usu. This issue will be decided following consultations with Saifuding [ ], after which we shall inform you. (4) A branch bureau of the Party leadership in Xinjiang should be established. We approve Wang Zhen as secretary, Xu Liqing as deputy secretary, and Luo Yuanfa, Zhang Xianyue, Rao Zhengxi, Wang Enmao, Guo Peng, Zeng Di, and Deng Liqun as members. At present, the autonomous region has only the Democratic League [ ], with no Party organization yet in place (a Party organization ought to be established). Whether several leading comrades from the League may temporarily attend meetings of the branch bureau remains to be considered; we will inform you later. Issued by the Central Committee on October 12, based on Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft.

Notes [1] Peng refers to Peng Dehuai, who at the time served as Commander and Political Commissar of the First Field Army of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Gan refers to Gan Siqi, who at the time was Director of the Political Department of the First Field Army. [2] Namely, Xinjiang Province. In 1955, the provincial administrative structure was abolished, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was established. [3] Refers to Peng Dehuai. [4] Dihua is present-day Urumqi City. [ ] Saifuding was at the time acting chairman of the Central Committee of the Xinjiang Peace and Democracy Defense League. [ ] Refers to the Xinjiang Peace and Democracy Defense League.