To the Central Committee and Comrade Dehuai [1], with request to forward to Comrades Xiaoping, Bocheng, and Helong [2]:  (1) We have received and noted Comrade Dehuai’s telegram of December 30 concerning the situation in Tibet and the routes into Tibet.  This telegram is hereby forwarded by the Central Committee to Comrades Liu, Deng, and He for their consideration.

(2) Although Tibet’s population is small, its international significance is extremely great. It is imperative that we seize control of Tibet and transform it into a people’s democratic region. Given the considerable difficulties involved in advancing into Tibet from Qinghai and Xinjiang, the task of both entering Tibet and administering the region should be assigned to the Southwest Bureau.

(3) Since passage into Tibet via the northwest is feasible only from mid-May to mid-September—roughly four months each year—with the remaining eight months closed off by heavy snow, the window for entry from Xikang [3] is likely to be similar. If no advance is made into Tibet between mid-May and mid-September this year, any subsequent operation would have to be postponed until 1951.

In my view, unless there are insurmountable obstacles, we should strive to begin our advance into Tibet in mid-May of this year and to occupy the entire territory before October. To this end, I propose: (a) that Comrades Liu, Deng, and He convene at the earliest possible date—say, in mid-January—to deliberate on matters such as the units to be dispatched into Tibet and the leading cadres responsible for governing the region, and to immediately commence all necessary preparations; (b) that Dartsedo [4] be swiftly occupied as a base from which to plan and organize the advance into Tibet; (c) that, within the four-and-a-half-month period from early January to mid-May, the troops designated for the operation advance in two columns from Dartsedo to the border areas between Xikang and Tibet, constructing motor roads or cart tracks to prepare for the commencement of the invasion in mid-May; (d) that Tibetan personnel be gathered and cadre training initiated; (e) that, since reports indicate Tibet possesses only about six thousand scattered troops, it would seem unnecessary to deploy the three corps I suggested in my previous telegram; rather, a single well-equipped corps or four divisions—totaling roughly forty thousand men—should suffice, provided they receive specialized political training and are properly armed; and (f) that troops serving in Tibet be rotated every three years to maintain morale.

(4) The advance into and administration of Tibet constitute a glorious yet arduous mission for our Party. The Southwest has only recently been brought under our control, and the comrades of the Southwest Bureau are already exceedingly busy. Now, they are being entrusted with the additional responsibility of entering Tibet. However, given the importance and time-sensitive nature of this task, I offer the foregoing suggestions.

I would appreciate it if the Southwest Bureau could carefully consider their feasibility and reply accordingly.

Mao Zedong, 4:00 A.M., January 2, at Yuanfang, printed from the manuscript.

Notes  [1] Dehuai refers to Peng Dehuai, who at the time served as First Secretary of the Northwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Commander of the First Field Army of the People’s Liberation Army, and Commander of the Northwest Military Region.

[2] Xiaoping refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at the time served as First Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Political Commissar of the Second Field Army of the PLA, and Political Commissar of the Southwest Military Region. Bocheng refers to Liu Bocheng, who at the time served as Second Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Commander of the Second Field Army of the PLA. Helong refers to He Long, who at the time served as Third Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Commander of the Southwest Military Region of the PLA.

[3] Xikang refers to Xikang Province, which was abolished in 1955, with its former territory incorporated into Sichuan Province.

[4] Dartsedo corresponds to present-day Kangding County in Sichuan Province.