On the Sino-Soviet Talks and the Drafting of Documents
Telegram to Liu Shaoqi
(January 25, 1950)

Comrade Shaoqi:

(1) Zhou, Li, and their party arrived here on the 20th. On the 21st, twelve of us attended the Lenin memorial meeting. On the 22nd, six of us, including Shi Zhe,[1] met with Comrade Stalin and others to decide on various matters of principle and the methods for proceeding with the work. On the 23rd, Zhou, Wang, and Li held talks on several specific issues with the Soviet side—Mikoyan, Vyshinsky, and Roshchin.[2] On the 24th, the draft of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance,[3] which we prepared, was delivered to Vyshinsky. The second document, namely the agreement on Port Arthur, Dalian, and the Chinese Changchun Railway, is now being drafted and can probably be completed today. It has also been decided to prepare the third document, the Sino-Soviet barter agreement, within three days. In short, the work is proceeding quite smoothly.

(2) The draft of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance is hereby sent for discussion by the Central Committee. Please telegraph your opinions. Do not circulate outside.

Mao Zedong
January 25, 5 a.m.

[1] Shi Zhe was then Director of the Compilation and Translation Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
[2] Mikoyan was then Vice Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers. Vyshinsky was then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. Roshchin was then Soviet Ambassador to China.
[3] This draft treaty was drafted by Zhou Enlai under the direction of Mao Zedong.