Telegram to Liu Shaoqi Concerning Approval of Su Yu Deploying Four Divisions for Naval Exercises and Other Matters
(February 10, 1950)

Comrade Shaoqi:
(1) Approval is given for Su Yu to deploy four divisions for naval exercises.
(2) The few prefatory sentences of the loan agreement[1] are intended to signify China’s compensation to the Soviet Union and should not be deleted.
(3) All documents pertaining to the treaty and agreements[2] shall be published by both sides on the same day, with the date to be notified separately.
(4) Boda[3] has drafted an editorial for Xinhua News Agency, which we have reviewed. It can be sent to you tomorrow. Please consult with Qiaomu and arrange for its simultaneous publication on the day the treaty is released.

Mao Zedong
5:00 a.m., February 10

[1] Refers to the Agreement Between the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Loan to the People’s Republic of China. The preface of this agreement states: “The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics agrees to fulfill the request of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China to grant a loan to China as payment for the machinery, equipment, and other materials which the Soviet Union agrees to deliver to China.”
[2] Refers to the Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance Between the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; the Agreement Between the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Chinese Changchun Railway, Lüshunkou, and Dalian; and the Agreement Between the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Loan to the People’s Republic of China.
[3] Boda, i.e., Chen Boda, then serving as Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee and Vice President of the Marxist-Leninist Academy.

Telegram to Lin Biao[1]
(February 12, 1950)

To Comrade Lin Biao, forwarded by the Central Committee:
Your telegram of 20:00, February 10[2] has been received. Approval is given for the 43rd Army to send one regiment to cross the sea first, with other units crossing in batches as opportunities arise. If this method proves effective, the liberation of Hainan Island may be achieved ahead of schedule.

Mao Zedong
4:00 a.m., February 12

[1] Lin Biao, then serving as Commander of the Fourth Field Army of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Commander of the Central-South Military Region.
[2] Refers to the telegram sent by Lin Biao and others to the CPC Central Committee and Mao Zedong at 20:00 on February 10, 1950. The telegram stated: According to discussions with Deng Hua and Lai Chuanzhu, if our forces land on Hainan Island with an entire army in a single operation, the problem of securing sufficient vessels would be extremely difficult to resolve, and we would also be unable to counter enemy naval and air force harassment. Therefore, they suggest that during this period, we adopt a method of conducting preliminary stealth crossings. Upon reaching Hainan Island, these forces would link up with Feng Baiju’s units to engage in small-scale mobile warfare and guerrilla operations, after which the main forces would seek opportunities to cross the sea. We agree that the 43rd Army should send one regiment to cross first and that other units should follow in succession.

Manuscript of Mao Zedong’s telegram to Lin Biao.

Telegram on Issues Requiring Attention When Various Localities Express Their Stance on the New Sino-Soviet Treaty and Agreements
(February 12 and 13, 1950)

Comrade Shaoqi:
I have drafted an internal Party telegram as follows. Please review it upon receipt and dispatch it promptly.

Mao Zedong
6:00 a.m., February 12

To all Central Bureaus, Sub-Bureaus, and Front Committees:
The new Sino-Soviet treaty and agreements[1] will soon be signed and published. When holding discussions and issuing statements, all localities should adhere to the stance of the Xinhua News Agency editorial and refrain from expressing inappropriate opinions.

Central Committee
February 13

[1] Refers to the Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance Between the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; the Agreement Between the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Chinese Changchun Railway, Lüshunkou, and Dalian; and the Agreement Between the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Loan to the People’s Republic of China. The above treaty and agreements were signed in Moscow on February 14, 1950.

On February 14, 1950, the signing ceremony of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance was held in the Kremlin. The photograph shows Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and others at the signing ceremony.