Long live the Soviet people!
Long live Comrade Stalin, mentor of the world revolution and cherished friend of the Chinese people!

Telegram on Issues
(February 17 and 20, 1950)
Comrade Shaoqi, and the Central Political Bureau:

(1) Our party of fourteen persons departed Moscow by night train today, the 17th, to return home. Upon departure from Moscow, a station farewell address will be issued, and therefore it should be publicly reported. We plan to visit one or two factories en route through Siberia, and will also stop for one or two days upon reaching Irkutsk, so the journey will be longer than the usual schedule, which may also slightly disrupt the calculations of ordinary people.

(2) After we leave, there remain trade issues, Xinjiang economic cooperation issues, civil aviation issues, military issues, and expert contract issues to be resolved. Therefore, Comrades Fuchun and comrades from the Northeast and Xinjiang, plus Ye Jizhuang (who still requires surgery), Wu Xiuquan, Shen Hong, Li Qiang, Su Nongguan, and others—22 persons in total—along with Liu Yalou and three others, will all remain. A delegation will be formed by Fuchun, Jiaxiang, Yalou, Jizhuang, and Seypidin, with Fuchun bearing overall responsibility to continue negotiations on the above-mentioned issues, which can be resolved in about twenty days. By then, we will have returned to Beijing and can make final decisions on the content of the various agreements and the time of their signing.

(3) Regarding the content of the various agreements: The civil aviation agreement has already been negotiated and settled, with Liu Yalou responsible for revising the text. Xinjiang economic cooperation involves two items—petroleum and non-ferrous and rare metals—whose principles have been negotiated and settled, with Jiaxiang and Seypidin continuing the discussions. The expert contract draft has been proposed by the Soviet side, largely identical to the one brought back by Comrade Shaoqi last year, except that it adds a requirement for our side to pay each expert in Soviet rubles, from 1,500 to 3,000 per month, to cover their salaries in the Soviet Union and the losses of government organs. Military issues will also continue to be discussed by Yalou. Among these, the most laborious matters are the trade contract and the determination of import and export goods lists, especially the specifications and prices of the goods lists, which are the most difficult to finalize. Fuchun has telegraphed Chen and Bo on various matters; please study them carefully. Prices should not be set too high, lest they diverge greatly from the Soviet side, which could considerably affect the negotiations. Please advise Chen and Bo to pay attention to this.

(4) While en route, we can still communicate by telegram with the embassy. If the Central Committee has important matters, they can also be relayed to us via the ambassador. Please also have the Central Committee directly instruct the delegation led by Fuchun and others.

Mao Zedong
February 17, 7:00

Ambassador Wang, and inform Fuchun:

Jiaxiang, i.e., Wang Jiaxiang, then serving as China’s Ambassador to the Soviet Union. Seypidin, i.e., Seypidin Eziz, then serving as Vice Chairman of the Ethnic Affairs Commission of the Central People’s Government and Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang Provincial People’s Government.
Chen and Bo, referring to Chen Yun and Bo Yibo.
Ambassador Wang, referring to Wang Jiaxiang.