CCP Central Military Commission Telegram to Gao Gang [1] Regarding the Completion of All Combat Preparations by the Northeast Border Defense Forces Within the Current Month (August 5, 1950) Comrade Gao Gang: Your telegram of August 4 has been received. (1) The various units of the Border Defense Forces are now concentrated. There may be no combat missions during August, but they should be prepared to go into action in early September. Comrade Gao Gang, please assume primary responsibility and convene a meeting of regimental and divisional-level cadres in mid-August to explain the objectives and significance of the forthcoming operations as well as their general direction. Each unit is to complete all preparatory work within this month and await orders to deploy for combat. It is essential to maintain high morale and thorough readiness; any ideological questions among the troops must be addressed. We will instruct Xiao Jingguang, Deng Hua, and Xiao Hua [2] to attend this meeting. (2) Under the above guidelines, you are authorized to determine the assembly and deployment of the forces according to the prevailing circumstances. If it would be advantageous to redeploy the 38th Army along the Siping Railway line, such a move may be carried out immediately. The CCP Central Military Commission, August 5. Printed from Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft.

Notes [1] Gao Gang was at that time Commander and Political Commissar of the Northeast Military Region of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. [2] Xiao Jingguang was then Commander of the PLA Navy and was appointed in July 1950 as Deputy Commander of the Northeast Border Defense Forces; however, a formal headquarters for the Border Defense Forces was never established. Deng Hua was at the time Commander of the 13th Corps of the PLA. Xiao Hua was Deputy Director of the General Political Department of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission and was appointed in July 1950 as Deputy Political Commissar of the Northeast Border Defense Forces; likewise, a formal headquarters for the Border Defense Forces was never set up. ４