Directives on the Deployment of Military Forces in Guangdong and Guangxi and on Bandit Suppression and Other Work[1]
(September 16, 1950)

Comrades Deng, Tan, Zhao, and Su, and the Party Committees of All Military Regions:

Your telegram of September 13 has been received. (1) We approve your disposition of the five armies in Guangdong and Guangxi. a. Under the present circumstances, one division of the 43rd Army on Hainan Island is sufficient; the main force of that army can still remain on the mainland, and, in accordance with your disposition, one division may be sent to Qinzhou and Fangcheng.[2] b. It is very necessary for you to concentrate one division in the area southwest of Nanning to continue bandit suppression and to prepare to coordinate with the division of the 43rd Army transferred to garrison Qinzhou and Fangcheng for the annihilation of remnant bandit forces that may infiltrate from Vietnam. However, please take care that the strength of these two divisions should not be deployed too close to the Vietnam border; they should be kept at some distance from the border. If bandit troops make a return infiltration from Vietnam, then lure them to penetrate more than a hundred or two hundred li deep, after which our forces shall use the necessary strength to cut off their line of retreat and annihilate them from west to east. By all means avoid striking too early and forcing them to flee back into Vietnamese territory, which would cause great trouble. For the annihilation of this enemy, our two divisions and local forces must designate a competent army-level officer to unify their command. c. It is necessary to permanently maintain four divisions in Guangzhou, Foshan, Huaxian, Yingde, and the areas to their east. In Huizhou and the areas to its east, including the Chaoshan and Hailufeng regions,[3] two divisions must be permanently maintained

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the People's Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People's Government, addressed to Deng Zihui, Second Political Commissar of the Central-South Military Region; Tan Zheng, Third Political Commissar; Zhao Erlu, Chief of Staff; Su Jing, Deputy Chief of Staff; and the Party Committees of all military regions.
[2] Qin and Fang refer to Qinzhou and Fangcheng in Guangxi.
[3] The Chaoshan and Hailufeng regions refer to the Chaozhou and Shantou areas and the Haifeng and Lufeng areas in Guangdong.

so as to promptly annihilate any enemy that may seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack from the direction of Taiwan. (2) Your disposition of the 48th Army is correct. If time is insufficient for that army to conclude its local work, its concentration may be postponed until the end of January or the end of February next year. (3) Regarding the two armies in Hunan, please consider whether it is feasible to concentrate one army at a mobile position in the spring of next year, and to concentrate the other army in the summer or autumn of next year. We await your investigation and telegraphic report. (4) The bandit suppression work, military training, cultural training, and production tasks of the main forces for next year must undergo necessary adjustments so that they do not conflict with one another. That is to say, wherever there are bandits, we must strive to completely exterminate them next year; cultural education must be vigorously promoted; military training must also occupy a certain amount of time to fulfill certain consolidation and training tasks, and it is imperative to ensure that weapons do not rust, equipment is not lost or deficient, and combat morale does not decline. To achieve the above objectives, production tasks must not be too numerous; the primary aim should be to improve the livelihood of the troops, not to increase national wealth. If production time is not reduced, then the two tasks of cultural training and military training cannot be accomplished. This issue is a common problem for the entire army. In addition to requesting your consideration, we also request the responsible comrades of the Northwest, Southwest, East China, North China, and Northeast Military Regions to give it their consideration, and we await their opinions by telegraph.

The Military Commission
September 16