On Completely Annihilating the Laben Regiment and the Enemy Garrison at Qixi[1]

(October 11, 1950)

Chen Geng:

Your telegram of the 9th has been received. To strive for the complete victory of the Border Campaign, it is essential to boost morale and completely annihilate the Laben[2] Regiment and the enemy garrison at Qixi. When attacking Qixi, it is still possible that French forces from Lang Son and other areas may send reinforcements. This point should be anticipated in advance, and deployments for blocking or attacking reinforcements should be made.

The Military Commission

October 11

[1] This telegram was drafted by Mao Zedong for the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People’s Government to be sent to Chen Geng, then Deputy Commander of the Southwest Military Region of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Commander of the Yunnan Military Region. At the time, Chen Geng had been dispatched to Vietnam, where, in his capacity as a representative of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he assisted the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the headquarters of the Vietnam People’s Army in organizing and commanding the Border Campaign against the invading French forces.

[2] Laben was then the commander of the French forces stationed in the Qixi area of Vietnam. During the Vietnam Border Campaign, he was ordered to lead a reinforcement force of four companies composed of foreign troops northward to relieve the French forces besieged by the Vietnam People’s Army in the Coc Xa mountain area.