Commentary on Resolving the Supply of Daily Necessities for Tunnel-Based Units of the Chinese People’s Volunteers [1] (December 28, 1952) To Comrades Peng, Nie, Huang Kecheng, Yang Lisan, and Xiao Hua [2]: Please review this document and retain a copy with Comrade Xiao Xiangrong [3]. It is extremely important to resolve the ongoing issues regarding vegetables, yellow tobacco, waterproofing materials, and recreational equipment for the 10,000 to 20,000 troops stationed in tunnels, so that they may fight with peace of mind. Please have Peng bring this matter up for discussion at the next regular meeting of the Central Military Commission and make an appropriate decision. Mao Zedong, December 28th. Printed from the manuscript. Notes [1] This commentary by Mao Zedong was written on a letter dated December 19, 1952, from Li Zhenyu of the Logistics Department’s Quartermaster Division of the North China Military Region, offering several suggestions to Mao Zedong and Zhu De on how to address supply problems faced by tunnel-based units of the Chinese People’s Volunteers. On January 24, 1953, Huang Kecheng, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, together with Yang Lisan and Zhang Lingbin, Deputy Directors of the General Logistics Department of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission, submitted a report to the Central Military Commission on the supply situation during the winter of 1952 for various types of equipment, daily necessities, vegetables, and other foodstuffs for the Chinese People’s Volunteers. On January 30, 1953, Mao Zedong wrote the following comment on this report: “Comrades Liu, Zhu, Zhou, Gao, and Xiaoping:

This document may be reviewed; the issue of daily supplies for the Chinese People’s Volunteers has been fairly well resolved.” [2] Peng refers to Peng Dehuai, who at that time held the positions of Vice Chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission and Commander-in-Chief and Political Commissar of the Chinese People’s Volunteers. Nie refers to Nie Rongzhen, who at that time served as Acting Chief of Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Xiao Hua was then Deputy Director of the General Political Department of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission. [3] Xiao Xiangrong was at the time Director of the Office of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission.