Notes on Li Kenong’s [1] and Others’ Request for Instructions on Prisoner-of-War Management [2] (January 21, 1953)

The management of prisoners of war is extremely important. We must dispatch additional cadres and troops and be prepared to counter enemy airborne operations, so that not a single prisoner can be snatched away by the enemy. Should this batch of prisoners be abducted, we would have no bargaining chip left in negotiations with the enemy for a prisoner exchange.

Mao Zedong January 21 Printed from the manuscript.

Notes [ ] Li Kenong was at that time Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Central People’s Government, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Chinese People’s Volunteers Delegation to the Korean Armistice Talks. [ ] Refers to the request report dated January 16, 1953, submitted by Li Kenong, Gan Siqi (Deputy Director of the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission), and Huang Yuan (Director of the Enemy-Work Department of the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission) to Zhou Enlai and Peng Dehuai concerning several issues related to the work of the Prisoner-of-War Management Bureau. These issues included: the question of leadership relations within the Bureau; the disposition of special categories of prisoners; the location of the Bureau’s headquarters; the need for personnel proficient in foreign languages; and requirements for transportation and educational materials.