--- Notes



Commentary on Su Yu’s Report [1] Concerning the Detection of U.S. Warships in the Southern Waters off the Zhoushan Archipelago [2] (June 2, 1954) The handling was correct: do not open fire on the U.S. forces first; adopt a purely defensive posture and do everything possible to avoid conflict.
Mao Zedong, June 2. Printed from the manuscript.

Notes [1] Su Yu was at that time Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. [2] Refers to Su Yu’s report dated June 1, 1954, addressed to Liu Shaoqi and Zhu De, with a copy forwarded to Mao Zedong, concerning the situation regarding the detection of U.S. warships in the southern waters off the Zhoushan Archipelago.
The report stated that this morning a telephone call from the East China Military Region reported the sighting of a total of eight enemy cruisers and destroyers, along with aircraft circling overhead, in the waters southeast of Zhujiajian Island and north of Shangxia Dacheng, within the southern portion of the Zhoushan Archipelago.
This clearly appeared to be a provocative act by U.S. imperialism against our forces.
I immediately instructed the East China Military Region to inform all PLA land, sea, and air units in the area to maintain close surveillance over the opposing forces and to report any developments without delay.
Unless the enemy initiates artillery fire or bombing attacks against us, our forces are to refrain from opening fire in order to prevent an escalation of hostilities.
However, should the Kuomintang forces on Dacheng Island take advantage of the situation to launch an attack against our garrison there, they are to be met with resolute counterattack.