(June 20, 1954)
To Comrade Zhou Enlai via the Guangxi Provincial Committee:
Given that progress is being made at the Geneva Conference and a ceasefire agreement may be reached in July, it would seem most appropriate for the Vietnamese People’s Army to maintain its current operational scale—neither expanding nor contracting. A few days ago, Comrade Wei Guoqing12 1 reported by telegram that the Vietnamese forces had made a new deployment, intending to slightly increase the scale of hostilities within July. We believe it would be acceptable to reinforce the Red River Delta region with an additional contingent of troops, as suggested in Wei’s telegram, in order to put pressure on the French; however, no major offensive should be launched in July. The timing of any large-scale military action should be determined entirely in accordance with developments at the Geneva Conference. We respectfully request that you consult with Comrades Ho Chi Minh, Vo Nguyen Giap, and Wei Guoqing131 to decide whether the above views are sound.
The Central Committee
June 20th
[I]
The International Conference of Geneva reached an agreement on July 21, 1954, concerning the cessation of hostilities and the restoration of peace in Indochina.
(2]
Wei Guoqing, who at that time served as the head of the Chinese Military Advisory Group in Vietnam.
[3]
Ho refers to Ho Chi Minh, who was then the President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Vu refers to Vo Nguyen Giap, who held the positions of Minister of National Defense of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnamese People’s Army. Wei refers to Wei Guoqing.