Letter to Wei Lihuang
(March 17, 1955)

Source: Shuxin, p. 491.

Wei Lihuang (1896-1960) was a former KMT general who was the deputy commander
of Chiang Kai-shek's Northeast Military Headquarters (* Bandit Suppression Headquarters”) during the Third Revolutionary Civil War period (i.e... August
1945 October 1949). He was relieved of his command after his defeat by Communist


526  MAO ZEDONG

troops at the battle of Shenyang in November 1948 (see text Jun. 6, 1950/1}, ng
Wei fled to Hong Kong in 1949, and in March 1955 returned to the He
invited to be a special delegate to the National Committee of the CPPCC q thels
position from 1956 to 1959. He was also a member of the Standing Committee
KMT and a vice-chairman of the National Defense Council. In many ways, heref
he stood as an example of how progressive elements of the KMT could cooperate
the Communist regime after 1949. For more information on Wei, see H. Boopyn
al,, eds. (1970), Ui, pp. 405-406.

Mr. Wei Junru:'
I have received your telegram of March 16.  warmly welcome you .
China. I hope that you will come to Beijing soon, so that we may met, f
are interested, you may, of course, take a look at the conditions in [vag
parts of] the country along your journey, and arrive at Beijing either at th
of this month or early next month; that, too, would be excellent.
Mao Zedong