To Comrade Peng Dehuai:[2]

Absolutely necessary. Please urge the Air Force to go all out and make sure to annihilate any enemy that intrudes. Please consider the issue of our Air Force entering Fujian in 1958.

Mao Zedong
December 18

(Published based on the manuscript.)

**Notes**

[1] Refers to the report submitted by Chen Geng, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, to Peng Dehuai and the Military Commission on December 9, 1957, regarding the activities of Taiwanese aircraft intruding into the mainland and the strengthening of air defense deployments in the interior. The report stated that Taiwanese aircraft had repeatedly infiltrated important coastal cities and inland areas of the mainland that year, dropping large quantities of reactionary leaflets and "comfort packages," which had an extremely negative impact on the masses. Due to some military leaders' lack of ideological emphasis on air defense operations and insufficient inspection and supervision by higher authorities, none of the Chiang Kai-shek aircraft that infiltrated the interior were shot down. To quickly reverse this situation, we have instructed the Air Force and all military regions to adopt all proactive and effective measures to deal a deserved blow to any Chiang Kai-shek aircraft that may intrude into the interior and to strive to shoot them down.

[2] Peng Dehuai was then a member of the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Minister of National Defense, responsible for the day-to-day work of the Military Commission.