Notes on the Draft Directive for Military Struggle
(September 3, 1958)
Comrade Ke Cheng:
The directive and its twelve annexes are very well written. Please immediately have Comrade Peng Dehuai review them; after they have been approved at a meeting of the Central Military Commission, they may then be issued. At the CMC meeting, you should provide a detailed explanation of the rationale behind these measures.
Mao Zedong
September 3
[!]
While examining the draft directive of the CPC Central Military Commission concerning military operations against Taiwan and the Chiang Kai-shek-controlled islands along the coast, Mao Zedong not only penned the two annotations contained herein but also, in the fourth section of the draft—“Since the struggle over Taiwan and the coastal islands held by Chiang’s forces is a complex international contest with far-reaching implications for all fronts, all major military actions and propaganda efforts must adhere to the principle of centralized leadership and unified command; no unauthorized initiatives are permitted”—added in parentheses after the phrase “all major military actions and propaganda efforts” the following: “communiqués, speeches, slogans, editorials, news reports, radio broadcasts.”
[2]
The “directive” refers to the CPC Central Military Commission’s draft instruction on military operations against Taiwan and the Chiang-controlled coastal islands. The “annexes” consist of several provisions attached to the CMC directive governing naval and air force measures to counter enemy aircraft and warships operating along the coastline.

To be forwarded to the Fujian Military Region and all other military regions, to the party committees of provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, to the various general headquarters of the Central Military Commission, to the commands of all specialized arms, and to members of the Political Bureau, secretaries of the Secretariat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lu Dingyi, and Wu Lengxi.lI l.
[1]
Lu Dingyi was at that time head of the CPC Central Committee’s Cultural and Educational Leading Group and Minister of Propaganda. Wu Lengxi served as president of the Xinhua News Agency and editor-in-chief of the People’s Daily.