Lure the enemy deep into our territory. It worked in the past, especially against the
Japanese. But it no longer works in Vietnam. The enemy won't easily advance directly, so we
need to be prepared for both scenarios. What if they don't advance deeply? During the
Korean War, luring the enemy deep into our territory worked in the first phase, but not in
the second.
Lure the enemy deep into our territory, but I'm afraid it won't work. We can use small-scale
tactics, for example, within a few dozen kilometers. The front lines will have to hold out for
several months. I don't think the United States will follow the path of Japan and Hitler. The
US wouldn't dare pursue the direct advance tactics of Japan and Hitler. They don't have
many troops, and they're afraid we'll destroy them. So we need to have a backup plan.
Completely preventing them from landing won't work either. Our coastline is so long, and if
they can't land here, they can land somewhere else. The Germans set up defenses in
Qingdao, and the Japanese landed at Longkou and captured Qingdao from behind.
We've been trying to lure the enemy deep into our territory for decades. The Fifth Counter-
Encirclement and Suppression Campaign suffered because we didn't lure the enemy deep
into our territory. Now everyone believes it, because there's no other way. The Japanese
advanced directly into our territory, seizing almost all the major transportation routes,
except in the northwest and southwest. Lure the enemy deep into our territory may not
work in the future. Regardless, we must hold out for several months on the front lines to
prepare our rear areas.
There are two depths to luring the enemy deep into our territory. It's almost done, but it
depends on the situation. This is the thinking before engaging the enemy. Once the battle
begins, you'll know what the enemy will do, so you can plan this way now. In any case, we'll
have to hold out on the front lines for several months or even six months, allowing the rear
to prepare. We also have to consider the possibility of failure. It’s impossible to not have a
few loopholes. Even if your plans are meticulous, the enemy won't attack from your well-defended areas; they'll exploit your weaknesses. What should we do if they want to exploit
your loopholes?



Using cities for attack is also an option. We could adopt the Stalingrad approach. We can't
just empty the cities. Shanghai has a population of seven million, where would they move
them? Some factories need to be relocated. Coastal cities need multiple layers of
fortification. Once they breach one layer, there's another. We also need to pay attention to
the defenses on the city's flanks. We could adopt this strategy at the beginning of the war,
fight for a few months, and then see how things develop. The US can only conduct airborne
operations at close range; it lacks the skills and resources to conduct long-range operations.
If one nation wants to destroy another, as long as its army and the majority of its people are
present, the enemy will be powerless. To destroy a nation, one must first destroy its army,
then conquer its people and seize its land.

[1] Parts 1 to 4 of this item are part of Mao Zedong's conversation with Ye Jianying, Vice
Chairman and Secretary-General of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party
of China, and Yang Chengwu, Acting Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation
Army.