ON THE TEMPORARY ABANDONMENT OF YENAN AND THE DEFENCE OF THE SHENSI-KANSU-NINGSIA BORDER REGION — TWO DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA* November !($^ and April !($&
I. DIRECTIVE OF NOVEMBER 18, 1946 Chiang Kai-shek is at the end of his rope. He wants to strike at our Party and strengthen himself by two methods, by convening the “National Assembly” and by attacking Yenan. Actually, he will accomplish the very opposite. The Chinese people resolutely oppose the “National Assembly” stage-managed by Chiang Kai-shek to split the nation; the opening day of that assembly marked the beginning of the self-destruction of the Chiang Kai-shek clique. Now that we have wiped out thirty-five brigades 1 of Chiang Kai-shek’s troops and their offensive power is nearly exhausted, even if his troops should occupy Yenan by means of a sudden thrust, it would not damage the general prospect of victory in the People’s War of Liberation, nor could it save Chiang Kai-shek from the doom awaiting him. In short, Chiang Kai-shek has taken the road to ruin; as soon as he makes these two moves of convening the “National Assembly” and attacking Yenan, all his trickery will be exposed; this will help the progress of the People’s War of Liberation. In every area we should fully explain to people inside and outside the Party these two actions of Chiang Kai-shek, the convening of the “National Assembly” and the attack on Yenan, and unite the whole Party, the whole army and the whole people in the fight to smash Chiang Kai-shek’s offensive and build a democratic China. 129
