893.00/1–1049
Mr. Chou En-lai to the Appointed Ambassador in China (Hurley)
Dear General Hurley: Colonel Barrett brought us your message,97 kind concern and good will, for which we are very thankful.
Ever since our first contact with the American Observer’s Group and with you, it has been our firm policy to cooperate fully to expedite our common enterprise to bring about the defeat of Japan. The upholding of the Five Points is our minimum effort in mobilizing and unifying all the anti-Japanese forces in China. It was out of our expectation that the Kuomintang should flatly reject them, thereby causing a deadlock in the negotiations and rendering my return to Chungking useless. This however cannot be construed as discontentment with the United States. You advised against the publication of the Five Points. We agreed. But when the appropriate time comes when it becomes necessary to have the people informed so that they can ask the Government to change its attitude, they should be made public. In that event, you will be consulted in advance.
[Page 740]With respect to what had happened when you were in Yenan and the exchange of documents between you and Chairman Mao, the signing of which you yourself witnessed, we want to assure you that without your consent, they shall not be published.
The present negotiation suffers a lack of sincerity on the part of the Kuomintang to predicate itself on the will of the people. On our part, we have never closed the door of negotiation. One fundamental difficulty in the present negotiation is the unwillingness of the Kuomintang to forsake the one-party rule and receive the proposal of a democratic coalition government. The acceptance and rejection of this proposal represent the nature of the democratic and the anti-democratic respectively.
The current shift of personnel within the National Government has been regarded by you as a step forward toward freedom and democracy. To this we take exception. We believe that only through the forsaking of one-party rule by the Kuomintang and the establishing of a democratic coalition government can cause China to go one step forward toward democracy, start the people on their way to freedom, and array all the anti-Japanese forces against Japanese aggression. No personnel change under the present Kuomintang one-party government can change the present National Government and its policies. This is the crucial point in our negotiations.
The Central Committee of our Party and Chairman Mao wish to register here their gratitude for your enthusiasm in unifying the Chinese people to defeat Japan and to rehabilitate China. I am sure this feeling of gratitude is shared by all others who entertain the same high hopes you have.
I am confident that with the awakening of the people, the unity and democracy of China are guaranteed and that this guarantee will give us confidence in the cooperation of our two great nations in defeating our common enemy and in building the peace that is to follow.
I want to avail myself of this opportunity to extend to you, General Wedemeyer, and General McClure our very best wishes.
Sincerely yours,