Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Far East, China, Volume VII

893.00/8–2145: Telegram

The Commanding General, United States Forces, China Theater (Wedemeyer), to the Chief of Staff (Marshall)⁴⁶

[Chungking,] 17 August 1945.

Herewith message from Chinese Communists.

“On the occasion when our common enemy the Japanese Government has announced its surrender and accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, I wish to present the following representation to the Governments of the United States of America, United Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic[s] on behalf of all anti-Japanese Armed Forces and 260,000,000 people in the Chinese liberated areas and Japanese occupied territory in China.

With the war against Japan victoriously concluded we request you to take into consideration the following facts in the China war theater, namely:

That in the vast lost areas abandoned by the Kuomintang Government and occupied by the Japanese and puppets we have, after 8 years of bitter fighting, recovered nearly 1,000,000 square kilometers of territory, liberated more than 100,000,000 people, organized more than 1,000,000 regular troops and over 2,200,000 people militia.

Established 19 major liberated areas in 19 Provinces of China: Liaoning, Jehol, Chahar, Suiyuan, Hopeh, Shansi, Shensi, Kansu, Ninghsia, Honan, Shantung, Kiangsu, Anhwei, Hupeh, Hunan, Kiangsi, Chekiang, Fukien, and Kwangtung.

Except for a few districts the greater part of these areas embraces cities, towns, communication lines, and coast ports in China which were occupied by the Japanese and puppets after the Marco Polo bridge incident in 1937.

In addition we have, in the occupied areas of China having a population of 160,000,000 people, organized huge underground forces to strike the enemy.

In the course of the war 69% of the total Japanese troops invading China excluding those in Manchuria and 95% of the total puppet troops were opposed and encircled by our forces.

The Chinese Kuomintang Government has in the main adopted a policy of watching with folded arms and waiting for victory. The majority of its troops did not fight the Japanese and puppets but were withdrawn to the rear to preserve their fighting strength and prepare for civil war.

The Chinese Kuomintang Government did not recognize or support the Chinese liberated areas and their armies and even surrounded and attacked China’s liberated areas with 940,000 of its troops.

Although the Army and people of liberated China tasted to the full the bitterness of being attacked by both Japanese and Chinese reactional troops on two fronts, our will to uphold the war against Japan had not and our will to fight for unity and democracy has not in the least weakened.

The people of liberated China, and the Chinese Communist Party have repeatedly proposed to the Chinese Kuomintang Government to hold an all parties and groups conference to form a coalition government of national unity so as to stop internal disputes, mobilize and unify all the anti-Japanese Forces of the entire nations, lead the war against Japan to victory and ensure post-war peace.

These were all rejected by the Chinese Kuomintang Government. Now Japan will soon sign her formal surrender. Under such circumstances we have grounds for making the following statement and bringing forward the following demand before your Government and people.

1. The Kuomintang Government of China and its High Command can not (represent) the broad masses and all genuine anti-Japanese People Armed Forces in the Chinese liberated areas and in the Japanese occupied territory to accept the surrender of the Japanese and puppets and to sign any pacts or treaties after their surrender.

We shall reserve the right to voice our opinion in the event that there are clauses in pacts or treaties which have not received our consent and pertain to all genuine anti-Japanese Peoples Armed Forces in the Chinese liberated areas and Japanese occupied territory.

2. All anti-Japanese People Armed Forces in the Chinese liberated areas and Japanese occupied territory under General Yenan Headquarters have the right to accept the surrender of the Japanese and puppet armies surrounded by them, to take over their arms, material and resources and to be responsible for carrying out all provisions of the Allied terms of surrender in accordance with the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and the measures for acceptance of surrender decided on by the Allies.

3. The broad masses and all anti-Japanese Armed Forces in the Chinese liberated areas and Japanese occupied territory should have the right to send their own representatives to participate in the acceptance of surrender by Japan and in work dealing with Japan after her surrender.

4. The Chinese liberated areas and all their anti-Japanese Armed Forces should have the right to elect their own delegation to participate in the coming Peace Conference dealing with Japan and the United Nations Conference.

5. For the sake of reducing the danger of civil war in China, the Government of the United States of America is requested to stop immediately Lend-Lease to the Kuomintang Government, acting in the common interest of both the Chinese and American. If the Kuomintang Government launches a nationwide civil war against the Chinese people, the danger of such a civil war has now become extremely grave, the American Government is requested not to help the Kuomintang Government.

Signed Chu Teh, Commander in Chief anti-Japanese Forces on [in] the Chinese liberated areas, Yenan, China, August 16, 1945.”

46. Forwarded to the Secretary of State at the request of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by the Secretary of the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee (McCarthy) with his memorandum of August 21, not printed.