Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East: China, Volume X

Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270

Summary of Comments by Mr. Wang Ping-nan on December 16, 1946²⁹

December 16, 1946

1. Communist Party requests President Chiang Kai-shek to state explicitly what he wishes them to do.

2. If Government insists on using armed force, Communist Party has no recourse.

3. If Government wishes instead to find a political solution it cannot but give consideration to Communist Party opinion.

4. Communist Party should not be thought of as having terminated negotiations because Mr. Tung Pi-wu and General Yeh Chienying are still available for this purpose.

5. If the Government really wishes the Communist Party to cooperate and has not finally rejected them, the Communist Party can arrange for the return of General Chou En-lai.

6. In this event it is unnecessary to send a delegation to Yenan.

7. Communist Party has no desire to discontinue American mediation.

8. The present international outlook, especially in US–USSR relations, seems more favorable; therefore Communist Party hopes that the internal problem in China can be solved in the near future.

Note: In the first interview with Messrs. Tung and Wang they both felt that the two conditions in the latest reply from Yenan could be cancelled. But Mr. Wang reported later that Mr. Tung did not feel able to alter these. This largely vitiates the other points.

29. Memorandum prepared by Philip Fugh after conferring with Wang Ping-nan and Tung Pi-wu.