Saturday, 2 September

Fine

I studied Russian in the morning.

I received a telegram from Minister Song. He said he has already announced Sheng Shicai is to be transferred to the Minister of Forestry, and Wu Zongxin (吳宗信) would become Chairman of the Xinjiang Government. Before Wu’s arrival, Zhu Shaoliang would be acting on behalf of Wu Zongxi. The post of Xinjiang Governor will be abolished. This is enough to prove that the Central Government has the determination to resolve thoroughly matters in Xinjiang. This was good news. The biggest obstacle between Sino-Soviet objectives has been eliminated. I am hopeful from now on things will turn out for the better. The Generalissimo and Minister Song trusted me like this, I have to work much harder to further the friendship and cooperation between China and the Soviet Union. As a matter of fact, I have had no quarrel with Sheng in the past, and I do not harbour any bad feelings to him. When I passed through Xinjiang Province I told him about our current situation and the diplomatic policy of the Central Government in detail. I also urged him sincerely that he shouldn’t do anything based upon personal matters and inclinations, he should instead understand China’s difficulty as well as think of the future and interest of our country and people. With regard to the Soviet Union, he should try his best to further the Sino-Soviet friendship and follow strictly the Generalissimo’s instruction, working under the principle of not losing sovereignty. In case there were some trivial issues that we could accommodate for the Soviet Union, we should do so. But what he did in the past for one and a half years seemed to go contrary to the instructions of the Central Government. Therefore, his transference away from Xinjiang is a great delight to me. My thoughts are based purely upon the future of our own country, Party and people.

In the evening the Head of the American Military Delegation invited Hurley and Nelson to have dinner at the American Embassy. Besides the Ambassador and I, many of the important Soviet military and political people were invited. I told Hurley and Nelson as well as Ambassador Harriman that a new Chairman has been transferred to Xinjiang. They were delighted to learn about it because they thought that if it did not go that way it would be impossible to adjust the Sino-Soviet relationship.