Telegram from Zhou Enlai to Ni Zhiliang

Ambassador Ni [Zhiliang]; also inform Chairman Gao [Gang]:

We agree in principle to the requests made by Premier Kim [Il Sung] to build warehouses in Andong [Dandong] and Ji’an to temporarily receive and store materials from our allies, and to build factories in Linjiang to transfer textile machines from Kaesong and Pyeongyang.  For methods of carrying this out, please tell the North Korean government to send representatives in charge of this to Shenyang to discuss it with Lu Xi, director of the Foreign Affairs Department of our Northeast People’s Government.  After the North Korean representatives arrive, [we will] ask Chairman Gao to guide [provide instructions for] Lu Xi to conduct the discussion, [we will] draw up a proposal to help [North Korea] to the best of our ability according to North Korea’s requests and our capacities and will submit this to the [Party] Central Committee.  The proposal will be put into effect immediately after it is approved by the [Party] Central Committee.  Andong and Linjiang are close to the Yalu River.  Whether it’s suitable to establish [the factories] at more-distant places like Meihekou or Benxi, ask Gao [Gang] to think this over and inform [me].

Premier Kim requested that we recruit several hundred native Korean-nationality drivers for him in the Northeast.  We agreed.  [We] asked Chairman Gao to immediately carry out the recruiting locally in the Northeast and in the army, and please inform [us] by telegram of the recruiting plan.

Zhou Enlai

September 29 [1950]