PEACE TALKS IN CHINA

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25713, 27 January 1949, Page 5

PEACE TALKS IN CHINA

Communist Radio Statement WILLINGNESS TO NEGOTIATE (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NANKING. January 25. The Chinese Communist radio announced to-night the Communists’ willingness to negotiate peace with the newly appointed Nationalist peace delegation on the basis of the Communists’ original eight demands. The broadcast accepted the idea of a Coalition Government with the Kuomintang party.

The radio said that the place for the peace talks would be decided only after the “total liberation of Peiping.” Reuter’s correspondent in Nanking says: “The Legislative Yuan at an emergency informal session to-day tentatively decided to evacuate Nanking next Saturday—probably to Canton. As the legislators spoke most of the Ministries were hastening the evacuation of the threatened capital.” The Executive Yuan staff, except a few high-ranking officials, have already left Nanking. Most civil servants, the Food Ministry and twothirds of the staff of the Communications Ministry have already dispersed to the southern provinces. The Foreign Office was in disorder as workmen loaded archives and office equipment into motor-vans. Ministry of Finance officials will leave to-mor-row.

The Acting-President (General Li Tsung-jen) has decided to stay in Nanking whatever happens, to await peace. Tlie Government has ordered the cessation of all traffic on the Yangtse from to-morrow as the main wave of the Communist southward advance presses closer. All the Nationalist forces north of the Yangtse, with the exception of one division which will defend Pukow, are being evacuated. A newspaper dispatch from Pukow says that Communist columns advancing on the capital down the PgngpuPukow railway are still 15 miles northwest of Pukow, the last outpost on the north bank of the Yangtse.

Pukow is fast becoming a ghost town. Along the river front civilians and soldiers crowded around landing points and climbed aboard overloaded ferries.

Along the south bank of the Yangtse the Nationalists are hastily building sandbag emplacements ready for a Communist crossing that would cut communications between the capital and Shanghai. Two miles to the north across the river the Communists are massing, while both sides are mounting guns in readiness for an artillery exchange.