Foreign News 1949: China: What Can Li Do? Chiang Kaishek Steps Down

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Peiping's massive gates swung open and through them General Fu ("I will defend this city to the last!") marched 100,000 troops for "reorganization." At Peiping, Nationalists and Communists signed an agreement designed to "shorten the civil war, satisfy a public desire for peace and . . . prevent the vitality of the country from sinking any further." The agreement did not mention "surrender."

On Sunday, the first full day of peace, there was a holiday spirit among Peiping's 2,000,000 residents. Bazaars were crowded as prices dropped. In preparation for the Chinese New Year, firecracker makers started working around the clock catching up on time lost during the siege. Said a shopkeeper on Flower Street: "Now we can have plenty of chaotse (steamed meat dumplings) on New Year's night."

Swift Disaster

It was a week of stunning, swift disaster in China. Nearly a million Communist troops along a 400-mile front poured across the broad Yangtze, Nationalist China's last great defensive barrier, and swept government positions aside like puny earthworks in a raging tide. In four days they took Nanking, cut off Shanghai, and captured half a dozen cities.

In a joint order of the day, Communist Boss Mao Tse-tung and Communist Commander in Chief Chu-teh said: "Advance boldly, resolutely, thoroughly; cleanly and completely annihilate all . . . in China who dare to resist."

There was almost no resistance. Communist guns—75s and 105s—opened up from the north shore seven hours before the deadline set by the ultimatum for unconditional surrender. At 11 p.m., an hour ahead of schedule, shock troops jammed onto river craft and struck across.

At most the Nationalists could hope to fall back, into the vast reaches of south China and onto the island of Formosa. But barring a miracle, they had no prospect of stopping the Red tide.