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Making of the Sino-Soviet Alliance, 1945-1950

This is a collection of primary source documents focusing on the difficult road to the establishment of the alliance between the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. For other collections on Sino-Soviet relations, see Sino-Soviet Alliance, 1950-1959; Sino-Soviet Split, 1960-1984; Sino-Soviet Border Conflict, 1969; and Sino-Soviet Rapprochement, 1985-1989. For a collections resource guide see The Sino-Soviet Alliance, 70 Years Later.(Image: Mao at Stalin's side on a ceremony arranged for Stalin's 71th birthday in Moscow in December 1949.)

Popular Documents

June 11, 1949

Letter, Jiang Qing to Mao Zedong

Jiang Qing writes to Mao Zedong about her health, developments in the Chinese Civil War, and the problems of Chinese Communist Propaganda.

September 4, 1958

Anastas Mikoyan’s Recollections of his Trip to China

Anastas Mikoyan gives a very detailed summary of his trip to China, to secretly hold talks with Mao Zedong. Begins with a summary of his trip, and choice of delegation members, and his living conditions while visiting with Mao. Describes talks with Mao, which covered a large range of topics, including Mao's divergence of opinion on American imperialism as compared to Stalin's, the CCP's lack of influence in China's cities, and Stalin's advice to arrest two Americans, including Sidney Rittenberg, who were "obvious American spies." Mao does not agree, eventually arrests spy suspects, and Mikoyan notes that after Stalin's death, USSR admitted to having no rationale or evidence for the spy allegations.

February 4, 1949

Cable, Anastas Mikoyan to Joseph Stalin

Cable sent from Mikoyan to Stalin, summarizing a discussion between Mikoyan and Mao. In that conversation, Mikoyan tells Mao that once the USSR opposed foreign mediation between the Guomindang and CCP, England, America and France changed their positions from supporting mediation to refuting mediation. Mikoyan then draws to Stalin's attention that Zhou Enlai noticed permanent representatives of Americans, including "spies, and journalists," among the Chinese Communist Party.

February 4, 1949

Cable, Joseph Stalin to Anastas Mikoyan

Stalin cable to Mikoyan, responding to Mikoyan's report that an American named Rittenberg is stationed with the Chinese Communist party as a spy. Stalin recommends an arrest of Rittenberg immediately, so as "to expsoe the network of American agents" operating in China. Stalin then notes that another American, writer Anna-Louise Strong, is also an American spy.

May 10, 1948

Cable, Mao Zedong to Filippov [Stalin]

Mao says that his poor health requires him to delay his trip further.