To Terebin. Convey the following to Mao Zedong: "In view of the beginning of the grain procurement campaign, the leading comrades will be departing to various localities from August, where they will remain until November. Therefore, the CC of the VKP(b) asks Comrade Mao Zedong to schedule his arrival in Moscow for the end of November, so as to have the opportunity to meet with all the leading comrades."

Ledovsky A.M. The USSR and Stalin in China's Destiny. P. 52.

AP RF. F. 39. Op. 1. D. 31. L. 37.

Note.

The occasion for the telegram was a message from Mao Zedong of July 4, 1948: "My health, compared with two months ago, is significantly better. I have decided to travel to you in the near future.

There are three routes to you: by air, by sea, and by land. But in all cases we must pass through Harbin, as I need to speak with a number of responsible comrades from Manchuria… We hope that the plane will arrive in Weixian around the 25th of this month… If you decide to transport us by sea, we hope that the ship will arrive at the designated port at the end of this month… If air and sea routes are impossible for our transport, we are departing anyway around the 15th of this month for the north."

Mao Zedong reported that 20 persons would be traveling with him, and requested, in the event of travel by air, that two planes be sent.
It is known that Mao was dissatisfied with Stalin's reply. A.Ya. Orlov wrote to Moscow: "Mao Zedong did not take seriously the references to the Soviet leaders' preoccupation with grain procurement. 'Is it really possible,' he said, 'that in the USSR they attach such great importance to grain procurement that the leading figures of the CC of the Party travel to them?' …As far as I have known Mao Zedong for more than six years, his smile and the words 'hao, hao — good, good,' while he listened to the translation, by no means signified that he was satisfied with the telegram.

This was clear enough to see. In my personal conviction, Mao Zedong believed that at worst he would be refused the sending of a plane or ship. But even this seemed unlikely to him, especially since a plane had already been offered from Moscow.

He was sure that it was precisely now that he would travel. Apparently, the trip had become necessary for him personally. He awaited the reply with great impatience… Mao Zedong's suitcases were being packed, leather shoes had even been bought (he, like everyone here, wears cloth slippers), a wool overcoat had been tailored.

The question not only of the trip itself, but of its timing had been decided by him. All that remained was which route to take. He is now outwardly calm, polite and attentive, in the purely Chinese manner courteous"…
Meanwhile, Mao sent the following telegram to Moscow: "Comrade Stalin. I agree with your opinion, set forth in the telegram of July 14. Let us postpone the trip to you until the end of October — beginning of November."