The Pittsburgh Press (January 31, 1946)
China at peace for first time in 18 years
Parties agree on national unification
CHUNGKING (UP) – China’s 18 years of civil strife ended tonight when leaders of the nation’s major parties agreed unanimously on formation of a coalition government to rule until the new democratic constitution is adopted next spring.
The interim government plan was approved without a dissenting vote at an extraordinary session of the People’s Consultative Assembly which has been meeting almost continuously for the past month to work out a national unification program.
The delegates, representing all of China’s leading political factions adopted five resolutions on which the broad platform of national unity will be erected.
Fix assembly size
The resolutions fixed the size and political makeup of the national assembly which will ratify the new constitution, provided for reduction and merger of the Nationalist and Communist armies, reorganization of the government setup, and outlined a program of national reconstruction.
Committeemen agreed to reduce the Nationalist Army to 90 divisions and the Communist Army to 20 divisions and merge them. The decision to consolidate the armies was one of the last reached in the closing hours of the conference.
A meeting of the standing committee of the Kuomintang’s Central Executive Committee was set for March 1. After that the coalition government will be organized.
Marshall to advise
Gen. Chou En-Lai, Communist leader, planned to visit outlying Communist areas soon to explain the findings. Chou visited the Communist capital at Yenan last week to obtain approval of a report on the conference.
Merger of the Nationalist and Communist armies will be handled by a committee to which Gen. George C. Marshall will be adviser.
The common political platform looked to reconstruction and rehabilitation of China. The Nationalist government will give up seven or eight ministries. Yuan will add three to five members, giving all parties representation.
A state council will be formed, consisting of 20 Kuomintang members and 20 others representing various parties.