Hong Kong Office of the Eighth Route Army during the Anti-Japanese War

After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan in 1937, the main force of the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, and the Red Army guerrillas in the eight southern provinces were reorganized into the New Fourth Army. Subsequently, the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army successively set up offices in some major cities in the Kuomintang-ruled areas, some of which were called communication offices or traffic stations. After the Eighth Route Army was renamed the Eighteenth Army, the Eighth Route Army Office was also called the Eighteenth Army Office, but it was usually still called the Eighth Route Army Office.

In the winter of 1937, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sent Liao Chengzhi and Pan Hannian to Hong Kong to set up an office of the Eighth Route Army to preside over the anti-Japanese work and handle daily affairs in a coherent manner. Except for a few people transferred from the central departments to take up transportation and confidential work, most of the staff of the office were transferred from the local and Guangzhou CPC organizations. In order not to affect the so-called "neutral" status of the British government in the Sino-Japanese War, in accordance with Zhou Enlai's instructions, the signboard of the Eighth Route Army's office in Hong Kong was not publicly displayed, but the name "Yuehua Company" was used. The office was established in January 1938 and was withdrawn in January 1942 after the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. It existed for 4 years. During the period, the Hong Kong Eighth Route Army Office made full use of the special environment in Hong Kong to extensively carry out the anti-Japanese national united front and the international anti-fascist united front work, publicize the CCP's anti-Japanese propositions, and win Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, overseas Chinese and international friends against the Communist Party of China and the people's anti-Japanese armed forces under its leadership. Sympathy and support, mobilization of overseas Chinese youth and Hong Kong and Hong Kong and Hong Kong and Hong Kong and Macao compatriots to return to fight against Japan, more than 600 people were sent back to China through the office to fight in the war.

The procurement and transit of military supplies is an important task of the Office. With the strong support and assistance of the Hong Kong Eighth Route Army Office, Soong Ching Ling initiated the establishment of the China Defense Alliance in Hong Kong. The working relationship between the office and the Baomeng is very close. Many of the funds and materials raised by overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao to the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army and the South China Anti Japanese guerrillas were transferred through the United Front Relations of the Baomeng.

The office attaches great importance to the military united front work, unites and promotes the patriotic generals of the Kuomintang army to actively participate in the Anti-Japanese War, and through various united front work, liaises with friendly forces, and transforms the Kuomintang "Guangyou Second Detachment" and other forces into anti-Japanese guerrillas led by the Communist Party of China. The backbone of the Anti-Japanese War in the Pearl River Delta and Guangdong.

Another focus of the office is to receive the passing personnel of the Communist Party of China, cover the activities of the local organizations of the Communist Party of China, and organize the rescue of arrested Communists, patriotic progressives, and cultural circles. After the outbreak of the Soviet-German War, in order to strengthen the confidence of the Chinese and foreign people in defeating the invaders, the office attached great importance to the international anti-fascist united front work. Liao Chengzhi presided over a weekly talk on current affairs attended by famous cultural figures to analyze his views on the current situation. After the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, a large number of cultural circles and patriotic democrats in Hong Kong were in great danger. Under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Southern Bureau and Zhou Enlai, the entire rescue work was under the unified command of Liao Chengzhi, and the office was carefully deployed and properly arranged. Party organizations at all levels in Guangdong and Hong Kong and the Dongjiang guerrillas were fully engaged in the rescue, and finally a large number of patriotic democrats and people from cultural circles were rescued and escorted to the rear.

July 06, 2017 Source: People's Political Consultative Conference