"One Headrope and Four Meshes", Policy on Taiwan Advanced by Mao Zedong

The guiding policy formula proposed by Zhou Enlai strategic conception for the peaceful settlement of the Taiwan problem based on Mao Zedong's strategic vision. Since the mid-1950s, the CPC and the Chinese government proposed that the Chinese people were willing and open to resolve the Taiwan question, bring Taiwan back into the embrace of the motherland by means of peaceful negotiations and avoid the use of force: the Chinese people would strive for a peaceful solution wherever possible. Accordingly, Chinese leaders expressed such policy ideas as "peace is the best option" and "all patriots are of one family" and "it is never too late to join the ranks of patriots". This indicates that since then the Party and the government didn’t have single policy understanding on the Taiwan question, instead they came up with new ideas and developed a train of thought which simultaneously included two options as peaceful reunification or liberating Taiwan by resorting to force.

In August 1958, after the PRC shelled the Kinmen Islands, the contradiction between the United States and Chiang Kai-shek was fully exposed.

In October 1958, when Mao Zedong met with Cao Juren, a contributor to Singapore's Nanyang Business Daily, he said that we could cooperate with Chiang Kai-shek and his son as long as they can resist the United States. As long as they do not get together with the United States, Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Area can be ruled by Chiang Kai-shek for as many years as they want but let the air traffic and do not come to the mainland for secret service activities. Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Area need to come back as a whole.

Mao Zedong also said that these territories had dissolved the linkage with the United States, they should be connected with the mainland, and they can live with their own system but all branches are connected with the root. When it was mentioned that the United States would cut off its aid to Taiwan, Mao Zedong said that we would supply all of it. Mao Zedong said that Chiang Kai-shek’s army can be preserved and they will not oppress him to cut down troops, simplify his administration, let him carry out the Three People's Principles and fight against the Communist Party, but he should not send planes or special agents to make trouble. If Chiang Kai-shek does not become a counterrevolutionary White Agent, I will not become a Red Agent. At that time Cao Juren said that some people in Taiwan asked if their lifestyle would change, and Mao Zedong replied that they can live according to their own lifestyle.

In May 1960, Zhou Enlai summarized Mao Zedong's vision on Taiwan question into the concept of "One Headrope and Four Meshes” of national unity. "One Headrope" means that as long as Taiwan returns to the motherland, all other issues will be properly handled with respect to the views of the Taiwan authorities. "Four Meshes" are: after Taiwan's return to the motherland, all military and political powers and personnel arrangements will be handled by the Taiwan authorities except for diplomacy, which must be unified with the central government; all military and political expenditures and construction expenses will be appropriated by the central government; and Taiwan's reform may be carried out after a slow and consultative decision; and the two sides mutually agree not to send people to do things that undermine the unity of the other side. Due to various factors, the policy formula of "One Headrope and Four Meshes” could not be put into practice. However, it had a significant and far-reaching impact on cross-strait relations and laid the foundation for the Party and government to establish the policy of "One Country, Two Systems" later.