Editing Xi'an Incident (section)

== Negotiations ==
[[File:西安事变旧址（系列）-高桂滋公馆 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|left|Gao Guizi's residence, the building where Chiang was held from December 14 until his release]]
The Xi'an mutineers never expected Chiang to agree to all eight of their demands, but Zhang made it clear to Chiang that he would have to accept some of them before he would be released.{{sfn|Wu|1976|p=95}} Chiang at first refused to talk.{{sfn|Pantsov|2023|p=250}} The situation improved when [[William Henry Donald|William Donald]] arrived on December 14. Donald knew both men, as a former advisor to Zhang and current advisor to Chiang. He convinced Chiang to accept the offer of better lodgings at the house of Gao Guizi.{{sfn|Wu|1976|pp=94-96}} He also explained to the leaders of the mutiny that the Chinese public was strongly opposed to Chiang's arrest.{{sfn|Wu|1976|p=96}}

Zhou Enlai, who had departed Bao'an on December 15, arrived in Xi'an late on the 17th in the middle of an extremely delicate situation.{{sfn|Dillon|2020|p=104}} A faction of the army led by Yang Hucheng and the radical young officers of the "Anti-Japanese Comrade Society" wanted to execute Chiang, in line with the CCP's earlier pronouncements.{{sfn|Itoh|2016|pp=176–178}}{{sfn|Eastman|1991|p=48}} But Zhang was gravely concerned with the Central Government's military response, the lukewarm support he had received from fellow warlords, and the unexpected opposition of the Chinese public.{{sfn|Sheng|1992|p=164}}{{sfn|Wu|1976|pp=97-98}} He wanted to negotiate Chiang's release, and was anxious to know if Moscow was going to be providing the material support for an anti-Japanese war that he had counted on.{{sfn|Sheng|1992|p=164}} Zhou, aware at this point that Moscow had condemned the coup, had to carefully walk back the CCP's radical stance and break the bad news to Zhang without jeopardizing the northwest alliance.{{sfn|Wu|1976|pp=103-104}} Their talks lasted all night. Zhou managed to convince the Xi'an leaders that they should negotiate for Chiang's safe release, so long as the Central Government did not start a civil war.{{sfn|Dillon|2020|p=105}} Yet he also emphasized that Chiang was still extremely powerful, and so they also agreed that Chiang would not be let go unless he accepted some minimal conditions.{{sfn|Barnouin|Yu|2006|pp=66-67}}

[[File:张学良公馆-西二楼会议室周恩来、张学良、杨虎城、宋子文、宋美龄谈判场景还原.jpg|thumb|right|The room in Zhang Xueliang's residence where negotiations were held on December 23 and 24, featuring a recreation of that scene. From left to right: T. V. Soong, Soong Mei-ling, Zhou Enlai, Zhang Xueliang, and Yang Hucheng.]]

T. V. Soong decided to fly to Xi'an after learning that Chiang was still alive. He arrived on December 20 accompanied by William Donald. Zhang told him that he was ready to negotiate, but warned that he would turn Chiang over to the Communists if the Central Government launched a full-scale attack.{{sfn|Pantsov|2023|p=252}} Soong and Donald could not convince Chiang to negotiate and returned to Nanjing on December 21. The following day, they returned with Soong Mei-ling and [[Dai Li]].{{sfn|Pantsov|2023|p=252}} Finally, his wife was able to persuade Chiang to negotiate. He refused to sign any document, but verbally agreed to "reshuffle the government, hold a national salvation conference three months from now, reorganize the Kuomintang, and approve an alliance with Russia and cooperation with the Communist party."{{sfn|Pantsov|2023|p=252}} He also authorized T. V. Soong to conduct further negotiations with his captors. On December 23–24, negotiations were held between Zhou, T. V. Soong, Soong Mei-ling, Zhang, and Yang that resulted in a more concrete agreement (although still not signed by Chiang). The civil war would be ended, the Communist party legalized, and the Red Army incorporated as a unit of the NRA.{{sfn|Pantsov|2023|p=252}}

On December 24, Chiang received Zhou for a meeting, the first time the two had seen each other since Zhou had left [[Huangpu District, Guangzhou|Whampoa Military Academy]] over ten years earlier. Zhou began the conversation by saying: "In the ten years since we have met, you seem to have aged very little." Chiang nodded and said: "Enlai, you were my subordinate. You should do what I say." Zhou replied that if Chiang would halt the civil war and resist the Japanese instead, the Red Army would willingly accept Chiang's command.{{sfn|Barnouin|Yu|2006|p=67}} Chiang then agreed to accept the terms finalized earlier that day. He also promised to continue negotiations with Zhou about the details of a new united front once he had returned to Nanjing.{{sfn|Pantsov|2023|p=252}}

Chiang was released on 26 December and returned to Nanjing with Zhang Xueliang.{{sfn|Itoh|2016|pp=176–180}}