The leaders of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) wanted to leave Mao behind when they started the ‘Long March’ from a place of great danger in China to one of relative safety from Chiang Kai-shek’s government forces. The CCP was short on cash and Mao had a stash of treasures hidden in a cave that he used to bargain his way onto the March…but he was mostly carried in a litter as most of the leaders were on the ‘March’. Chiang could have easily defeated the CCP at practically any point but he has two motives not to do so. One was that he guided the March through areas still ruled by warlords who were afraid of the CCP so then he could come in and ‘rescue’ them and get them to submit to his authority while moving the CCP to the next location. This way he could consolidate his central authority in China without violence. Chiang’s second motive was that his only legitimate son was being held hostage in Russia. He was hoping to get his son back by not destroying the CCP as a concession to the Russians. (He would eventually get his son back but not until many years later).

(Book – Mao: The Unknown Story – Jung Chang and Jon Halliday)