Xian Incident

The Xian Incident (西安事变) is a remarkable turning point in China's modern history, happened in 1936. That year the militarist Japanese forces wanted to intensify their aggression in China. But Chiang Kai-shek said Chinese must stabilized the country at first and then to resist outside enemies, because he was fighting with Communist Party of China (CPC). The Northeast Army led by famous general Zhang Xueliang (张学良) who had been influenced by the patriotic sentiment of the CPC's army. Zhang's forces ceased fire with the CPC. Different opinions aroused between Chiang Kai-shek and Zhang Xueliang that the former wanted the latter to resume fighting with the CPC, but Zhang urged Chiang should resist the Japanese. On December 12, General Zhang detained Chiang in Huaqing Pool. He and General Yang Hucheng jointly announced anti-Japanese claims. Zhou Enlai delegated a representative to mediate the two parties. Through negotiation, eventually Chiang agreed to resist the invading Japanese forces and he was released and returned to Nanjing, the then capital of China.