Han Youwen

Han Youwen (1912–1998)  was an ethnic Salar Muslim General in the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China, born in Hualong Hui Autonomous County, Qinghai.

Career
The book, "Who's who in China current leaders" shows that Han Youwen had been the chief of the "Kuomintang Qinghai province Police Bureau", in addition to his military service as commanding the "Kuomintang First Cavalry Division".

In 1931 he joined the army under General Ma Bufang.

Han was transferred from Qinghai to Xinjiang to serve in the 5th Cavalry Army under General Ma Chengxiang in the Ili Rebellion to fight against Soviet backed Uyghur rebels. Han led Chinese Muslim forces in a bloody battle against Soviet Russian and Mongol forces during the Pei-ta-shan Incident, along with General Ma Xizhen. As commander of the First Cavalry Division, General Han Youwen was sent to Beitashan by the Kuomintang military command to reinforce Ma Xizhen with a company of troops, approximately three months before the fighting broke out. At Pei-ta-shan, Major General Han Youwen was in command of all the Muslim cavalry defending against Soviet and Mongol forces. Han Youwen (Han Yu-wen) said "that he believed the border should be about 40 miles to the north of the mountains" to A. Doak Barnett, an American reporter.

Han Youwen commanded the Pau-an-dui (pacification soldiers), composed of 340 man battalions, of which he had three. They were made out of many troops, including Kazaks, Mongols, and White Russians serving the Chinese regime. He served with Osman Batur and his Kazakh forces in battling the ETR Ili Uyghur and Soviet forces around Altai.

As listed in "Who's who in China current leaders", in 1949, he during the People's Liberation Army invasion of Xinjiang (1949), he defected to the Communist People's Liberation Army, revolting against the Kuomintang in Urumqi. he continued to serve as an officer from 1949-1953 in the People's Liberation Army, "commander of the 7th Cavalry Division in the 22nd army". In 1953-1954 Han was then transferred to "3rd deputy chief of staff in Xinjiang Military Area Command".

He had switched party alleigance to the Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang.

The "China report" reported that in 1985 Han served as vice chairman of the "CPPCC committee" of Xinjiang, also as chairman of the "KMT revolution Committee's" Xinjiang branch. The report also contained a speech Han gave at a meeting.

He served as one of the three Vice Chairman of Xinjiang under the Communist state. On January 16, 1993, in the People's Hall of Ürümqi he had been elected by the third session of the fourth CPPCC committee of Xinjiang, his election was reported by the media.

Letter to Ma Chengxiang
After 38 years of splitting up, with Ma Chengxiang staying loyal to the Kuomintang Republic of China regime, and Han Youwen defecting to the Communist Party and staying on mainland China, Han Youwen contacted Ma Chengxiang, reminiscing about defending Chinese territory in Xinjiang (against the Soviets and Uyghurs), the development of Xinjiang by the Communist party, and Islam.