Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Friday 13 June 1947, page 1


Political implications

In Mongolian Invasion of N~. China Province

NANKING; Thursday.

The Mongolian invasion of the Sinkiang Province had political rather than military implications, according to Government sources. It is aimed at giving the Special Commissioner (Le Behan) who is a pro-Russian, complete control of the Sinkiang Province, thereby ousting the Special Commissioner (Us Men) who as a pro-Chinese.

Both Commissioners were appointed some time ago by the semi-autonomous Government to keep peace in the Province, collect taxes and administer

their respective territories Li Rihan in the north adjoining] Russia and Us Man in the east on the

Outer Mongolian border.

Li Rihan, in February, attacked the i forces under Us Man and on March 23 Us Man was forced to evacuate Cheng chia and retreated to Peitashan, where he was attacked by Outer Mongolian troops on March 5.

Nanking military experts doubted whether or not the Government could send effective assistance to Sinkiang in view of its reverses elsewhere, and thought the Government would try to localise fighting and settle the affair diplomatically.

A despatch to the Government's ! newspaper, "Central Daily News," said the Mongols had advanced beyond Peitashan towards China. Peitashan is 50 miles inside the Mongolian border and about 150 miles north-east of Tihwa, capital of Sinkiang.

Earlier reports, that the Mongols had penetrated 200 miles, have not been repeated and they are now assumed to be wrong.

The Information Minister (Holdington Tong) said yesterday that Government forces had checked the Communist drive in Manchuria but added there was a strong possibility that the Chinese were regrouping for new

assaults. .

Dispatches to Peiping newspapers 1 reported that the main Communist drive was centred near Soepingkai, 70. miles south-west from Changchun, "this Manchurian capital.

The Chinese defence, ministry spokesman announced that Outer Mongolian soldiers were captured at Peitashan but he did not say when. The spokesman said that troops were

resisting near Peitashan. ' ,