Pei-ta-shan Incident

Battle of Baitag Bogd
Part of Ili Rebellion
Date 1946–1948 Location Pei-ta-shan, Xinjiang, Mongolia 44°00′43″N 89°35′31″E / 44.012081°N 89.591916°E / 44.012081; 89.591916 Result Return to status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
Republic of China	Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Mongolian People's Republic
Commanders and leaders
Chiang Kai-shek Zhang Zhizhong Ma Chengxiang Ma Xizhen Han Youwen Ospan Batyr	Joseph Stalin Khorloogiin Choibalsan
Strength
National Revolutionary Army 700 Troops of the 14th Tungan (Chinese Muslim) Cavalry regiment Turkic Kazakh forces	Soviet Air Forces Mongolian People's Army
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown
Beitashan Location within China

National Revolutionary Army
700 Troops of the 14th Tungan (Chinese Muslim) Cavalry regiment

Soviet Air Forces

The Pei-ta-shan Incident or Battle of Baitag Bogd Mountain (Mongolian: Байтаг богдын тулгарал; Chinese: 北塔山事件; pinyin: Běitǎshān shìjiàn; Wade–Giles: Pei-ta-shan shih-chien; alternatively Baitak Bogdo incident) was a border conflict between the Republic of China, the Mongolian People's Republic, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The Mongolian People's Republic became involved in a border dispute with the Republic of China, as a Chinese Muslim Hui cavalry regiment was sent by the Chinese government to attack Mongol and Soviet positions.

There had always been a Xinjiang police station manned by a Chinese police force with Chinese sentry posts before and after 1945.

As Commander of the First Cavalry Division, Salar Muslim Maj. Gen. Han Youwen was sent to Beitashan by the Kuomintang military command to reinforce Hui Muslim Gen. Ma Xizhen with a company of troops, approximately three months before the fighting broke out. At Pei-ta-shan, Maj. Gen. Han Youwen was in command of all 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.

Chinese Muslim and Turkic Kazakh forces working for the Chinese Kuomintang battled Soviet and Mongol troops. In June 1947 the Mongols and the Soviets launched an attack against the Kazakhs, driving them back to the Chinese side. However, fighting continued for another year, 13 clashes taking place between 5 June 1947 and July 1948.