Battle of Kitai

{{one source|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Battle of Kitai

| partof = the Kumul Rebellion

| image =

| caption =

| date = Late May 1934

| place = Qitai County, Xinjiang

| casus =

| territory = Capture of Qitai by the New 36th Division

| result = Chinese victory{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IAs9AAAAIAAJ&q=Ma+Shih-ming+khoja|title=Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: A Political History of Republican Sinkiang 1911–1949|author=Andrew D. W. Forbes|year=1986|publisher=CUP Archive|location=Cambridge, England|isbn=0-521-25514-7|page=111|access-date=2010-06-28}}

| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Republic of China}} Republic of China

• {{flagicon|Republic of China|army}} New 36th Division

| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the People's Anti-Imperialist Association.svg}} Chinese Xinjiang Provincial government

{{flagicon image|Flag of Russia.svg}} White movement

| commander1 = {{flagicon|Republic of China|army}} Ma Chung-chieh{{KIA}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IAs9AAAAIAAJ&q=Ma+Shih-ming+khoja|title=Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: A Political History of Republican Sinkiang 1911–1949|author=Andrew D. W. Forbes|year=1986|publisher=CUP Archive|location=Cambridge, England|isbn=0-521-25514-7|page=296|access-date=2010-06-28}}

| commander2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the People's Anti-Imperialist Association.svg}} Sheng Shicai

| strength1 = Unknown Chinese Muslim troops{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IAs9AAAAIAAJ&q=nur+ahmad+jan%27s+head|title=Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: a political history of Republican Sinkiang 1911-1949|author=Andrew D. W. Forbes|year=1986|publisher=CUP Archive|location=Cambridge, England|isbn=0-521-25514-7|page=303|access-date=2010-06-28}}

| strength2 = 4,000 Provincial Forces and 1,000 Russian forces

| casualties1 = 1,000 killed or wounded{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IAs9AAAAIAAJ&q=Ma+Shih-ming+khoja|title=Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: A Political History of Republican Sinkiang 1911–1949|author=Andrew D. W. Forbes|year=1986|publisher=CUP Archive|location=Cambridge, England|isbn=0-521-25514-7|page=296|access-date=2010-06-28}}

| casualties2 = Heavy

}}

{{Campaignbox Kumul rebellion}}

The Battle of Kitai ({{zh|t=奇台县之战}}) was a confrontation that took place during the Xinjiang Wars. In May 1934 Ma Chung-chieh led the New 36th Division an attack on Qitai County against Xinjiang clique forces and managed to win the battle. {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IAs9AAAAIAAJ&q=Ma+Shih-ming+khoja|title=Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: A Political History of Republican Sinkiang 1911–1949|author=Andrew D. W. Forbes|year=1986|publisher=CUP Archive|location=Cambridge, England|isbn=0-521-25514-7|page=296|access-date=2010-06-28}}

According to Wu:

losses during the capture of Kitai were 1,000 killed or wounded. Ma Chung-chieh was reportedly killed in a moment of "inspired but utterly reckless bravery" when attempting to scale the walls in the face of machine-gun fire.

There would appear to be no substance in the claims made by the JRCAS that Ma's troops were largely unarmed before their attack on Kitai, or that they were subsequently defeated by provincial forces to the west of Kitai on 29 May{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IAs9AAAAIAAJ&q=Ma+Shih-ming+khoja|title=Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: A Political History of Republican Sinkiang 1911–1949|author=Andrew D. W. Forbes|year=1986|publisher=CUP Archive|location=Cambridge, England|isbn=0-521-25514-7|page=296|access-date=2010-06-28}}