ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I was born in Guilin, Guangxi, the People’s Republic of China. Certainly, I am a

native of the province according to the Chinese way. However, as the circumstances at that
time all primary and middle schools did not teach any history of Republican China, I did
not know any history of the Guangxi Clique until I left Guilin for Zhongshan (Sun Yatsen)
University in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong, for my tertiary education in 1978. As
my major was history, I had studied and worked in the areas of Southeast Asian history and
the overseas Chinese community studies since I received my M.A. degree from Zhongshan
University. Although I learnt some history about Guangxi during my university study, and
the achievements of the Guangxi Clique in the 1930s in mass mobilization and in the
preparation for resistance against Japanese aggression also left a deep impression on my
earlier study, I did not turn my interest in the history of the Guangxi Clique until I came to
Australia and studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney for a PhD in 1991.
During this time I gained a great deal of support and help from Dr K. K. Shum, my first
supervisor, who encouraged me to enter this area. One year later, I transferred to Griffith
University in Brisbane to continue my PhD studies, I was given a lot of help by Professor
Edmund Fung, Associate Professor Nick Knight and Professor Colin Mackerras, my three
supervisors. I am very grateful for their kind help and support. They meticulously read the
entire draft. Their criticisms, suggestions, encouragement, and questions enabled me to
sharpen and strengthen the analyses and arguments in this study and to eliminate errors.
For financial aid, I wish to thank Griffith University for offering a postgraduate
research scholarship to me. This scholarship made it possible for me to travel to Hong

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Kong and mainland China in the second half of 1992 to conduct my field work. Without
this support, my research would have been impossible.
I also wish to express my gratitude to several scholars and friends who read the
draft either in whole or in part, and who provided many fresh views when discussing issues
related to my study with them. Dr Leong Liew of Griffith University read several chapters
and gave valuable suggestions and criticisms, although he supervised me only for few
months when my supervisors were absent. Dr Changfan Gao of Griffith University also
read several chapters and contributed constructive comments and suggestions before he left
Brisbane for the University of Tasmania in Hobart to take up a position there. Mr Luo
Yongxian in the Southeast Asian Centre of the Australian National University in Canberra
read the whole draft and corrected a number of errors. Other friends who contributed time,
energy, and expertise to improve this dissertation are Dr He Xingfei and Dr Wei
Changjiang at the Australian National University, Mr Dong Zunqi, Mr Chen Fan and Mr
Liu Xi’an in the Faculty of Asia and International Studies of Griffith University. Dr Pan Si
and Mr Stephen Chen in the Faculty of Science and Technology of Griffith University also
gave me great help in using Chinese software and printing the Chinese part of the
bibliography. Needless to say, I alone bear the responsibility for errors of fact and
interpretation.
I wish specially to thank Mr Vic Lloyd, a writer and a retired teacher of the
University of Queensland, who patiently and meticulously read the whole manuscript and
expended much energy improving the writing and organization of this dissertation. I was
deeply moved by his meticulously reading and promptly feeding back each time after I gave
my draft to him. Each time I went to his house in north Brisbane, he always spent several
hours to discuss the draft with me patiently and gave a lots of valuable criticisms,
comments and suggestions. His selfless help was invaluable, and his great support inspired
me to improve and advance the writing and preparation of this dissertation. I also wish to
thank Mrs Mary Lloyd for her kind treatment each time I called on her and Mr Lloyd and
discussed with the latter in their house.
This study also gained great support and help from institutions and organizations as
well as other scholars and friends in Hong Kong and mainland China when I conducted my
field work in 1992. I wish to acknowledge the assistance of Dr A. Y. C. Lui, Head of

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History Department of the University of Hong Kong; the Library of the University of Hong
Kong; the Zhongshan Library of Guangdong Province in Guangzhou and Mr Ni Junming in
that Library; the Library of Zhongshan University, Guangzhou; Dr Mo Shixiang, Professor
and Head of History Department of Jinan University, Guangzhou; the First Library of
Guangxi in Nanning; the Second Library of Guangxi in Guilin and Mrs Tang Guoying in
that Library; Guilin Archives of Guangxi; Guangxi Archives in Nanning; the Committee on
Written Historical Materials of Guangxi Committee of the Chinese People’s Political
Consultative Conference, Nanning, and Mr Chen Junyi of that Committee; Mr Huang
Zongyan, Associate Professor of the Guangxi Social Science Association, Nanning; Mr
Cao Guangzhe, Lecturer of the Guangxi Normal University in Guilin; Professor Yang
Tianshi in the Institute of Modern History, Chinese Social Science Academy, Beijing, and
the Library of that Institute; the Library of Nankai University in Tianjin, and Professor Wei
Hongyun of Nankai University and his postgraduate students Mr Wen Rui, Mr Zhu Dexin,
Mr Tuo Ping, Mr Li Zhenhua, Mr Wang Yanmin and Mr Yang Yuejin; the Library of
Beijing; Professor Zhang Tongxin and Mr Liu Xiao of the Chinese People’s University at
Beijing; Professor Zhang Xianwen, Mr Chen Hongmin and Mrs Shen Xiaoyun of Nanjing
University; and the Library of Department of History at that University; The Second
Historical Archives of China at Nanjing; the Committee on Written Historical Materials of
National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Beijing,
and Mrs Han Shufang of Zhongguo wenshi chubanshe (China’s Written Historical
Materials Press) in Beijing, who was my classmate at Zhongshan University during the late
1970s and the early 1980s. Many thanks also give to Mr Feng Huang, Mr Wei Ruilin, Mr
Lai Huipeng, Mr Xie Hegeng, and Mr Huang Qihan, who were subordinates of both Li
Zongren and Bai Chongxi and middle and senior ranking members of the Guangxi Clique
during the 1930s and 1940s, for their kind acceptance of my interviews with them
respectively in Nanning, Beijing and Shanghai in 1992.
I also wish to thank the Australian National Library in Canberra and the Menzies
Library of the Australian National University for their rich collections in modern Chinese
history which benefited this study very much, and for the staff of the two libraries who
provided me with helpful advice and assistance. My thank also gives to Ms Elsie Liow,
Liaison Librarian for Asian Studies in the Library of Griffith University, for her patience

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and help in collection and purchase of research materials from overseas. Staff at the
libraries of University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, and the State Library of
New South Wales also provided a lot of convenience to my research.
No one, however, helped more directly and continuously in writing this dissertation
than my wife Yang Hong. Through each stage of preparation, she shared the burdens,
anxieties and pleasures of this study. She also worked hard to support me financially so
that I could complete this study according to schedule. Without the love of Hong and my
son Lee this dissertation could not have been written. To Hong and Lee I owe an
immeasurable debt and deep affection.

Su Mingxian
March 1996 in Brisbane

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