Шэн Шицай
On 19 March 1942, Sheng's brother Sheng Shiqi was mysteriously murdered. According to one version, the Soviets, fearing that Sheng Shicai might switch sides, tried to overthrow him. The coup started with Sheng Shiqi's murder committed by his wife, convinced to do so by the Soviet agents. The other version is that he was murdered by Sheng Shicai because of his close ties to Moscow. After his brother's death, Sheng continued crackdown on the Chinese communists. On 1 July 1942 he ordered their relocation in the Ürümqi outskirts for "protection".