Mow Pang Tzu
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Mao Bangchu or Mow Pang Tzu (; also transcribed as Mow Pang Tsu, Mow Pong Tsu, or Mow Pang Chu; 5 March 1904 22 June 1987) was a high-ranking military officer in the Chinese
Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
government. He was the main figure in an embezzlement scandal that pitched him against the Taiwan government in the early fifties. The charges and countercharges of fraud and misappropriation of millions of dollars, ensuing legal battles, and John-le-Carré-like plots involving private detectives, Mexican prisons, night-club dancers, US Congressmen, suspicious deaths, and the US Supreme Court, were covered in over 2,000 articles published in the US, China, Australia, India, and many other countries around the world.


Early life

Mao Bangchu was born in
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, China, in 1904. His
ancestral hometown An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...
is
Fenghua Fenghua (; ) is a district of the city of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. The district and its administrative hinterlands has a population of over 480,000. Fenghua is most famous for being the hometown of former Presidents Chiang Kai-shek an ...
,
Ningbo Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...
,
Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
Province. His mother was the older sister of
Mao Fumei Mao Fumei ( zh, c=毛福梅, 9 November 1882 – 12 December 1939) was the first wife of Chiang Kai-shek, and the biological mother of Chiang Ching-Kuo. Mao was born in Fenghua, Ningpo (Ningbo), Chekiang (Zhejiang) Province, and, like most w ...
, the first wife of
Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
, and mother of
Chiang Ching-kuo Chiang Ching-kuo (27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China after its retreat to Taiwan. The eldest and only biological son of former president Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government ...
."The Last Empress: Madame Chiang Kai-shek and the Birth of Modern China," by Hannah Pakula, Simon and Schuster (3 November 2009), pp. xvi, 285, 286, 612, 613
/ref>
Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
, the leader of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
between 1928 and 1975, was born in 1887 in
Xikou XikouXikou is sometimes transliterated in pinyin as Qikou. Until the 20th century, 溪 was pronounced as qī ͡ɕʰi55 as evidenced by its ''fanqie'' reading, 苦奚切. The old Postal Romanization Kikow reflects the 19th century pronunciatio ...
, a town approximately 30 kilometers (19 mi) southwest of downtown Ningbo. Mow Pang Tzu's father worked for
Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...
in Shanghai. Standard Oil was an American company established by
John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...
in Ohio in 1870. By the end of the 19th century it had become one of the first
multinational corporations A multinational company (MNC), also referred to as a multinational enterprise (MNE), a transnational enterprise (TNE), a transnational corporation (TNC), an international corporation or a stateless corporation with subtle but contrasting senses, i ...
, with offices around the world.


Military career

Mao graduated from the 3rd class of China's
Whampoa Military Academy The Republic of China Military Academy () is the service academy for the army of the Republic of China, located in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung. Previously known as the the military academy produced commanders who fought in many of China ...
in 1927. The academy was established in 1924 by the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
(KMT) with funds and support from the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Soviet officers initially focused their teaching on basic infantry topics and provided special classes for artillery, engineering, communication, logistical and machine gun units. After this basic training, Mao was sent to Moscow and Italy where he received additional flying training. When he returned to China, he became Chiang Kai-shek's personal pilot and distinguished himself during the
Northern Expedition The Northern Expedition was a military campaign launched by the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Kuomintang (KMT), also known as the "Chinese Nationalist Party", against the Beiyang government and other regional warlords in 1926. The ...
that substantially increased Chiang's and the KMT's sphere of influence."Chiang Aide In U.S. Recalled To Account For $19,440,000," New York Times, 22 August 1951, pp. 1 and 4
/ref> During the Northern Expedition, Chiang and his followers, including Mao, decided to purge the KMT of its communist wing."A Nation-state by Construction: Dynamics of Modern Chinese Nationalism," by Suisheng Zhao, Stanford University Press (2004).
, pp. 96, 109, 114, 121
The Shanghai Purification of KMT members of 12 April 1927, during which hundredKMT's left wing members were arrest and some executed, heralded the beginning of the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, which would last until 1950. Further enhancing his standing with Chiang Kai-shek, Mao commanded the air assaults on a rebellious, heavily-fortified city in the
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
Province, in 1934. The successful assault proved crucial for Chiang's ground forces to take control of the city. Subsequently, as member of the National Government Aviation Committee, Mao was sent to the United States to explore the purchase of new airplanes for the Chinese air force. While he attend an airshow in Miami, Florida, he met Captain
Claire Chennault Claire Lee Chennault (September 6, 1893 – July 27, 1958) was an American military aviator best known for his leadership of the "Flying Tigers" and the Chinese Air Force in World War II. Chennault was a fierce advocate of "pursuit" or fighter ...
, who let a demonstration by the Army Air Corps. Impressed by his skills, Mao invited him to come to China. On 25 May 1940, Mao was promoted to
major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
, and in 1941 he helped Captain Chennault to established the 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force. Under the leadership of Chennault the AVG successfully engaged the Japanese air force on many occasions and became famous as the so-called "
Flying Tigers The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States Ar ...
." The Flying Tigers were also instrumental in establishing an alternate supply route over "
The Hump The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and t ...
," a connection between Burma and southern Chinese cities, such as
Kunming Kunming (; ), also known as Yunnan-Fu, is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province, China. It is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province as well as the seat of the provincial government. The headquar ...
and
Chengdu Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...
. Mao was part of a group of pilots that sought suitable routes through the very difficult terrain of the Himalayas. The first recorded flight over what later became the Hump route from Dinjan, Burma, to Kunming, China, was performed by Xia Pu, a pilot of American citizenship from the China National Aviation Corporation in November 1941.


Air Force Procurement Officer

In 1942 Mao was assigned to the U.S. to establish the Chinese Air Force Office in
Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
and was placed in charge of aviation procurement activities. Over the years he was entrusted with over $50,000,000 (worth about half a billion dollars in 2015) for the purchase of military aircraft and supplies. On 14 August 1944, Mao was given the Medal of the Kuomintang, and in August 1945, President
Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
awarded him the U.S.
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
"for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States from February 1943 to August 1945." Subsequently, he was promoted to
lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
of the
Republic of China Air Force The Republic of China Air Force, retroactively known by its historical name the Chinese Air Force and unofficially referred to as the Taiwanese Air Force, is the military aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces, currently based i ...
. In May 1945, Mao was appointed as a member of the Sixth Kuomintang Central Executive Committee. He eventually became the national government's representatives in the United States Aviation Committee and the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
. In 1949 his wife, Wong Ay Chuan (also known as Pauline), and five of his six sons (Van, Maurice, Donald, Harry and William) joined General Mao in Washington, DC, where they lived in a diplomat residence on 32nd Street, N.W. in the
Woodley Park Woodley Park is a neighborhood in Northwest, Washington, DC. It is bounded on the north by Woodley Road and Klingle Road, on the east by the National Zoo and Rock Creek Park, on the south by Calvert Street, on the southwest by Cleveland Avenue, a ...
neighborhood. His oldest son, David, who served in the Chinese air force, stayed in Taiwan.


Scandal

In the early fifties, Mao became entangled in an embezzlement scandal that was covered in great detail in major US and Chinese newspapers. The
Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
government of the Republic of China alleged that Mao failed to account for $19,440,000 (equivalent to about $180,000,000 in 2015) and removed him from all official positions at the UN. General Mow responded that the charges were only brought in retaliation for his discovery of corruption in the inner circles of the Chiang government."General Mow and the $19,000,000," by Roy Langdon, CLIMAX, June 1957, pp. 2–9.
/ref> Ambassador
Wellington Koo Koo Vi Kyuin (; January 29, 1888 – November 14, 1985), better known as V. K. Wellington Koo, was a statesman of the Republic of China. He was one of Republic of China's representatives at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Wellington Koo ...
recalled in his memoirs that at the heart of the matter were strong personal animosities between General Chou, who was leading the Chinese Air Force, and General Mao, who "always felt that he should have been the commanding general of the air force."The Wellington Koo Memoirs (Chinese Oral History Project of the East Asia Institute of Columbia University, Vol. VII, Part C, 1978, page C-8(a) and page C-241(

( Soong Mei-ling, Madame Chiang Kai-shek had accused both generals as early as 1938 of corruption and was dismayed they had not been punished more severely. Similarly, in 1943, American General
Joseph Stilwell Joseph Warren "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell (March 19, 1883 – October 12, 1946) was a United States Army general who served in the China Burma India Theater during World War II. An early American popular hero of the war for leading a column walking ...
, a military adviser to Chiang during World War II, strongly criticized Chiang and his generals for what he perceived as their incompetence and corruption."The Eagle-Dragon Alliance: America's Relations with China in World War II," by Wesley Marvin Bagby, Univ of Delaware Press; First Edition (January 1992), pp. 50, 51, 126, 127, 128, 150, 153, 159, 185.
"Stilwell's Command Problem," by Romanus and Sunderland, Series: United States Army in World War II: China-Burma-India Theater, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (8 August 2015), p. 369.) Koo furthermore found proof that Mao had diverted large sums of government funds into his own accounts in the US and around the world, which include $2,000,000 in
United States Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and t ...
bearer bonds A bearer bond is a bond or debt security issued by a business entity such as a corporation or a government. As a bearer instrument, it differs from the more common types of investment securities in that it is unregistered—no records are kept o ...
. Fearing extradition to Taiwan and possibly execution, General Mow did not appear in court as ordered, and instead fled to Mexico in January 1952. Initially he flew to
San Antonio, TX ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...
with his assistant Frances Yuan, who later detailed the journey in a congressional hearing.CONGRESSIONAL HEARING HRG-1952-SJS-0024, Subcommittee To Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws; Committee on the Judiciary, "Testimony of Frances Yuan and Col. Ve-Shen Hsiang", Hearing Dates: 1, 10 Jul. 1952; Senate Sudoc Number: Y4.J89/2:Y9/3; Length: 61 pp.; Legacy CIS Number: 87 S1543-3.
/ref> Subsequently, he flew to
Tucson, AZ , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...
, took a bus to the border town of
Nogales, AZ Nogales (English: or , ; ) is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The population was 20,837 at the 2010 census and estimated 20,103 in 2019. Nogales forms part of the larger Tucson–Nogales combined statistical area, with a total population ...
, and eventually arrived in the resort town of
Cuernavaca Cuernavaca (; nci-IPA, Cuauhnāhuac, kʷawˈnaːwak "near the woods", ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. The city is located around a 90-minute drive south of Mexico City using the Federal Highway 95D. The na ...
, approximately 50 miles to the south of
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
. The first weeks he stayed with Oliver Kisich, a friend and nightclub entertainer from San Francisco. Mao went on to buy 250,000-Peso villa, hired 4 servants, and arranged for his secretary, Agnes Kelly, a "tall, blonde, ex-showgirl," to join him. When he attempted to obtain a Mexican passport under the cover name of Carlos Gomez Lee Wong, his identity was discovered, and Mexican authorities arrested him for illegal entry into their country. A protracted legal and political battle ensued during which Taiwan sought an extradition of General Mow from Mexico, and the recovery of $6,400,000 million in US courts. General Mow never disputed that he embezzled the funds. He claimed to be a "patriot, preserving all the millions for the people (of China), when they should cast off their present government." Richard O'Connor from the Coronet Magazine commented, "Meanwhile, he spread plenty of their money around as a highly unofficial ambassador of good will." It was reported that the Chiang Kai-shek government hired John Broady, an infamous private investigator, to find and recover the missing funds, and to extract General Mow from Mexico. The attempt of removing Mow from Mexico failed, and an attempt to bring some of the recovered security notes to New York ended with the shooting death of Clarence Sopman, a Broady associate, near Mexico City. In the end, General Mow was imprisoned in the Black Palace of Lecumberri, in a prison cell next to
Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...
assassin
Ramón Mercader Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río (7 February 1913 – 18 October 1978),Photograph oMercader's Gravestone/ref> more commonly known as Ramón Mercader, was a Spanish communist and NKVD agent, who assassinated Russian Bolshevik revolutionary Leon Tr ...
, from 1951 until 1955. Allegedly he paid $350 per month to have "luxury" prison housing, including a valet, cook, and weekly conjugal visits by Agnes Kelly. The Mow case also became a proxy battle in the political fight over US support for Communist China under
Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
or National China under Chiang Kai-shek. In the late forties opinions in the US were split about who should be considered the true representative of the Chinese people, the communist government on the mainland, or the government in Taiwan (which was referred to as "
Formosa Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territorie ...
" at that time). Many considered the Formosa government inapt and deeply corrupt; and Mao Zedong, even though a communist, was considered a powerful ally against Japan and Russia. The
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, which started in June 1950, seemed to settle the question in favor of Chiang Kai-shek. Consequently, Republicans, such Congressman
Walter H. Judd Walter Henry Judd or I-te Chou (September 25, 1898 – February 13, 1994; his Chinese name is 周以德), was an American politician and physician, best known for his battle in Congress (1943–63) to define the conservative position on China as ...
and Senator William F. Knowland strongly supported Taiwan's position. On the other hand, liberal democrats used the case to label Mow as "principled hero" and attacked the Chiang Kai-shek government. A congressional hearing was convened during which France Yuan, Mow personal assistant, and Col. Hsiang, Mow's right hand, were called to testify. Hsiang defended General Mow forcefully, but was not helped by the fact that his wife and children had fled to Communist China. In the press the liberal Drew Pearson from the Washington Post wrote many articles to defend General Mow, while the conservative columnist James
Westbrook Pegler Francis James Westbrook Pegler (August 2, 1894 – June 24, 1969) was an American journalist and writer. He was a popular columnist in the 1930s and 1940s famed for his opposition to the New Deal and labor unions. Pegler aimed his pen at president ...
tried to discredit Pearson, by linking him to the embezzlement scandal. Apparently Pearson had indirectly received $60,000 from funds misappropriated by Mow. In 1955 a Mexican Court barred the extradition of General Mow, and he was freed from prison. However, a US Appeals Court upheld a lower-court ruling that General Mow owed the Republic of China $6,368,503 plus interest and costs. Trying to collect all the funds proved to be difficult, even though a good amount was recovered. For example, $810,000 were seized by court order in Los Angeles. Two $100,000 treasury bonds turned up in Chicago, and a $1,000,000 treasury bill was recovered when a
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...
business man tried to cash it in California. A settlement between the Republic of China and Mow was reached in 1958. The settlement negotiated by ambassador George Yeh called for the return of about $1.5 million in Treasury notes still held in Swiss bank accounts. In exchange, General Mow was cleared of all charges and was allowed to keep $200,000 (equivalent to about $1,700,000 in 2015) for future living expenses. For the next 10 years he lived in Mexico, where he allegedly fathered 2 more children. In the mid-sixties General Mow returned to the US and settled in Los Angeles."Back to His Future," by Evelyn Iritani, Los Angeles Times, 28 September 1997
/ref> His sons Harry C.C. Mow and
William C. W. Mow William C. W. Mow (Traditional Chinese: 毛昭寰; born 1936) is the former chairman and CEO of Bugle Boy Industries. Biography Mow was born in Hangchow, China, the son of Lieutenant General Mow Pang Tsu of the National Chinese Air Force. In Ma ...
, President and CEO of the famous apparel brand
Bugle Boy Bugle Boy Industries, Inc. was a clothing company founded by William Mow in 1977. It is perhaps best known for its namesake brand of denim jeans that were popular in the 1980s. The company declared bankruptcy in 2001. William C. W. Mow (Traditiona ...
, supported him until his death in 1987.Riches from Rags, by H Y Nahm, GOLDSEA , ASIAN MONEY WORKS
/ref> A detailed account of the scandal, up to the settlement in 1958, was aired on Chinese TV on 15 May 2015. Certain aspect of the case are still of legal relevance today. For example, General Mow defended his position by claiming that Chiang Kai-shek was not the rightful president of Taiwan and hence could not have ordered him to come back or file a lawsuit on behalf of the Chinese people in US courts. The Supreme Court ruled that it is within the purview of the US President, represented by the State Department, to approve ambassadors and recognizes foreign governments. At that time the State Department had provided a letter to the court stating that Chiang-Kai-Check is the recognized president of Taiwan, and Wellington Koo the recognized ambassador of Taiwan in the US. The Supreme Court recently affirmed this general position, when it struck down a law enacted by Congress, but opposed by President Obama, that would let American citizens born in Jerusalem have Israel listed in passports as their country of birth. Justice
Anthony Kennedy Anthony McLeod Kennedy (born July 23, 1936) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1988 until his retirement in 2018. He was nominated to the court in 1987 by Presid ...
wrote in his majority opinion, citing among other sources to the ruling in the Mow case, that recognizing foreign governments is "the President's exclusive power." Another more complex issue arose over the legality of countersuits against a foreign government that has immunity, but brings a suit in an American court. For example, in this case, General Mow had countersued Chiang Kai-shek for defamation and the National City Bank of America, sued by the Republic of China for not releasing funds deposited by General Mow, countersute the Republic of China for recovery of lost funds. The courts held that such countersuites are only narrowly allowed if they directly impact the matter put forward by the suing foreign government. Many of the rulings in this case have been cited in subsequent cases and are frequently discussed in modern law textbooks.


Family

Mao had a younger brother, Mao Yingchu (Chinese: ), who was born in 1911. He had a similar military career as his older brother, becoming a pilot in the ''Nationalist'' Air Force of China and rising to the position of commanding officer of the 23rd Pursuit Squadron of 4th Pursuit Group of the
Chinese Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an Air force, aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular army, regular ...
by 1937. He saw combat at the
Battle of Shanghai The Battle of Shanghai () was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Republic of China (ROC) and the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) of the Empire of Japan at the beginning of th ...
,
Nanking Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
,
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
,
Xuzhou Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...
during the
Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
, becoming an ace-fighter pilot. In June 1938, he married Zheng Xiuzhen, which whom he would later have two sons and two daughters. Later in the war, he served as an attaché at the Chinese embassy in Washington DC, United States. In 1946, he graduated from the US Staff and Command College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, United States. He retired from Republic of China Air Force service in 1968 at the rank of lieutenant general. Between 1969 and 1981, he was an official at the Civil Aviation Authority, and subsequently became the Chairman of the Board of the Hawley & Hazel Chemical Company. He died in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2000. Mow Pang Tsu was married to Pauline Mow. They had six sons. When the war with Japan broke out in 1937, the family moved to
Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
, which had become Chiang Kai-shek's provisional capital. As a general's family they "lived lavishly, in a large house guarded by a squad of soldiers." By the end of the war with Japan, in 1945, the family was living in Chengdu from where they undertook a long boat journey down the
Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...
to Shanghai in 1946. At that time, the city was still held by Chiang's forces, but Communist troops were starting to encircle the city. By 1948, Pauline and her 6 sons were evacuated from mainland China to Taiwan, together with some 2 million people, consisting mainly of members of the ruling Kuomintang, intellectual and business elites, and soldiers. In March 1949, the family briefly returned to Shanghai to board the last
Pan Am Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
flight to the U.S. before the city fell to the Communists. (The oldest son, David, was a pilot in the National Chinese Air Force, and stayed in Taiwan. He was killed in Vietnam flying cargo for China Air Transport into Saigon in support of the US war efforts, in 1974.) After General Mow had fled to Mexico in early 1951, Pauline and her sons had to vacate their diplomatic housing in Washington, DC, and settled in
Great Neck Great Neck is a region on Long Island, New York, that covers a peninsula on the North Shore and includes nine villages, among them Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Kings Point, and Russell Gardens, and a number of unincor ...
, New York. Without the support of General Mow, unable to return to Taiwan, not willing to move back to mainland China under communist control, and not being American citizens, the family struggled. They opened a Chinese restaurant, the Yangtze River Cafe, to provide some income. Luckily several of the Mow brothers had already been enrolled in a private boarding school (
Riverdale Country School Riverdale Country School is a co-educational, independent, college-preparatory day school in New York City serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is located on two campuses covering more than in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, N ...
in Riverdale, NY), which agreed to waive the enrollment fees once the family fell on hard times. Growing up under these difficult circumstances, which were detailed by Van C. Mow in a 2005 lecture, Pauline managed to send all of her sons to college. Harry C.C. Mow, who was born in 1930, "became the father figure for his four younger brothers" when General Mow fled the US in December 1951. He received a PhD degree in electrical engineering from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...
(RPI) in
Troy, NY Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany an ...
, in 1959. He married shortly following his graduation, and in 1963 moved with his family to Southern California. There he worked for the
RAND Corporation The RAND Corporation (from the phrase "research and development") is an American nonprofit global policy think tank created in 1948 by Douglas Aircraft Company to offer research and analysis to the United States Armed Forces. It is financed ...
, a nonprofit "think tank" of the U.S. Air Force, in Santa Monica. During the real estate boom of the late 1970s and 1980s, Harry left RAND and formed Century West Development Inc. As CEO and chairman of the board he led the developed of many real estate projects in the greater Los Angeles area and across the country. At the same time Harry became also a partner and member of the board of directors of the King's Seafood Company. He went on to become a member of the boards of directors of the UCLA Hospital, Preferred Bank of LA, and the Center for the Partially Sighted. He died on 1 March 2005, in Malibu, CA, leaving behind his wife, two daughters and two sons. Donald Mow was born on 22 August 1932. After the family moved to the US in 1949, he attended Riverdale Country School and graduate in 1952. He received a bachelor's degree in architecture from RPI, in 1956. He went on to work for several architectural firms in New York City and was involved in the construction of the TWA terminal at JFK airport. Eventually, he became a self-employed architect with an office in Pleasantville, NY. He lived in
Briarcliff Manor, NY Briarcliff Manor () is a suburban village in Westchester County, New York, north of New York City. It is on of land on the east bank of the Hudson River, geographically shared by the towns of Mount Pleasant and Ossining. Briarcliff Manor inc ...
for over 20 years. When he died on 16 February 2015 in Beijing, China, he was survived by his ex-wife Shirley Lau Mow and two sons, Douglas and Christopher, as well as his granddaughter, Jessica Mow.
William C. W. Mow William C. W. Mow (Traditional Chinese: 毛昭寰; born 1936) is the former chairman and CEO of Bugle Boy Industries. Biography Mow was born in Hangchow, China, the son of Lieutenant General Mow Pang Tsu of the National Chinese Air Force. In Ma ...
was born on 18 April 1936 in
Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...
, China. After graduating from Riverdale Country School in 1955, he earned a BSEE from Rensselaer Polytechnic, MSEE from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in 1967. He became famous as the founder and CEO of
Bugle Boy Bugle Boy Industries, Inc. was a clothing company founded by William Mow in 1977. It is perhaps best known for its namesake brand of denim jeans that were popular in the 1980s. The company declared bankruptcy in 2001. William C. W. Mow (Traditiona ...
Industries, a clothing company especially known for its brand of denim jeans. During the 1980s sales approached $1 billion, making Bugle Boy one of the largest privately owned apparel companies in the United States. In the late 1990s the company started to struggle and in 2001 declared bankruptcy. In 1999, William donated part of his fortune to
Riverdale Country School Riverdale Country School is a co-educational, independent, college-preparatory day school in New York City serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is located on two campuses covering more than in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, N ...
, the school that had helped the family in the early 1950s. In turn, the school named their Main Building on Hill Campus William C.W. Mow Hall. Van C. Mow was born as the 5th son on 10 January 1939 in Chengdu, China. Like his three brothers before him, Mow also got his BS degree from RPI. In addition he pursued a PhD in applied mechanics and applied mathematics. Subsequently, he became one of the earliest researchers in the field of
biomechanics Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems, at any level from whole organisms to organs, cells and cell organelles, using the methods of mechanics. Biomechanics is a branch of ...
, was elected President of the Orthopaedic Research Society and, in 2000, became the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. Following a highly public dispute with the Dean of the Engineering School, Mow stepped down from his position in 2011. He is one of the few scholars who have been elected to both the
National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...
(1991) and the
National Academy of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly called the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, En ...
(2015). In 2005, Van Mow donated material related to his father's efforts in the
China-Burma-India Theater China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was officia ...
to the
Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Beihang University, previously known as Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (), abbreviated as BUAA or Beihang ( zh, c=北航, p=), is a national public research university located in Beijing, China, specializing in engineering, t ...
Aviation Museum An aviation museum, air museum, or air and space museum is a museum exhibiting the history and cultural artifacts, artifacts of aviation. In addition to actual, replica or accurate reproduction aircraft, exhibits can include photographs, maps, P ...
, forgoing the
Republic of China Air Force Museum The Republic of China Air Force Museum () is an air force open-air museum in Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. History The museum building was completed on 14 August 1987 to accommodate the Republic of China Air Force Academy campus plannin ...
in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
, Taiwan. The youngest son, Maurice Mow, received a degree in
civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...
from RPI, in 1963. He went on to become the Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at the
California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...
at Chico. Under his leadership civil engineering students achieved unprecedented successes in regional and national student competitions. Dr. Mow has also played a significant role in forging numerous corporate partnerships that have resulted in greater employment for graduates. He retired in 2003.Transparent California Retirement Webpage
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mao, Bangchu 1904 births 1987 deaths Generals from Shanghai Republic of China Army generals Air force generals Generals of World War II Permanent Representatives of the Republic of China to the United Nations People convicted of embezzlement Military scandals Scandals in China 20th-century controversies Recipients of the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun Recipients of the Legion of Merit Chinese Civil War refugees Taiwanese people from Shanghai