A Hakka from Hepu, Guangxi, he graduated from Baoding Military Academy and participated in the Northern Expedition.

He was briefly premier after Chiang Kai-shek stepped down in December 1931.

In 1932, he took part in the January 28 incident, defending the city against the Japanese Empire.

He was a member of Social Democratic Party of China.

[citation needed] He was one of the principal leaders of the Fujian Rebellion and the Productive People's Party (General Secretary), the failure of which forced him into exile in Hong Kong.