[2][3] A prominent warlord of Yunnan, he was closely associated with Long Yun, who was first an ally and then a rival, although both ended up collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

[4] A graduate of the Yunnan Military Academy, Lu Han notably commanded the 1st Group Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

On September 28, Lu presided over a ceremony at the Hanoi headquarters (formerly the French Governor's Office in Tonkin or North Vietnam) to accept the surrender of the Japanese 38th Army Commander Yuitsu Tsuchihashi on behalf of the Allied Powers.

[citation needed] As the CCP gained the upper hand in the Chinese Civil War, Lu Han, on February 5, 1949, ordered the Kunming Branch of the Central Bank to stop the transportation of gold and silver to the Nationalist central government; later, he met with journalists in Hong Kong, indicating that he had broken with Chiang Kai-shek.

On November 3, 1949, Li Zongren, as acting president, flew to Kunming with Zhang Qun and Hong Lanyou to encourage Lu Han not to break with the Nationalist Government.

[citation needed] On February 20, 1950, Chen Geng and Song Renqiong led a PLA force into Kunming, where they were warmly welcomed by Lu Han.