He was awarded the rank of major general in 1955 and served as deputy chief of staff of the Fuzhou Military Region.
After the Red Army went on the Long March toward Yan'an in North China, Xiong remained in the south and fought a guerrilla war against the Kuomintang government for three years.
[1] After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Xiong served as deputy commander of the North Anhui Military District, chief of staff of an army corps, and deputy chief of staff of the Fujian Military District.
[1] By the time Xiong celebrated his 107th birthday (108th in East Asian age reckoning) in February 2019, he had become the longest-living of China's founding generals.
[4] He is the prototype of the leader of the People's Liberation Army unit glorified in the film, which became a major hit in the 1950s.