 In 1932 Liu in cooperation with the Qinghai army, sent out a brigade, to attack the Tibetan troops in Garze and Xinlong, eventually occupying them, Dege and other counties east of the Jinsha River.Brigade commander Ma Xiao was a Muslim in Liu Wenhui's army.In 1932 in the Sino-Tibetan War Liu drove the Tibetans back to the Yangtze River and even threatened to attack Chamdo.