 Hu was one of only 1,500 prisoners-of-war whom Ma Bufang decided to use as forced labor rather than execute.Ma Bufang sent several Muslim cavalry divisions under General Ma Biao to fight against the Japanese.However Chiang Kai-shek pressured Ma Bufang to contribute even more of his troops to fight Japanese invaders, Ma Bufang decided that, instead of using more of his own troops, he would instead send the 1,500 Chinese Red Army prisoners-of-war as conscripts.