 General Pang was already over 60 years old and asked to resign, but President Chiang Kai-shek turned down his request because experienced commanders were hard to find at the time.General Pang continued to harass and was frustrated with the continued Japanese military presence in North China.In April 1943, 50,000 Japanese soldiers under General Yasuji Okamura stepped up their military offensives against Chinese resistance in the region and achieved a decisive breakthrough against General Pang's defensive perimeter, resulting in most of his units fleeing southward.