About Cen Zeliu
Lived 1912 – 1941 (aged 28). Cen Zeliu was an aircraft pilot.
Cen Zeliu (; 1912–1941), also Shum Tsak-lau (Cantonese), was born in Enping, Guangdong, China. He trained at the Guangdong provincial aviation academy as a fighter pilot, graduating in 1934, and was attached to the provincial warlord air force of General Chen Jitang. With full-scale war between China and the Empire of Japan brewing ever since the Mukden incident of 1931, Cen Zeliu and his compatriots were eager to focus on fighting the Imperial Japanese invasion and occupation of China.
In May 1936, General Chen Jitang conspired with the New Guangxi Clique to overthrow Chiang Kai-shek as leader of the central government of China, which Cen Zeliu perceived as weakening Chinese unity against Japan. This set the stage for Cen Zeliu and members of the Guangdong Air Force under General Huang Guangrui, the air force's Commander-in-Chief, to embark on the "Northern Flight" (北飛) defection to the centralized Nationalist Air Force of China in the midst of the Liangguang Incident in June–July 1936.
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Important facts
People in Cen Zeliu's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Cen Zeliu's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Cen Zeliu?
Chinese air force officer
When was Cen Zeliu born?
Cen Zeliu was born on 10 September 1912.
When did Cen Zeliu die?
Cen Zeliu died on 14 March 1941.
What was Cen Zeliu's occupation?
Cen Zeliu was an aircraft pilot.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cen Zeliu. https://biography.guide/cen-zeliu/
MLA: "Cen Zeliu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cen-zeliu/.
Chicago: "Cen Zeliu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cen-zeliu/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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