During the period of rule by the Republic of China (1912-1949), Garzé became nominally part of Xikang province, which included parts of former Kham. In 1930, the Tibetan army invaded Garzé, capturing it without much resistance. However, in 1932, the Tibetan army withdrew after suffering defeats elsewhere at the hands of the warlord of Qinghai, Ma Bufang. Chinese warlord Liu Wenhui reoccupied Garzé, and signed an agreement with the Tibetans formalizing his control of the area east of the upper Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), which corresponds roughly with eastern Kham. In 1950, following the defeat of the Kuomintang forces by the People's Liberation Army, the area fell within the control of the People's Republic of China. Eastern Xikang was merged with Sichuan in 1955, where Garzé became an autonomous prefecture.