Yesterday I paid a visit to one of Gen. Zhang Xueliang's residences which is tucked away down at a foothill in Hsinchu County.  Actually Zhang had many a "home" at Mainland and Taiwan, in which he had been held under house arrest since that world-beating Xian Incident took place and later he was sentenced as a detainee.  Now the residence has been open to the public as a historic site; well, so has Chiang's residence in Shilin, Taipei.  (Thanks to the "democracy" of Taiwan, but in Mainland they have done even better though they don't  have that kind of Taiwan-styled democracy.)

China's Mainland used to praise Zhang as a "national hero" for his "merit" did towards CCP during Xian Incident.  Not anymore, I think.  Previously, people thought it was Chiang's order not to resist Japan during 918 Incident, 1931; while hoping League of Nations would mediate in the dispute between China and Japan.  However, more and more evidences revealled in recent days indicate that Chiang did order Zhang to fight, though without solid determination.  On the other hand, Zhang, as a warlord, he must have known better that to reserve his military power was the only way to maintain his political status.  Therefore, I think in order to reserve his ace on hand, he had no other choice but to concede Northeast part and inner Mongolia of China to Japan.  Historically speaking I agree with most of Mainland netizens' viewpoint: Zhang is a sinner to Chinese nation. 

P.S.  Besides, Zhang was a debauched young dandy boy then, everybody knew it.  Dr. Ma Junwu(馬君武) had a famous poem of sacasm against Zhang's "Non-resistence":

趙四風流朱五狂，翩翩蝴蝶正當行，溫柔鄉是英雄冢，哪管東師入瀋陽。

告急軍書夜半來，開場弦管又相催，瀋陽已陷休回顧，更抱佳人舞幾回。

Some parts of the scene described had later been proved not true, still the poem itself is a telltale sign of Zhang in 1931.