evidence: The Battle of Hainan Island (simplified Chinese: 海南岛战役; traditional Chinese: 海南島戰役) occurred in 1950, during the final phase of the Chinese Civil War. The People's Republic of China (PRC) conducted an amphibious assault on Hainan Island on 16 April, assisted by the Hainan communist movement which controlled much of the island's interior, while the Republic of China (ROC) controlled the coast; their forces were concentrated in the north near Haikou and were forced to retreat south after the landings. The communists secured Hainan's southern cities by the end of the month and declared victory on 1 May. [...] The civil war intensified after the end of the Second World War in 1945. On Hainan, the ROC left Hlai territory and reestablished themselves along the coast.[14] The Hainan communists used access to Hlai territory to grow within the ROC blockade.[6][15] Maintaining communications with the mainland CCP remained difficult. CCP orders to abandon the island in 1946 were rejected by the Hainan communists,[15] who spent the years following the Japanese withdrawal building popular support.[16]