Why did China get involved in the Korean War?

Answer 1

Viewpoint 1: Self-defence of ChineseThey wanted to keep a 'safe zone' so that no countries would interrupt its internal reconstruction to a communist country. Countries might use this as a chance to overthrow the CCP and change China into a democratic state. It did not want to get into the war in the future at its own economical expense and development. It did not want the hydroelectric damps in South Manchurian to be exploited by other countries at China's expense. Viewpoint 2: MacArthur's Wrong DecisionThe United Nations Forces under the command of American General Douglas MacArthur were pushing the invading North Korean Forces back into North Korea.

The Government of China warned him not to come closer than 20 miles away from the Yalu river, the border between China and North Korea, or they would consider it to be an act of war and would enter the war on the side of North Korea.

MacArthur, an arrogant man who wished to provoke China continued past the 20 miles mark, even though told not to by the US. President Harry S. Truman. Chinese troops swarmed across the border driving the Americans back in disarray all the way back to the original border between north and south with great loss of life to the Americans, President Truman fired MacArthur and ordered him back to the US. where he retired.

MacArthur was a warmongering person who insisted on attacking China previously but was told no by the Truman administration. Strategically, he was a good general but, all in all, he was foolish. He ignored the Chinese warning and lined troops right along the Yalu river. He provoked China as a sibling does to there older brother or sister. China then sent approximately 300,000 men against the US (having support from USSR) and pushed the US back past the 38th parallel.

Counterview: Chance to Prove the Military StrengthI think MacArthur was a bit crazy towards the end of his command but he had been a great general as his record in World War 2 and most of the Korean War proves.

China had only been taken by the communists in 1949 after a long civil war in which the Americans backed the losers, the Nationalist KMT, who then fled to Taiwan. The Nationalists had been given millions of US dollars and lots of military equipment, but they still lost.

Mao and the Red Chinese hated America and were looking for a chance to fight them. Mao also wanted to prove that Red China was a real force in world communism, he felt that the Russians looked down on the Chinese.

So China was looking for a fight, and they had been giving lots of aid to the North Koreans, as had the Soviets.

MacArthur did want to occupy Korea, but he had to obey the orders of his president and to a lesser extent the word of the UN. When he said he wanted to use the atom bomb in Korea Truman sacked him (which was quite appropriate; politicians make policy and generals carry it out).

Viewpoint 3: Threat of US AnticommunismKorea had been a Japanese colony. When Japan lost World War II, the Allies divided up Korea- North Korea to the Russians, South Korea to the US. The Russians set up a communist government, the US, a semidemocratic one.

When North Korea invaded South, the US got involved in the war so as to keep South Korea from falling to communism.

Also, at that time, there were two part of Korean governments grown in China, one was in Shenyang (Northern China) who was the chairman Kim Il Jung, and the other was in Shanghai.

Both of them held different parts of Korea and had different policy, the PRC government helped North, and ROC helped South, and after 1950, Kim Il Jung tried to unify two parts of Korea into one, and the US supported democracy, so they helped the South, and China, Russia supported communist, so they helped North. Also, China worried about US would break into China if the US and South Korea were allowed to win the war.

Answer 2

This was because the North Korean forces were pushed back further North and the Chinese thought that their border and that their country was vulnerable and so they sent troops to help push the Allies and the other nations back over the 38th parallel.

Answer 3

China entered the Korean conflict at the behest of the Soviet Union. They owed the Soviets a large sum of money. It was against their national interest to enter the conflict. They were have enormous internal conflict at the time. That is probably why they do not have very good relations with Russia, now.

Answer 4

the Korean War wasn't actually a war it was a conflict :-) people make that mistake all the time. . .

The Chinese intervened after Republic of Korea and US forces entered into Chinese territory by crossing the 38th Parallel .

Answer 5

China WAS involved in the Korean war. They provided North Korea with supplies and in the later part of 1950 sent thousands of Chinese troops into North Korea, attacking US forces, causing a retreat by US forces.

Answer 6

China declared if U.S. Troops reached the China border (Yalu River) the Chinese would enter the war.

Answer 7

October 19, 1950. ~ JWJ 7th grader