China's Military Intervention in Korea:: Its Origins and Objectives

This study examines how and why China’s military intervention in the Korean War came into existence within the time span from May 1949 to July 1951. China was involved in the war preparations much earlier and deeper than was previously known. Beijing’s preconditions to enter the war boiled down to three: (1) its full control of China; (2) foreign enemy forces’ invasion of North Korea; and (3) Moscow’s logistic and air support. Beijing had incorrectly calculated that Washington would dispatc...