In this
sober expression of national power from the state-run Global Times,
author Dai Xu defends China's role in opposing the United States and its allies
in the Korean War, and castigates the 'selfish' who fail to 'account for the
interests of all parties.' He writes that the Korean War was a great victory over America, the humiliations and hardships
of China's modern history, and a lesson about the idiocy of war that all nations must heed today.
The Korean War was a costly
"zero." In the contemporary history of warfare, that war was fought
for over three years and on scale that nearly matched the two world wars. It
began as a conventional two-sided civil war but drew in many outside parties who
eventually coalesced into two huge camps, East against West, and resulted in
millions of casualties. Geopolitically, the war was pointless: the two sides
both began and ended at the 38th parallel. With great clarity, therefore, the
war brings home to the world's politicians a simple truth of great value to
future generations: war is not the best choice for resolving political
problems.
The Korean Peninsula is a
place where Chinese, American, Russian and Japanese interests intersect.
Geography determined that these nations would be intertwined - and none of them
can arbitrarily disregard the security of nearby countries and other powers by triggering
a war. The rushed U.S. intervention in Korea led to its surprise encounter with
the "wrong opponent [China]," bringing the world to the precipice of
a nightmarish U.S.-Soviet nuclear war. Today, the U.S. military’s difficulties
in Iraq and Afghanistan have once again have proven that "war is not the best
choice for resolving political problems." This is a truth with great
practical significance.
China will never allow anyone to play with fire on its
doorstep.
The unexpected calamity of
the Korean War demanded huge sacrifices from the Chinese people. More than any
other country, China was and remains concerned about the security of the Korean
Peninsula. On the other hand, whenever tensions in Northeast Asia have risen to
the point of war, as is the case with six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear
crisis, China's attitude has always been to pay attention to all sides. This was
as clear 60 years ago as it is today.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
The Korean War radically
changed the world's perception of China. In past wars, other powers had invaded
China - but this time, the New Chinese army had the courage and capacity to resist
and mount a counterattack at its doorstep. The thinking at the time,
exemplified by America's Far East giant MacArthur, was that New China was weak
as a country and would not send troops. But China not only dared to defend its
homeland by sending troops to the Korean War, it sent the world’s leading
military power crashing to earth. This war marked the first chance for the New
Chinese army to show its true colors, winning for China the full respect of the
world. The conflict not only put a complete end to the humiliation of modern
Chinese history, but made New China a standard-bearer for other Third World
nations fighting for national liberation. From the point of view of military
history, the Korean War ended in a tie - but from the Chinese point of view,
the war was a great victory over the past.
The Korean War's revelation
to China was: if national security is threatened, and if unwanted war is thrust
upon you from outside, one must fight for victory to the bitter end. Engaging
in a reasonable and lawful war and upholding justice not only doesn’t isolate a
country, it wins respect and gains friends. It is this heroic spirit of the New
China that won it friends in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and with their
support, China won back its seat at the United Nations. Reasonable and legitimate
war will have the support of the people. And not only didn't it deter economic
development, it led to comprehensive national growth. During the Korean
War, New China experienced the fastest industrial and agricultural growth in
its history.
The necessary use of force was
also the most effective means of improving the security environment. And after over
half a century of failure, from the Korean War to the Vietnam War, the United
States no longer sets fires around China’s borders. The determination to fight is
now balanced against the ability of nearby countries to retaliate. As it
emerged from this precarious environment, New China ushered in the era of
“reform and opening up.”
Times have changed. Today's
China has economic development at its core, pursues a peaceful foreign policy
and doesn't seek political or military confrontations with other nations. But
that doesn't mean China will make endless concessions on its territory,
territorial waters, and other areas of national security just for the sake of compromise.
A mechanism for regional cooperation is the road to
peace.
If 60 years ago, war was
unable to resolve the problem, then why would a new conflict serve to provide a
solution? With the U.S. exhausting itself running around the deserts and wastes
of Iraq and Afghanistan, why would anyone believe its aircraft carrier groups and
F-22 fighters will quiet things down in Northeast Asia, where millions of
troops are preparing for war?
Since war is a lose-lose
situation, reconciliation is the only correct choice. In my opinion, if we want
to break the deadlock on the Korean Peninsula, all parties concerned must first
of all act in good faith. This good faith must take account of the interests of
all parties. The Korean War broke out 60 years ago because of selfishness and the
following of one’s own way, resulting in tragedy; in today’s six-party talks,
there are also aspects of this selfish tendency to set aside the needs other
parties to achieve individual end. This is political naiveté and reflects a
misunderstanding of the special political characteristics on the Korean
Peninsula. It also reflects a failure to draw the important lessons from the
war. Just as the Korean Armistice was the result of multi-party military and
political brinksmanship, so in the future, peace on the Korean Peninsula will
certainly be determined by a balance of interests of the major parties involved.
The situation in the Taiwan Strait could also benefit from this kind of
thinking. Starting from economic and cultural cooperation, the level of
militarism on both sides can be gradually reduced.
In addition to the sincerity
and wisdom of the parties, another important consideration is the need to push
harder for peace throughout the world. The situation on the Korean Peninsula is
volatile because of the tendency toward nuclear confrontation. This should be
condemned, but the world’s peace-loving people must also try to halt the trend.
I believe that the situation on the Korean Peninsula, although not optimistic,
will nevertheless thaw under with a multi-party push toward peace. Future
generations are watching, as are the souls of those who fought and died on the
battlefield 60 years ago.
