China's+Role+in+War-1

Kevin The People's Republic of China, fearful of a capitalist Korean state and American military on its border, warned American leaders through neutral diplomats that it would intervene to protect its national security. Truman, once again viewing world events through the lens of the Cold War regarded the warnings as an attempt to blackmail the UN.
 * __Chinas role in the Cold War__**

On October 15, 1950, Truman went to wake islands for a short, highly publicized meeting with MacArthur. The CIA had previously told Truman that Chinese involvement was unlikely. MacArthur, saying he was speculating, saw little risk. The general explained that the Chinese had lost their window of opportunity to help North Korea's invasion. He estimated the Chinese had 300,000 soldiers in Manchuria, with between 100,000-125,000 men along the Yalu; half could be brought across the Yalu. But the Chinese had no air force, which would make it difficult to get there. MacArthur thus assumed that the Chinese were motivated to help North Korea, and wished to avoid heavy casualties. On October 8, 1950, the day after American troops crossed the 38th, Chairman Mao Zedong issued the order to assemble the Chinese People's Volunteer Army or the CPA.

The members of the PVA were actually Chinese regulars from the Chinese People's Liberation Army, called volunteers so that their entry into the war would not seem to indicate a state-to-state war between the US and China. Mao ordered the army to move to the Yalu River, ready to cross.Mao sought Soviet aid and saw intervention as essentially defensive: "If we allow the U.S. to occupy all of Korea, we must be prepared for the US to declare war with China", he told Stalin. Premier Zhou Enlai was sent to Moscow to add force to Mao's cabled arguments. Mao delayed his forces while waiting for Russian help, and the planned attack was thus postponed from October 13th to October 19th. Soviet assistance was limited to providing air support no nearer than sixty miles (96 km) from the battlefront. The Russian MIG 15s in PRC colors became a serious challenge to the UN pilots. In one area called ("Mig Alley") by UN forces, they held local air superiority against the American made F-80 shooting stars until newer F-86 sabres were deployed. The Chinese were angry at the limited support, having assumed that the Soviets had promised to provide full scale air support. The Soviet role was known to the U.S. but they kept quiet so as to avoid widening the conflict and potential nuclear warfare.

"korean war." __http://www.easybib.com/MyBib/step2.php__. 14 Feb. 2007. 14 Feb. 2007 <[|http://www.easybib.com/MyBib/step2.php>.]