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.
For the Global Times, Dai Xu writes in part:
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 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.
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.
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.
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?
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