The War to Resist America’: How China Remembers the Korean War

It may be “the forgotten war” in the U.S., but the Korean War is far from forgotten in China.

Few would deny that U.S.-China relations are the worst they have been in years. A relationship that was already in trouble has foundered on the shoals of the trade war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and talk of decoupling.
This is not the first time that the pendulum has swung toward confrontation after an era of relatively congenial relations. Periods of hostility also followed the Sino-U.S. alliance of the 1940s and the rapprochement euphoria of the 1970s and ‘80s.
The Korean War , which began 70 years ago today, sealed that first Washington-Beijing split and ushered in two decades of estrangement. Considering how tragic that war was – and the extent to which its legacies still haunt Northeast Asia – it is worth reflecting on how collective memory of it shapes perspectives on the present and the future.

Why It Matters: National Unity Against a Common Enemy

In China today, the Korean War stands as a universally understood symbol of national unity against American belligerence. A typical Chinese elementary school exam calls the Korean struggle «a just war against aggression» and blames «American imperialism» for «bringing the fire of war to the border of China.» A history textbook explains that «the invasion of the United States gravely threatened the security of China».

This article was written by Joe Renouard and Woyu Liu

To read the full article, please click on the following link: https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/the-war-to-resist-america-how-china-remembers-the-korean-war/