204MedDen During the Korean War Analyses and Conclusions Shen Zhihua and Yafeng xia 205 From the above narration of the historical process.it is evident tha nither the thirteen-nation resolution nor the UN cease-fre Korean War,which were supported by the Soviet Union and North was initiated or instigated by the United States.The Truman admin. Korea.Had Mao agreed to cease-fire talks in January 1951.his view would have prevailed within the alliance.Although the United States istration had a hard time consenting to the UN resolution and wager was unwilling to accept armistice negotiations in January 1951.it had on China's rejection.At this point,it was the Chinese-North Korean to work with the UN and its allies,many of which favored cease-fire orces.not the US-UN forces,that were badly in need of abreah space. negotiations.It was unlikely that the United States would unilaterally have been to Chnsdnge had Being tear up an agreement and launch a new offensive afterward. te UNfirhn the Chinese-Norh Kor Mao's initial goals in entering the war were to drive the US-UN oreethehyparalleandocupe o forces south of the thirty-eighth parallel and compel the United States e te CPVvethe -Norofhethirty-ht to go to the negotiation table in order to end the war.These were re- llem for Chin'snn the alistic aims,and fit with his political objectives.The initial CPV mil- y Chna th Norh Korean remeand fufd itary success encouraged Moscow and Pyongyang.Underestimating the military strength of the enemy,however,Mao altered China's t thus greatly enhnced Chinsstion strategic goal to one of liberating all of Korea and driving the United heblo.Diplomatically Mao's decision othe States off the Korean peninsula.But this was a goal well beyond hUnied States without Soviet air cover satisfied Stalin's China's military and economic capabilities.Due to Mao's poor deci- nddfoundation for the Sino-Soviet alliance sion.China had to pay a much higher price over the next two and a Chnedtoarmistice negotiations at the time,it would have half years.This article thus concludes that there were moments to ained suppor of world public opinion and enhanced China'sn enter into armistice talks and reach a cease-fire much earlier,but the ioresie.Militarily,China would be the victor at the negotia Chinese,the Americans,and the Soviets all failed to seize the oppor- tion table while the US-UN forces would be the vanquished,satisfying tunity.The war was prolonged for more than two years. Mao's anti-mperialist revolutionary aspirations.The threat to China's nation security and sovereignty would greatly diminish with North Koreaasa buffer.This situation would also aid in the resolution of the Notes Taiwan issue and the PRC'sadmission to the UN.It was indeed an op- portune moment for China to start armistice negotiations. Shen Zhihua is professor of history and director in the Center for Cold War In- temational History Studies,East China Normal University.Shanghai.He has Could China have stuck to a position of starting armistice nego- written numerous books and articles,mostly in Chinese,on the Korean War and tiations,and was there a real chance for negotiations when the Soviet historical issues in Sino-Soviet relations.His recent English-language work has Union.North Korea,and the United States were very reluctant to en- appeared in the Journal of Cold War Studies,Journal of Contemporary China. gage in cease-fire talks?It was true that the alliance among China. and the Journal of Strategic Studies.From August 2009 to July 2011 he was a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Interational Center for Scholars.He can North Korea.and the Soviet Union to some extent restrained China's be reached at shenzhihual950@gmail.com.Yafeng Xia is associate professor of choice.This was evident in Mao's consent to Kim Il Sung's attack on history at Long Island University in Brooklyn.New York.A specialist in diplo- the South in June 1950 and China's entry into the war in October matic history,he has coauthored a number of articles on China's early foreign 1950.However.China'sentry into the war greatly enhanced its prestige policy with Shen Zhihua,including Negotiating with the Enemy:U.S.-China Talks During the Cold War.1949-1972 (2006).and he has written for joumals and right to speak.Mao played a leading role in accepting armistice such as the Cold War International History Project Bulletin and the Journal of negotiations in June 1951 and in many other key decisions during the Contemporary China.He can be reached at yafeng.xia@lu.edu. 1.JYMZW 1987,539-540.Because the Russian version of Mao's October 2 cable to Stalin showed that the Chinese leaders were not ready to send troops