THE ASHGATE RESEARCH COMPANION TO THE KOREAN WAR to end the war and thus were interested in a quick settlement.Beijing wanted to reach a truce later development.In ad agreement so that both sides could focus their efforts on addressing more difficult political assessment.According t questions.Chen Jian claims that the PRC's strategy for "ending the war was determined allies did not intend to by the rationale behind the transformation of China's state and society and the promotion war was not imminent, of its international prestige and influence"(Chen 2001:116-17).By contrast,Shen Zhihua implies that China's dec (2001)argues that new Soviet leaders after Stalin died in March 1953 were interested in consequences for the C improving relations with the West and eager to bring the conflict to an end.Mao respected Chinese scholars,vetera Moscow's decision and took the initiative to make concessions over the prisoner of war Dexue(2000),a noted P (POW)repatriation issue.But Beijing continued to follow the tactic of negotiating while Korean War's impact or fighting to secure the best deal possible.Yafeng Xia(2006)shows how both China and the national humiliation and United States learned much about themselves and each other during the negotiations,and consolidated the new Co began to adjust their attitude and expectations.After serious bargaining,both sides had assisted the Korean peo altered their positions and made concessions to achieve an armistice. world status.It preser A consensus exists among scholars that the Korean War was a watershed event in Sino- reinforced national defer American relations.Before the outbreak of the war,there existed flexibility for the Truman Shen Zhihua (2000), administration to improve relations with Communist China(Cohen 1997,Xia 2006).But one hand,he explains, after the war started in Korea,the United States became fearful of and hostile toward China. status.China soon playe After the PRC entered the war,Washington regarded Beijing as its main enemy in East and 1955 respectively.I Asia and implemented a full-scale containment policy against it(Tsou 1963,Barnett 1977, endured since the First Blum 1982,Li 2000).Several Chinese scholars argue that there existed no chance for the politically at home.But United States to reconcile with Communist China.From 1949 to June 1950,the Truman rejection of the UN cea: administration followed an almost entirely hostile policy toward China.The outbreak of the China's Asian neighbor Korean War only accelerated and strengthened U.S.determination to confront and contain Soviet-American quarr the PRC(Shi 1995,Wang 2005). impulse,pushing China Scholars generally agree that the Korean War strengthened the Sino-Soviet alliance. According to Shen,all o The fighting of the CPVF elevated China's position in Stalin's mind and deepened Soviet Several less studied reliance on the PRC in East Asia.China's leaders gained a new sense of equality with their Shen Zhihua (2003/2004 Soviet comrades.Stalin now consulted with the Chinese leaders on major policy issues and and the DPRK early in supported Beijing's decisions throughout the war.The Soviet Union provided all economic conflict.David Cheng Cl and military aid to China,which consolidated both the political and economic foundation of to answer the question c the alliance(Shen 2007,Yang and Chen 2002).Scholars also have noted the negative impact than returning to mair of the war on the Sino-Soviet alliance.Moscow and Beijing had divergent war objectives, Chinese charge of Ame and the egotistical acts of the Soviets during the Korean conflict were a hidden peril that Leitenberg 2000),Chine contributed to the Sino-Soviet split 10 years later(Shen 1996b,Zhang 1998). the United States emple The Chinese Communist government has promoted a very favorable assessment of during the Korean War. the CPVE's performance in the conflict.According to its interpretation,China had forced Release of new pri the strongest nation on earth to compromise in Korea and to accept the representatives of the study of China's ro the PRC as equals at the bargaining table."The time has gone forever,"CPVF commander several key documents Peng Dehuai declared in a speech on September 12,1953,"when the Western powers Kim Il Sung in Moscov were able to conquer a country in the East merely by mounting several cannons along the the Black Sea on Octob coast"(PDZB 1998:445).Although the United States did not recognize the PRC officially month.It is possible th and U.S.representatives had acted on behalf of the United Nations when they negotiated personally controlled h and signed the armistice,it was difficult to dismiss the reality that the United States had system was not fully in given Communist China de facto recognition.Although Washington successfully avoided to maintain secrecy,the any formal actions that might have legitimized the PRC government,including admission Likewise,Stalin,in his to the United Nations,it was clear to the United States and all Asian countries that China with foreign leaders. inevitably would play the role of great power regionally and globally in the future. key questions therefor In the last two decades,scholars also have debated the gains and losses of China's U.S.signals regarding intervention in the Korean War.Although its participation consolidated the new regime,all President Dwight D.E non-Chinese historians have judged the war as having a very negative impact on China's 66