CHEN JIAN: For Mao, intervention in Korea was not just for the purpose
of supporting a friendly regime, it was also a decisive step taken to spread
the influence of the Chinese revolution. So, unless the Chinese could morally
justify the decision to intervene, the Chinese would not send troops to Korea
and in this regard the cooperation and the willing invitation from Kim Il-sung
became very important and then no American analysis had ever mentioned
this.
And in terms of MacArthur -- obviously as a military commander he knew
many small details of Chinese ways of fighting war. But on the most important
point he ignored the Chinese willingness to make a strategic decision to
intervene in Korea and that is the Chinese resistance to the so-called American
arrogance [of] which MacArthur was the typical representative. Or in other
words the Chinese had to fight in Korea not just because they are concerned
about the security of Chinese border area, not just because they are concerned
about the safety of a friendly regime, Kim Il-sung's regime, but because they
are concerned about establishing a new image of new China. China now had to
emerge as a central actor in the world revolution and this was something that
MacArthur did not take into full consideration.
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