China in the Korean War

The People's Republic of China played an important role in the Korean War. Prior to North Korea's invasion of South Korea in June 1950, China sent many Chinese ethnic Koreans who had served with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to serve in North Korea's Korean People's Army (KPA), with them making up 47% of the North's invasion force. China directly entered the conflict in October 1950, with the People's Volunteer Army (PVA) units crossing the Yalu River in secret, in support of North Korea. Subsequently, Chinese forces launched multiple major campaigns against United Nations Command and South Korean troops, playing a crucial role in prolonging and shaping the war's outcome. Throughout the conflict, the PVA engaged in extensive combat operations, logistics build-up, and defensive strategies, eventually deploying over one million personnel at the height of its involvement. The Chinese intervention influenced both battlefield dynamics and the broader geopolitical landscape, contributing to the eventual stalemate and the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement in 1953. The PVA's participation resulted in significant casualties and economic costs for China, and also solidified its status as a regional power in the early Cold War period.