China involved itself in the Korean War primarily due to security concerns, the need to consolidate the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) regime, and ideological reasons. China feared the threat posed by a U.S. presence on the Korean Peninsula near its borders, which could limit China's future economic reconstruction and troop deployment. Additionally, the CCP leadership was worried that a U.S. victory in Korea would empower anti-Communist forces within China. Supporting North Korea was also seen as a way to strengthen the CCP's domestic standing and morale, as well as to demonstrate commitment to Communist internationalism and hostility towards the U.S. In more detail:
- China wanted to prevent U.S. forces from reaching the border regions, which was seen as vital for its territorial sovereignty and national security.
- Domestically, the CCP used the intervention to boost morale and suppress opposition by emphasizing revolutionary enthusiasm and patriotism.
- The ideological motivation stemmed from Marxism-Leninism, pushing China to support fellow Communist North Korea against what it perceived as U.S. imperialism.
- The intervention also aimed to gain international prestige and solidify China’s status as a regional power in the emerging Cold War context.
These factors collectively persuaded Chinese leaders, especially Mao Zedong, to send Chinese troops into Korea to fight alongside North Korean forces against the United Nations Command, led primarily by the United States.
