The Korean war: China’s reminder of strength against the US
- Conflict 70 years ago is perceived in China as a watershed moment, the end of a ‘century of humiliation’ and being victimised by foreign invaders
- Korean war memorial in Dandong has endured through dramatically shifting geopolitics and alliances between China, North Korea and the US
A national memorial dedicated to China’s first and only war against the United States 70 years ago reopened at the weekend amid fears that a new cold war between the two superpowers may actually turn hot.
The Memorial Hall of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in Dandong, a northeastern Chinese city on the border with North Korea, is open after an unusually long hiatus of six years.
It also underlines how China tries to seize the historical narrative through war remembrance, which has closely mirrored the ups and downs of Beijing’s love-hate relationship with Washington and its changing perception of the world.
East China Normal University history professor Shen Zhihua said that despite all the changes in the past decades, the Korean war was still relevant, especially given that it had yet again become the prime target of Washington’s dangerous brinkmanship.
“I don’t believe anyone wants a war, but in the face of the mounting pressure from the US it serves as a timely reminder that the Chinese are not afraid of armed conflicts with a much stronger enemy, despite great disparity in strength,” he said.