Contiguous to three stronger neighbors – China, the Soviet Union, and Japan – Korea suffered frequently from its geopolitical location. Historically, its neighbors just could not leave Korea alone and alternately used the peninsular country as a buffer state, a defensive barrier, or a stepping stone against one another. World War II became another historic juncture for Korea. Although the Korean people had always wanted to be masters of their own fate, their country again became a target of the intrigues among the big powers. Japan's doomed military future in the Pacific war would disqualify it from participation in the new round of international contests over Korea. For the better part of the war, the Soviet Union's nonbelligerent status in the Asian conflict tended to obscure its intentions toward Korea. Meanwhile, in China, the KMT government maintained intense interest in postwar settlement in the country, and in the United States, policymakers were awakening to the importance of the Korea question. Inevitably, Korea became an important item in the two allies' postwar planning and in their wartime diplomacy.

Chongqing's intentions

Korea occupied a unique position in the wartime foreign policy of the Chinese government. In a sense, the Chinese support of Korean independence was a trademark of wartime Chinese nationalism.