Sixty years ago, commanders from China, North Korea and the US signed a truce to end the Korean War. Since then, although the peninsula has gone through the Cold War and hostilities, it has remained peaceful in general.

In recent years, some theories have surfaced. One of them asks what might have happened if China had not entered the war, and states that Taiwan and the mainland could have been reunited, China and the US could have been friendlier with each other, and that China's reform and opening-up could have happened 20 years earlier.

These hypotheses sound like they make some sense, but they disrespect the millions of Chinese soldiers who sacrificed their blood and lives on the Korean Peninsula.

Reviewing history, we find many decisions had flaws. But we cannot pick holes in the past based on the current international situation. History is often composed of a series of accidents. Even if the outbreak of the Korean War was an accident, China's decision to help North Korea defend itself was the obvious choice at that time.

The war restructured the strategic power structure of East Asia. The six decades of peace was not just the result of the truce, it is because of the painful memories of the war which made all sides become more careful.

The Chinese army impressed the US and the world during the Korean War. With scant supplies of food and clothing and largely outgunned by the world's best-equipped army, Chinese soldiers proved their prowess by forcing the US army back to the negotiation table.

This part of history has largely enhanced China's confidence, especially after the nation was repeatedly trampled upon by foreign forces during the previous century.

The Korean War and the current situation on the peninsula have been inherited from history and have been integrated into China's development. It is useless to second-guess what could have happened if China had not joined the war.

For China, that war has faded away. For the North Koreans however, it rages on.

Compared with 60 years ago, the international situation confronting Pyongyang and people's lives have not improved, and have in some ways gotten worse. North Korea has to take some responsibility, but not all of it - a vulnerable country like this cannot even grasp its own destiny, let alone the international situation.

In China, some say the country should give up on North Korea, others insist on standing with this neighbor unconditionally. It is better for China to strike a balance between the two.

The Korean Peninsula is a living fossil. We are obliged to endeavor to make the Cold War history instead of present reality.