China Marines

China Marines
North China Marines
A detachment of U.S. China Marines, in a relief party, in Peiping, China, during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.
Active	1844-1941, 1900, 1925, 1927-1941
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Marine Embassy Guard in Peking, China (1844-1941), 4th Marine Regiment in Shanghai, China (1927-1941)
Role	Protect American interests and U.S. citizens in China
Garrison/HQ	Shanghai, China, Peking, China, Tientsin, China
Motto(s)	Semper Fidelis, Gung-ho, (Marine Embassy Guards - In Every Clime and Place), (4th Marine Regiment - Hold High the Torch)
Mascot(s)	American Bulldog
Engagements	Boxer Rebellion, Chinese Northern Expedition, Chinese Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II
Disbanded	1941

The term China Marines also, known as "North China Marines" originally referred to the United States Marines, of the 4th Marine Regiment, who were stationed in Shanghai, China from 1927 to 1941 to protect American citizens and property in the Shanghai International Settlement, during the Chinese Revolution and the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Due to the cheap labor available, China Marines lived a relatively comfortable lifestyle, with each squad able to hire Chinese men to do its cleaning and run its errands. This, plus the inexpensive goods available on the local market, made assignment to the China Marines highly coveted.

Most of the China Marines were withdrawn in November 1941, but those at the embassy were scheduled to be withdrawn on December 10. However, Imperial Japan attacked the United States on December 7, and the Marine Embassy guards, plus some US Navy support personnel, a total of 204 men, were captured and held as slave labor until the war's end in August 1945. The last commander of the China Marines was Colonel William W. Ashurst.

With the rapid expansion of the Marine Corps during World War II and the capture of the rest of the 4th Marine Regiment at Corregidor, the surviving China Marines were few in number and highly regarded.

After Japan's surrender, the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions, also known as China Marines, were sent to occupy northern China from 1945 to 1948.

On January 31, 1996, Marines from the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), Special Operations Capable (SOC), made their first visit to Shanghai, China, since World War II. The 31st MEU-SOC visited China again on November 22, 2006, during a port visit to Zhanjiang.