Chinese Expeditionary Force

Chinese Expeditionary Force
Reunion of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the Chinese Army in India (X Force and Y Force).
Active	1942–1945
Country	Republic of China
Branch	Republic of China Army
Type	Expeditionary Force
Role	Field operations in Burma and India
Disbanded	1945
Commanders
Notable commanders	Sun Li-jen Du Yuming Joseph Stilwell Wei Lihuang

Chinese Expeditionary Force was the name of Chinese Army dispatched to Burma and India to support the Allied efforts against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Japanese invasion and occupation of Burma in the South-East Asian theatre of Second World War.

In July 1937, the Empire of Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China, and soon isolated the country from the rest of the world through conquest. Chinese resistance led by the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek in Chongqing were heavily dependent on the supply line through Burma Road, which reopened in October 1940. The United States were shipping materials to support Chinese resistance by late 1941 as part of the Lend-Lease policy. To cut off the Chinese supply line, the Imperial Japanese Army began to plan the invasion of Burma.

In December 1941, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan was immediately followed by the invasion of British colonies of Malaya and Burma. The Second Sino-Japanese War consequently merges with the Second World War, and the China-Burma-India theatre was established with increasing American support. The British Empire however was preoccupied with the war in European theatre, and was unable to divert any resources to protect their colonial interests, particular over British India. To secure Chinese participation in Burma against the Japanese, Britain and China signed a joint agreement in December 1941 on mutual defense of Burma Road. This agreement led to the creation of Sino-British alliance and the Chinese Expeditionary Force.