Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s2.t2.3

v2.c14.s2.t2.3

Most of the Chinese soldiers who arrived in India initially were in a wretched condition on account of the privations they had suffered during the Burma campaign, and the arduous retreat that followed. However, the aim was not just to rehabilitate these soldiers in India, but also to retrain and re-equip them so as to turn them once again into an effective fighting force through the combined efforts of the Chinese, British and Americans. The Chinese military authorities on the spot took care of administration and maintaining discipline among the forces, the Government of India provided food and money to pay the soldiers, and the Americans took over the work of training and providing equipment. The ranks of the original 9,000 troops that arrived from Burma were increased by new batches of officers and men specially flown in from China. A total of 5,368 officers and 48,124 Chinese soldiers passed through the Ramgarh training camp, forming what eventually came to be known as the New Chinese 1ˢᵗ Army and the New Chinese 6ᵗʰ Army under the command of Generals Sun Li-jen and Liao Yao-hsiang, respectively.