Zhou Enlai advises Chinese REPRESENTATIVES AT THE UNITED Nations on how to explain and react to representatives of other countries about the Korean issue and the proposed ceasefire. In mid-December 1950, the United States discussed the terms of an agreement ending the Korean War. [9] The desired agreement would end the fighting, provide assurances against its resumption, and protect the future security of UNC forces. [10] The United States called for the creation of a joint military ceasefire commission that would oversee all agreements. [9] The two sides should agree to “halt the introduction into Korea of reinforced air, ground or naval units or personnel.” and to refrain from increasing the level of war equipment and war materiel present in Korea. [9] The United States wanted to create a demilitarized zone that would be about 20 miles (32 km) wide. [9] The proposed agreement would also address the issue of prisoners of war as the United States is assumed it should be traded one for one. [9] An important and problematic point of negotiation was repatriation as prisoners of war. [22] The Communists held 10,000 prisoners of war and the UNC 150,000 prisoners of war. [9] The VPA, VPA and UNC could not agree on a repatriation system, as many VPA and KPA soldiers refused to be repatriated to the North,[23] which was unacceptable to the Chinese and North Koreans. [24] In the Final Ceasefire Agreement signed on July 27, 1953, a return commission for neutral nations, chaired by Indian General K. S.
Thimayya, was established to deal with the issue. [25] The ceasefire also established rules for prisoners of war.