The first Chinese to go abroad in support of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK) did so well before China’s official entry into the war on October 19, 1950. The first to report were senior cadre (officers) of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who wore completely sanitized Korean People’s Army(KPA) officer’s uniforms. Likewise, junior personnel wore sanitized enlisted KPA uniforms, until the main thrust of the Chinese Northeast Frontier Defense Army crossed the Yalu kitted out with China’s newly standardized Type 50 family of uniforms. Chinese soldiers embedded directly within KPA units wore Korean uniforms for the duration of their assignment. After the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, the members of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) in Korea began to wear insignia on both uniforms.

After the armistice was signed, those Chinese personnel directly embedded within KPA units would begin wearing full insignia and accoutrements.