U.S.-BRITISH RELATIONS IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE KOREAN WAR Zhao Xuegong () The United Kingdon was one of the major countries engaged in the Korean War as well as the most important military ally of the United States. In the early days of the war its divergences with the United States on such issues as the Taiwan policy, the petroleum embargo on China and the ultimate goal of the war and so on, and British efforts all had impacts on U.S. policy toward Korea. Thus any development of the British-U.S. relationship would doubtlessly play a decisive role in the course of war.