With the Soviet Union on the forefront of conflict with the United States, a new player formally found its way into the Cold War arena in 1950. Solidified by the Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance, the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China had created a new accord, bonding two major Communist powerhouses. Despite the presence of a seemingly strong alliance between the two entities, the relationship would slowly unravel, presenting an opportunity for American diplomacy with China for the first time in over two decades of hostility and isolation. New, open relations with China would ultimately work to pivot the direction of the war in favor of the United States and help the Soviet Union and America in their quest to make forward progress.