Nationalist China played a major role in the Second World War by engaging the main body of the Japanese Army. This prevented the Japanese Army either attacking the Soviet Union in the rear or reinforcing its defensive island chain in the Pacific and so causing America heavy casualties. In terms of suffering and destruction, China endured 20 million dead, 45 million refugees. Yet the Soviet Union was counted as one of the ‘Big Three’ great powers, while China was not, even though she was the fourth signatory on the Charter of the United Nations.