Why raise a white flag instead of a black flag in surrender?

People usually regard the white flag as a sign of surrender. In fact, in the strict sense of the law of war, the white flag is a sign of a temporary truce.

As early as ancient times, the warring parties often used white as a symbol to express their sincerity in negotiating with each other. So gradually formed a convention: using a white flag to express the request for armistice negotiations. This practice has been going on for thousands of years and has not changed so far.

According to the laws of war, soldiers holding white flags enjoy inviolable rights. However, they must have relevant documents to prove that they are indeed ordered to negotiate. Otherwise, they may be detained as prisoners. Because the basis of protecting the military envoy is not his white flag, but his mission. If the military envoy takes the opportunity to spy on the military situation during the negotiations, he will lose the protection of the laws of war and will be detained until he is handed over to a military court for trial.

It is a bad act to abuse the white flag of truce on the battlefield and deceive the other side with a fake truce. According to the law of war, it is a serious act of treachery to abuse the white flag of truce to cover up the read military action, which can be punished by retaliation. Commanders who commit such crimes will be severely punished once they fall into the hands of the other side.