AFP
HANOI: On February 17, 1979, after months of verbal and armed clashes, China launched a massive offensive against Vietnam to teach its communist ally “a lesson” for becoming too independent for Beijing’s liking.
Known as the Third Indochina War, the roots of the brief but bloody conflict lay in the ideological rivalries between China and the Soviet Union.
During the war against the United States, Moscow supplied Vietnam with vital military aid. After the end of that conflict, Sino-Vietnamese relations were further strengthened when Hanoi rejoined the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon), created by Moscow in 1949.
Conversely, relations with China, which was establishing contacts with the United States, deteriorated further. Initially, the Chinese said their offensive was “limited” and not a claim on Vietnamese territory.
Beijing’s declared objective was to punish Vietnam, whose troops had six weeks earlier invaded Cambodia to topple the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot, who was supported by China.
The invasion of Cambodia was the final straw for Beijing, which decided it was time to put back in its place a Vietnam which was increasingly defying China’s authority in the region and had repressed its ethnic Chinese Hoa community, analysts said. Beijing also believed Vietnam had shown a lack of gratitude for valuable Chinese support during the war against the French and at the start of the conflict with the Americans.
Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping launched the Vietnam offensive “to teach them a ‘lesson’,” recalled Jean-Claude Pomonti, long-time regional correspondent for the French newspaper Le Monde.
For China it was “a semi-success or semi-failure—the Vietnamese resisted well,” he said, but “it was no disgrace: Deng, who detested the Vietnamese, (meant to) put them on the right path.” “China wanted to attack us to force us to withdraw our troops from Cambodia,” said retired Vietnamese Lieutenant-General Vu Xuan Vinh. “But we were able to use many local forces. We did not fall into the trap.”
The Chinese operation was preceded by an intense artillery bombardment against several locations along the 1,400km frontier between the two countries.
Chinese troops then penetrated dozens of kilometres into northern Vietnam to take control of several towns, notably Lang Son, Cao Bang and Lao Cai, before withdrawing a month later on March 16. There is no reliable figure for the number of casualties, which varies according to source and country, but the war did claim tens of thousands of lives.
Both sides said they had won, but the Chinese People’s Liberation Army failed to deal a decisive blow in its attack against a much smaller adversary.
Known as the Third Indochina War, the roots of the brief but bloody conflict lay in the ideological rivalries between China and the Soviet Union.
During the war against the United States, Moscow supplied Vietnam with vital military aid. After the end of that conflict, Sino-Vietnamese relations were further strengthened when Hanoi rejoined the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon), created by Moscow in 1949.
Conversely, relations with China, which was establishing contacts with the United States, deteriorated further. Initially, the Chinese said their offensive was “limited” and not a claim on Vietnamese territory.
Beijing’s declared objective was to punish Vietnam, whose troops had six weeks earlier invaded Cambodia to topple the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot, who was supported by China.
The invasion of Cambodia was the final straw for Beijing, which decided it was time to put back in its place a Vietnam which was increasingly defying China’s authority in the region and had repressed its ethnic Chinese Hoa community, analysts said. Beijing also believed Vietnam had shown a lack of gratitude for valuable Chinese support during the war against the French and at the start of the conflict with the Americans.
Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping launched the Vietnam offensive “to teach them a ‘lesson’,” recalled Jean-Claude Pomonti, long-time regional correspondent for the French newspaper Le Monde.
For China it was “a semi-success or semi-failure—the Vietnamese resisted well,” he said, but “it was no disgrace: Deng, who detested the Vietnamese, (meant to) put them on the right path.” “China wanted to attack us to force us to withdraw our troops from Cambodia,” said retired Vietnamese Lieutenant-General Vu Xuan Vinh. “But we were able to use many local forces. We did not fall into the trap.”
The Chinese operation was preceded by an intense artillery bombardment against several locations along the 1,400km frontier between the two countries.
Chinese troops then penetrated dozens of kilometres into northern Vietnam to take control of several towns, notably Lang Son, Cao Bang and Lao Cai, before withdrawing a month later on March 16. There is no reliable figure for the number of casualties, which varies according to source and country, but the war did claim tens of thousands of lives.
Both sides said they had won, but the Chinese People’s Liberation Army failed to deal a decisive blow in its attack against a much smaller adversary.
9 comments:
Vietnam and Cambodia were the same in 1975 after toppling their old government. In Cambodia, Pol Pot has got power and has purged those who have closed relationship with URSS. Vietnam was the same. After gaining war over South Vietnamese Government, Hanoi has purged all of those who have connection with China. But Vietnam didn't committed masses murders like Cambodia by masses killings and masses starvation. Vietnam has only jailed all of those have connection with China.
In 1979, China has also changed New Leader Deng Xiao Ping from gang of four. Before Deng Xiao Ping giving lesson to Vietnam for invading Cambodia, China Deng Xiao Ping has consulted with USA for a green light. During the war, China found that Vietnam has secret agenda to bring down China. During the war with South Vietnam, Vietnam has insisted to China to supply to them foods and weaponary. But Vietnam has never used China foods and weaponary at all. They used excuse for china to support to them so that they can weaken China economy. During the war with Vietnam in 1979, China found that all their foods and their weaponary supplied to vietnam were all storing to rot and to waste. It was a warfare strategy of Vietnam whose didn't trust to China. Areak Prey
The Chinese MUST teach the Vietnamese NEW lesson.
Biggest Forces Like China are useless, weakess, small Vietnam can kick china's arse like 1979 again. Chinese try to teach vietnamese, but chinese end up tauch by vietnamese.
China was being soft on them viets at the time. If China wanted to, then the entire North Vietnam would be reclaimed as simply Annam once again as a Chinese province. If China controlled it for over a thousand years long, then it is easily planned to recapture it back again. The viets can plan to resist all they want, but China can always walk into their country just like that. That is right, just like that.
I do not believe the WAR is the answer,But must be away to solve this kind major problem and Remember China part of Vietnam is belong to the Kingdom Of Cambodia.
Thank you!!
China should know what it means when the Khmer Rouge's Trail begins and who supports it.
She may be good to Cambodia all and all, but please remmeber that when Cambodia was under the control of Khmer Rouge, she did nothing, but stood there and watch. Maoist regime is a blood bath that bathing Cambodia during 1975- 1979. China must take full responsible along the side of Duch and other the killers.
Yes China, please apologize and pay Cambodia for whatever she may need for the next 2 centuries to restore her country to the fullest. The amount of time and money equivalent to the number of the many death people of Cambodia and all the destruction producing by your very famous regime during those years.
Cambodia will never settle until China is fully paid.
As you all known the world was Young,But now the people in the world gain more knowledge to believe what's wrong and what's right.Now it's time to do the right thing,To restore PEACE and to created more food for all mankind to eat and also to protect our planet.I do not believe the WAR is the answer,That my Point Of View and I love my people and the Kingdom Of Cambodia.
common, let's be fair, not to sound like i try to defend china or something. but isn't it like the USA is teaching iraq (or saddam huissan) a lesson when iraq invaded kuwait? same concept here? man, we all can be too egotistical sometimes!
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