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So what about Russia and Vietnam?
Updated: 2003-12-15 07:18 The Sino-Vietnam War was in 1979.
Deng Xiaoping had to take punitive steps, as many Vietnamese boat people were
ethnic Chinese persecuted by the triumphant Vietminh. Besides, Vietnam formed a
bloc with the USSR to encircle China and allow the Russians to be stationed
inside to threaten China.
Clearly, Vietnam was what Deng described - a Cuba of the East.
You have selectively mentioned and estimated 20,000 casualties on the Chinese
side. Would you care to elaborate why you failed to mention the other estimated
20,000 on the Vietnamese side?
China was not repulsed in the Sino-Vietnam War. It stated from the outset the
punitive action was for short period. I believe three border provinces of
Vietnam were captured, after which the Chinese announced they were unilaterally
withdrawing, consistent with their stated initial intention.
The exercise of this punitive action was to make a point that Vietnam stop
pushing further into Southeast Asia and a warning not to persecute the ethnic
Chinese in Vietnam.
Most importantly, the Sino-Vietnam War exposed the bluff of Soviet Russia
when it did not come to aid Vietnam as demanded by a mutual defence treaty. That
starkly exposed the weakness of USSR to the rest of the world and to the US.
It was the singular event of the Sino-Vietnam War that caused the fall of the
Soviet Empire in 1989 with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.
As to your question about Outer Mongolia, I can only say this is the standard
provocation of Taidu (Taiwan separatists) to incite a Sino-Russia War. It is a
taunt of Taiwanese or pro-Taiwan like you.
I need go no further....
(Lau Guan Kim)
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