Ch. 1 · The Sino-Vietnamese War

Sino-Vietnamese War.

~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 7

On the 17th of February 1979, a People's Liberation Army force of about 200,000 troops entered northern Vietnam. This marked the PLA's first major combat operation since the end of the Korean War in 1953. The invasion was conducted in two directions: an eastern direction commanded by Xu Shiyou and a western direction led by Yang Dezhi. Chinese forces quickly advanced about 15 to 20 kilometers into Vietnamese territory. Fighting occurred mainly in the provinces of Cao Bằng, Lào Cai, and Lạng Sơn. The conflict lasted for approximately one month before China withdrew its troops on the 16th of March 1979.

Sino-Soviet Split And Regional Tensions

Relations between the Soviet Union and China began deteriorating after Joseph Stalin died in March 1953. Mao Zedong criticized Khrushchev's Secret Speech denouncing Stalin in February 1956. By 1978, as many as 1.5 million Chinese troops were stationed along the Sino-Soviet border. Vietnam joined the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance on the 28th of June 1978. On the 3rd of November 1978, Vietnam and the Soviet Union signed a formal military alliance. This made Vietnam the linchpin in the Soviet Union's drive to contain China. Deng Xiaoping viewed this development as threatening China's southern border security.

Ethnic Minorities And Border Disputes

In February 1976, Vietnam implemented registration programs requiring ethnic Chinese to adopt Vietnamese citizenship or leave the country. During early 1977, Vietnam enacted what it described as a purification policy in border areas. Following another discriminatory policy introduced in March 1978, a large number of Chinese fled from Vietnam to southern China. One hundred sixty-four locations totaling 227 square kilometers were disputed along the land border. The number of border skirmishes increased yearly from 125 in 1974 to 2,175 in 1978. Two rounds of bilateral negotiations failed to resolve these issues before the war began.

Military Campaigns And Strategic Objectives

The PLA quickly captured several cities near the border including Lạng Sơn which fell after three days of bloody house-to-house fighting on the 6th of March. China declared its punitive mission accomplished on that same day. Vietnamese forces avoided direct combat and often used guerrilla tactics instead. The PLA surrounded and paused in front of Lạng Sơn to lure Vietnamese units from Cambodia into reinforcing it. This was Deng Xiaoping's main strategic ploy since he did not want to risk escalating tensions with the Soviet Union. After capturing the city, the PLA took the southern heights above Lạng Sơn and occupied Sa Pa before withdrawing back across the border on the 16th of March.

Soviet Support And Strategic Inaction

The Soviet Union provided intelligence and equipment support but did not take direct military action. A large airlift moved Vietnamese troops from Cambodia to Northern Vietnam. Moscow supplied 400 tanks and armored personnel carriers plus 500 mortar artillery pieces. About 5,000 to 8,000 Soviet military advisers were present in Vietnam during 1979. The Soviet Pacific Fleet deployed 15 ships to the Vietnamese coast. However, the Soviets refused to intervene directly because distances were too great for effective alliance support. Any reinforcements would have had to cross territory controlled by China or U.S. allies. Beijing publicly proclaimed that the Soviet Union had broken its promises to assist Vietnam when Moscow did not retaliate.

Casualties And Human Cost

China lost 3.45 billion yuan in overhead which delayed completion of their 1979-80 economic plan. Leaks from Chinese military sources indicate China suffered 6,954 dead. Deputy chief of the General Staff Wu Xiuquan revealed that Vietnam suffered 50,000 casualties while China had suffered 20,000 casualties. The Vietnamese state newspaper Nhân Dân claimed Vietnam suffered more than 10,000 civilian deaths during the invasion. The Chinese held 1,636 Vietnamese prisoners and the Vietnamese held 238 Chinese prisoners before they were exchanged in May-June 1979. Following the war, authorities expelled approximately 8,000 Hoa people from Hanoi to southern New Economic Zones.

Post-War Border Skirmishes And Normalization

Border skirmishes continued throughout the 1980s including a significant skirmish in April 1984. A naval battle over the Spratly Islands occurred in 1988 known as the Johnson South Reef Skirmish. Armed conflict only ended in 1989 after Vietnamese agreed to fully withdraw from Cambodia. Both nations planned normalization of relations at a secret summit in Chengdu in September 1990. They officially normalized ties in November 1991. In 1999, China and Vietnam signed a border pact resulting in Vietnam giving China part of its land which was lost during the battle. The December 2007 announcement of a plan to build a Hanoi-Kunming highway marked a landmark in Sino-Vietnamese relations.

Up Next

Cambodian–Vietnamese War

Continue Browsing

Cold War conflicts Proxy wars Wars involving Vietnam 1979 in China 1979 in Vietnam 20th century in Vietnam 20th-century conflicts Conflicts in 1979 History of Vietnam (1945–present)Indochina Wars Invasions by China Invasions of Vietnam Punitive expeditions Wars between China and Vietnam Wars involving the People's Republic of China

Common questions

When did the Sino-Vietnamese War begin and end?

The Sino-Vietnamese War began on the 17th of February 1979 when People's Liberation Army forces entered northern Vietnam. China withdrew its troops on the 16th of March 1979 after approximately one month of conflict.

Who commanded the Chinese forces during the Sino-Vietnamese War?

Xu Shiyou commanded the eastern direction while Yang Dezhi led the western direction of the invasion. The operation involved about 200,000 PLA troops entering Vietnamese territory in early 1979.

Why did China launch an attack on Vietnam in 1979?

China launched the attack because Vietnam signed a formal military alliance with the Soviet Union on the 3rd of November 1978. Deng Xiaoping viewed this development as threatening China's southern border security following deteriorating relations between the Soviet Union and China since 1953.

What were the main battle locations during the Sino-Vietnamese War?

Fighting occurred mainly in the provinces of Cao Bằng, Lào Cai, and Lạng Sơn. Chinese forces advanced about 15 to 20 kilometers into Vietnamese territory before capturing cities like Lạng Sơn which fell on the 6th of March 1979.

How many casualties did each side suffer in the Sino-Vietnamese War?

Chinese military sources indicate China suffered 6,954 dead while Deputy chief Wu Xiuquan revealed Vietnam suffered 50,000 casualties. The Vietnamese state newspaper Nhân Dân claimed Vietnam suffered more than 10,000 civilian deaths during the invasion.

See all questions about Sino-Vietnamese War →