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The Political History of Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979,
and the Chinese Concept of Active Defense

Sino-Soviet relations through the late 1960s were marred not only by sharp disagreement over the status of Outer Mongolia, but also by numerous territorial disputes along the Sino-Soviet border, in addition to ideological difference between two communist camps. A short but inconclusive border war in 1969, only increased the hostilities between the two nations. [7]

South East Asia became their battleground for spheres of influence. On the surface, both supported the North Vietnam during the Vietnamese civil war. Both, however, started to seek to oust other in the in many proxy wars in the other areas such as Cambodia and Laos. The contest quickly became opened after the North's victory in reunifying Vietnam. China gained a strong holding of the Cambodia's Pol Pot government especially after they took power in 1978. The Soviets succeeded in drawing Vietnam to her camp. Armed boarder crashes became an everyday event, the Khmer Rouge killed hundreds of Vietnamese in the Ha Tien Massacre. The Vietnamese response was similar. [8]

The border conflict between Cambodia and Vietnam escalated throughout the 1977, culminating in large clashes in November. The Vietnamese leadership decided to get rid of the Pol Pot regime and covert efforts were carried out. After their failures, even larger clashes started. At that point, Vietnam used a large-scale invasion to finish the task. Knowing Cambodia was China's closest ally in South East Asia, and the hostile relationship between China and the Soviet Union, Vietnam decided to take the final step in the warming Vietnam-Soviet relation by signing a signed a 25 years Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. There was no doubt that this treaty was aimed at China, since the sixth clause stated that Vietnam and the USSR would "immediately consult each other" if either is "attacked or threatened with attack . . . with a view to eliminating that threat." [9]

By August 1978 as many as 4,000 Soviet advisors were in Vietnam. During September 1978, the USSR began carrying out increased arms shipments to Vietnam, both by air and by sea, which included "aircraft, missiles, tanks, and munitions." And in preparation for a possible confrontation with China, Hanoi pushed through the "socialization of commerce" and according the United Nation, forced 300,000 ethnic Vietnamese Chinese out of the area. [10] By such an action, it became impossible for China to come to terms with the new Soviet-Vietnamese Alliance, due to intense nationalism among PLA leaders, and massive protest in oversea Chinese communities such as Hong Kong.

By the late 70s, The Chinese, knowing that Vietnam's alliance with the Soviet Union severely limited their freedom of action, had to produce whatever effect they could on Vietnamese policy quickly, before the Soviet Union could bring its superior military power to bear on the situation. From the PRC's Perspective, the formation of a Soviet-Vietnamese alliance and a Soviet-supported Vietnamese attack on Cambodia were a part of Moscow's global strategy control South East Asian. With Vietnam in Moscow's orbit and a Soviet military presence in Vietnam, an entirely new component would be added to the Soviet military threat to China. China felt the Soviet containment was closing in on PRC's back yard.

At the same time, Moscow also sought to force Beijing to come to terms by intensifying diplomatic relations with Hanoi, but it was impossible for China to back down, it was too late. China announced its intention to invade Vietnam on February 15, 1979, the very first day that it could legally terminate the 1950 Sino-Soviet Treaty and She attacked three days later.