40 Years of the Northern Border War: Part I - An Unequal Battle
(Baonghean.vn) - At the time of the Chinese attack, Vietnam's total defense force in the northern border provinces was only about 50,000 troops. Meanwhile, the Chinese army was estimated to have 600,000 people, more than 10 times the actual combat force of Vietnam.
“At 4:17 AM on February 17, 1979, while the people of Hoang Lien Son were sound asleep, a barrage of artillery shells suddenly rained down from the North, setting the entire border ablaze…”, this was part of a news report broadcast by the People's Army Newspaper exactly 40 years ago. The report recounted the moment China unexpectedly launched an invasion of our border – marking the beginning of a fierce 30-day war.
According to historical documents, relations between Vietnam and China began to deteriorate in 1968. This was especially true after 1972, when US President Nixon visited Beijing and reached an agreement with China. In May 1975, the Khmer Rouge launched an attack, occupying Phu Quoc and Tho Chu islands and advancing deep into Vietnamese territory, massacring thousands of civilians. Just after Vietnam's reunification, the soldiers, who had barely enjoyed a day of peace, had to shoulder their weapons to defend their homeland. China was the main source of weapons and military advice for the Khmer Rouge.
