Posted on Dec 18, 2015
Who foresees a military confrontation between China and Vietnam?
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-china-conflict-insight-idUSKBN0U [login to see] 17
It's funny how when other countries get threatened, they respond by building their military up, just in case. The U.S. does the complete opposite. Is it because the greatest threat, according to the POTUS, is global warming and we don't need the military to fight it?
It's funny how when other countries get threatened, they respond by building their military up, just in case. The U.S. does the complete opposite. Is it because the greatest threat, according to the POTUS, is global warming and we don't need the military to fight it?
Vietnam
China
Conflict
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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Not a lot of people know this, PO3 (Join to see), but China and Vietnam fought a very nasty war in the late '70s over Vietnamese occupation in Cambodia, and the Chinese got the rear ends handed to them by a hardened, veteran NVA. China ended up retreating in disorder and claiming "victory", even though they failed to achieve any objectives on the ground nor dissuade Vietnam from deposing the Chinese-backed Khmer Rouge.
There is a reason why Dai Viet and Siam were never successfully invaded from the North, the terrain is brutal.
At issue today is the offshore oil resources, and while Vietnam lacks the Navy to go toe to toe, oil platforms are both fragile and expensive. China won't risk losing one.
There is a reason why Dai Viet and Siam were never successfully invaded from the North, the terrain is brutal.
At issue today is the offshore oil resources, and while Vietnam lacks the Navy to go toe to toe, oil platforms are both fragile and expensive. China won't risk losing one.
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PO3 (Join to see)
Actually I know this because my dad collected all the news from it. It was brutal then, but a war not won by actual fight. We all know it, it is about supply and resources. Now, tell me. Can Vietnam win this a lot more modern PLA than back then now?
China did win the fight, the reason is as same as North Korea. China suffer massive casualty. The most famous one is the battle of madman hill. It is three time worse than the Hamburger hill on our side. But the point is not about casualty for China, it is about the show of determination to invade. That is that fight is about. Just like North Korea, casualty is not the issue, the point is to put this message across "Back off". Did Vietnam still sending in insurgent into China after that? No, that is the proof China won that fight.
The issue of offshore resources is also a losing fight for Vietnam too, China is building man made military airbase every where and created a massive network of air support in South China sea, accompanying with the raising Naval strength ... China is not going to lose if Vietnam is the only one they are facing.
China did win the fight, the reason is as same as North Korea. China suffer massive casualty. The most famous one is the battle of madman hill. It is three time worse than the Hamburger hill on our side. But the point is not about casualty for China, it is about the show of determination to invade. That is that fight is about. Just like North Korea, casualty is not the issue, the point is to put this message across "Back off". Did Vietnam still sending in insurgent into China after that? No, that is the proof China won that fight.
The issue of offshore resources is also a losing fight for Vietnam too, China is building man made military airbase every where and created a massive network of air support in South China sea, accompanying with the raising Naval strength ... China is not going to lose if Vietnam is the only one they are facing.
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COL Ted Mc
1SG (Join to see) - First; Just as "reality" played little part in the Chinese extraction of "confessions" of "germ warfare" during the Korean War, "reality" played little part in who actually "won" the Sino-Vietnamese War.
With the "Declaration of Victory" as with the "confessions" the REALLY important point was they existed and not that they were "true". Therein lies an important (and generally overlooked) difference between the "Chinese Psyche" and the "American Psyche" because to the "American Psyche" any thing that isn't "true" is of no importance at all.
There is also the difference in the way that "Orientals" and "Westerners" look at "time". To "Westerners" time is relatively fixed and things have to be "finished" in reasonably short order. To "Orientals" this simply isn't the case and if something is going to take a couple of generations (or more) to achieve - well, that's just what has to be done. After all, the Vietnamese fought (with varying degrees of intensity) for over 400 years to regain their independence and national unity until they ended up as the "last man standing". NO "Western" society has fought any war of that length.
PS - I realize that there is quite a bit of over generalization in the use of the terms "Oriental" and "Western" above, but I wanted to get the basic idea across and not write a dissertation suitable for publication.
With the "Declaration of Victory" as with the "confessions" the REALLY important point was they existed and not that they were "true". Therein lies an important (and generally overlooked) difference between the "Chinese Psyche" and the "American Psyche" because to the "American Psyche" any thing that isn't "true" is of no importance at all.
There is also the difference in the way that "Orientals" and "Westerners" look at "time". To "Westerners" time is relatively fixed and things have to be "finished" in reasonably short order. To "Orientals" this simply isn't the case and if something is going to take a couple of generations (or more) to achieve - well, that's just what has to be done. After all, the Vietnamese fought (with varying degrees of intensity) for over 400 years to regain their independence and national unity until they ended up as the "last man standing". NO "Western" society has fought any war of that length.
PS - I realize that there is quite a bit of over generalization in the use of the terms "Oriental" and "Western" above, but I wanted to get the basic idea across and not write a dissertation suitable for publication.
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COL Ted Mc
PO3 (Join to see) - PO; Thank you very much.
If you don't understand how "the other guy" thinks then you are always going to be surprised by their "irrational" actions.
"We" see them as "suicide" bombers - "they" see them as "weapons of God". "We" would never use a "suicide" to achieve an aim - "they" see nothing wrong in using a "weapon".
If you don't understand how "the other guy" thinks then you are always going to be surprised by their "irrational" actions.
"We" see them as "suicide" bombers - "they" see them as "weapons of God". "We" would never use a "suicide" to achieve an aim - "they" see nothing wrong in using a "weapon".
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Vietnam is no match to China military strength, an invasion from China won't last long for Vietnam at all.
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SSgt Jim Gilmore
I live in Asia. I can tell you that Vietnam is and up and coming nation in the region and has an expanding economy in spite of its currency being virtually worthless. Capitalism is still alive and well in what was formerly South Vietnam but is struggling in the North. Vietnam still relies heavily on China for a great many things, including military hardware.
As far as the US drawing down its military, it does so after every major hostile action. We Americans have, or at least seem to have short memories. The politicos always cut military spending so they can pander for more votes form the low information, uninformed voter relying on government handouts....just my 2 cents.
As far as the US drawing down its military, it does so after every major hostile action. We Americans have, or at least seem to have short memories. The politicos always cut military spending so they can pander for more votes form the low information, uninformed voter relying on government handouts....just my 2 cents.
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CPT Ahmed Faried
SSgt Jim Gilmore - so gutting the military is an appeal to government moochers how?
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PO3 (Join to see)
CPT Ahmed Faried - I think what he mean is to spend all the money from cutting the military to provide "pandering".
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PFC Joseph Levi I don't think it will happen. If anything China will have learned lessons from the French and the United States on how entrenched the Vietnamese can get and how long they are willing to fight. Just an opinion!
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PO3 (Join to see)
Err.... China did invaded Vietnam after USA pull out. They basically pushed all the way in and stop at the front door of their capital. That don't mean they didn't pay a great price for it. But they don't have the political class stopping the military to do what needed to be done. This is the biggest different between China and USA. Both will pay great price for invading Vietnam, but I pretty sure they will get the job done and we won't.
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