Who foresees a military confrontation between China and Vietnam?

PFC Joseph Levi — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 09:23:53 -0500

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?

Vietnam builds military muscle to face China

Vietnam's military is steeling itself for conflict with China as it accelerates a decade-long modernization drive, Hanoi's biggest arms buildup since the height of the Vietnam War.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Dec 18 at 2015 9:57 AM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 09:57:44 -0500

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!

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 18 at 2015 10:07 AM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 10:07:44 -0500

Vietnam is no match to China military strength, an invasion from China won't last long for Vietnam at all.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 18 at 2015 10:51 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 10:51:28 -0500

Not a lot of people know this, PO3 Private RallyPoint Member, 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.

Response by Capt Walter Miller made Dec 18 at 2015 11:26 AM

Capt Walter Miller — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 11:26:09 -0500

They have already had some.

Walt

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Dec 18 at 2015 11:55 AM

CPT Ahmed Faried — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 11:55:17 -0500

Vietnam and China have fought a war before and it went badly for China. That said, China has made some qualitative improvements since then so a rematch might have interesting results. Also, even though we are going through sequestration, there is still no nation on earth that is our conventional equal... but there is a threshold which once we pass, we won't be able to meet some objectives.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 18 at 2015 6:34 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 18:34:18 -0500

You mean another one. Wasn't long after Vietnam secured the Southern Part of the Country that some serious border Pissing Contests started between them and China. They both may be "Communist" but more correctly they are Nationalist and looking out for their National Interests and I can't say that I blame the Vietnamese for getting hacked off at China's expansion into the South China Sea. Intruding into possible Oil Reserves and most definitely Fishing Rights. As far as the President concern over Global Warming that comes directly from Scientist working for the Pentagon. While Right Wingers in this country have been denying the problem for a long time the Military has noted it for a while now an has been screaming at everybody and anybody that would listen.