AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
Was it the Vietnamese you were talking about that could getaway with and steal themselves a Chinese nuke so unguarded as seen in pics transported on Chinese highways?
Chinese film, television, music
- Thread starter ABC78
- Start date
Was it the Vietnamese you were talking about that could getaway with and steal themselves a Chinese nuke so unguarded as seen in pics transported on Chinese highways?
Nonsense (from a military standpoint). One could easily swing this around and say it was a resounding Vietnamese defeat. China captured 3 Vietnamese provincial capitals - Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Lang Son - all within 2 weeks (albeit behind schedule). Initially, the Chinese did suffer very heavy losses, particularly near Cao Bang due to poor coordination/outdated equipment/bad tactics, but they eventually turned it around and seized the town a couple days after. The left flank of the Chinese advance was actually quite successful, capturing Lao Cai within days and penetrating more than 40 kilometers into Vietnamese territory. I think after Cao Bang fell, the Chinese attacked Lang Son and captured the northern heights by March 2. Only after the Vietnamese refusal to acknowledge defeat did the Chinese launch another attack to capture the entire city and move further south. By then, the PLA was approaching the Red River Delta (a big threat to Hanoi) and halted in accordance with Deng Xiaoping's orders of a limited war. During the withdraw, the Chinese implemented a scorched earth policy and caused extensive damage to northern Vietnam. Neither side managed to wipe out each other on a division-level, but both sides still sustained pretty large losses. I think the casualty figure given by the PLA General Staff of over 20,000 PLA and 57,000 Vietnamese casualties is pretty accurate ... so the PLA still won with a favorable loss ratio despite an obsolete army (no air or naval involvement). But you're right, the battle hardened Vietnamese did teach the Chinese a couple lessons, and caused the PLA to pursue reforms in the 1980's. Neither side (China or Vietnam) tends to talk about the war a great deal these days ... if anything, the 1988 Spratly Island Skirmish had more of an impact on both countries.
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Equation
Lieutenant General
To add on to that facts, the Vietnamese suffered a lot more POWs captured by the PLA forces. After the war, the prisoners exchange ratio was like something in the range of 10:1, for every one PLA prisoner there was 10 Vietnamese. I remembered this because some members mentioned about it years ago.
Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
The PLA still clearing the mine in Guanxi the site of Vientam-China war. It will be decades long effort Here is good video how they do it
To reassure local folks it's safe now, PLA soldiers walked through the mine field several times after mine-sweeping operation in Guangxi border area.
If you watch the video skip the first 5 minutes
To reassure local folks it's safe now, PLA soldiers walked through the mine field several times after mine-sweeping operation in Guangxi border area.
If you watch the video skip the first 5 minutes
Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
Chinese history is choke full of high drama, human greatness and frailty, Chivalry and deceit, beautiful town and beautiful custom. war and peace, state craft and tyrant. It would make a great movie backdrop. But why can't they make a great movies that has universal appeal. The prop and special effect has improve a lot but the dramatic aspect need some work. They need a very good scriptwriter and dramatic acting to accentuate the greatness of Chinese history . Last night I watch the documentary of state of Chu from warring state period by CGTN impressive! I will post it once I finish watching it it is 8 part in a series
The newly released Chinese movie "Legend of the Demon Cat" used authentic architecture to recreate the glory of the Tang Dynasty. Director Chen Kaige built the film set in Xiangyang City, central China's Hubei Province, but it was modeled after the Tang-dynasty capital Chang'an in one-to-one scale. Some buildings on set are very special and mimic the curved city walls. Art designer Tu Nan said they tried to differentiate the structures on set using colors, to deliver a better visuals. He added that the marketplace is also full of special designs and historically accurate materials.
The newly released Chinese movie "Legend of the Demon Cat" used authentic architecture to recreate the glory of the Tang Dynasty. Director Chen Kaige built the film set in Xiangyang City, central China's Hubei Province, but it was modeled after the Tang-dynasty capital Chang'an in one-to-one scale. Some buildings on set are very special and mimic the curved city walls. Art designer Tu Nan said they tried to differentiate the structures on set using colors, to deliver a better visuals. He added that the marketplace is also full of special designs and historically accurate materials.
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Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
I didn't know it is joint venture between China and Japan mixing the actual history with Japanese ghost story must be interesting to watch
It is tragic story of Yang Gufei who was killed during An Lushan rebellion that ended the Tang dynasty
Who play Yang Guifei Fan Bingbing?
What you need to know to watch Chinese film ‘Legend of the Demon Cat’
Source:Global Times Published: 2018/1/2 18:28:40
Promotional material for Legend of the Demon Cat Photo: IC
Aside from director Feng Xiaogang's much-talked-about film Youth, Chen Kaige's Legend of the Demon Cat was also one of the most anticipated films that hit Chinese mainland theaters in late December.
A Chinese-Japanese coproduction with a budget of around 250 million yuan ($38.5 million), Legend of the Demon Cat is set during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) Emperor Dezong. The movie kicks off with a series of mysterious murders committed by a cat that once belonged to Yang Guifei, or the Esteemed Concubine Yang, the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang until he ordered she be strangled to death during the An Lushan Rebellion (755-63).
The movie mixes actual history with a fictional setup as Bai Juyi - the Tang Dynasty poet who wrote "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow," a poem based on the romance between Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei - teams up with Kukai, a Japanese monk who has arrived at the Tang capital of Chang'an (today's Xi'an), to track down the demon cat and uncover the truth behind the imperial consort's tragic death.
Adapted from Japanese fantasy writer Baku Yumemakura's four-volume novel Master Kukai: Ghost Banquet in the Tang Dynasty, Legend of the Demon Cat combines Japan's ghost culture with ancient Chinese history to create a pure fantasy production that is not without its historical roots.
Cultural exchange
Many characters depicted in this movie are true historical figures, including the two Japanese characters Kukai (774-835) and Abe no Nakamaro (698-770) - also known by his Chinese name Chao Heng - a Japanese envoy sent to the Tang court during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong.
To enhance diplomatic relations as well as cultural exchanges, Japan started sending envoys to China to study Chinese culture and collect information as early as the Sui Dynasty (581-618). The number of Japanese envoys to China peaked during the Tang Dynasty, one of the world's most advanced and prosperous nations at the time. During Japan's Nara period (710-794) and the Heian period (794-1185), a total of 19 groups of envoys were sent to Tang Dynasty. Each group consisted of hundreds of Japanese officials, scholars and students.
Abe no Nakamaro was one of these travelers. The then 19-year-old traveled to Chang'an in 716 with his colleagues, attended the imperial college and later passed the imperial exam to become a court official - a rare honor for a foreigner at the time. A close friend to famous Chinese literati including Li Bai and Wang Wei, the respected Japanese scholar returned to his homeland at the age of 56 as a special envoy appointed by the Emperor Xuanzong. Years later, Nakamaro returned to Chang'an, where he stayed until his death.
Different from officials such as Nakamaro, who sometimes had to shoulder certain diplomatic duties, Japanese monks and students who were free of such duties, such as Kukai, were also important envoys that contributed to cultural exchanges between the two nations. Aiming to study Chinese institutions as well as Buddhist classics, many of them funded their own trips. They also helped to bring more Chinese classics and technology back to Japan since they were less bound by the Tang government ban on the export of Chinese books and rare items to which Japanese diplomatic envoys had to adhere.
Poetic license
Poems that appear in the Legend of the Demon Cat include well-known Tang poems dedicated to Yang Guifei - considered one of the four great beauties in all of Chinese history.
Among all these works, "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow" provides a relatively detailed description of Yang's life from her teen years to her romance with the emperor and eventually her tragic death. The 840-character poem so vividly depicted the love between the couple and the emperor's deep sorrow after his lover's death that it became one of the most popular and influential ancient literature works in Chinese history.
According to official historical records, giving in to pressure from his military leaders, Emperor Xuanzong ordered the eunuch official Gao Lishi to strangle Yang Guifei to death while the court was in exile during the An Lushan Rebellion.
In "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow," Emperor Xuanzong is also depicted as a desperate husband who had no choice but to sacrifice his loved one for a bigger cause.
However, based on lines in this poem that mention an island in middle of the sea, some historians also theorize that Yang was actually not killed, but secretly transported to Japan, where she lived out the rest of her life.
It is tragic story of Yang Gufei who was killed during An Lushan rebellion that ended the Tang dynasty
Who play Yang Guifei Fan Bingbing?
What you need to know to watch Chinese film ‘Legend of the Demon Cat’
Source:Global Times Published: 2018/1/2 18:28:40
Promotional material for Legend of the Demon Cat Photo: IC
Aside from director Feng Xiaogang's much-talked-about film Youth, Chen Kaige's Legend of the Demon Cat was also one of the most anticipated films that hit Chinese mainland theaters in late December.
A Chinese-Japanese coproduction with a budget of around 250 million yuan ($38.5 million), Legend of the Demon Cat is set during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) Emperor Dezong. The movie kicks off with a series of mysterious murders committed by a cat that once belonged to Yang Guifei, or the Esteemed Concubine Yang, the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang until he ordered she be strangled to death during the An Lushan Rebellion (755-63).
The movie mixes actual history with a fictional setup as Bai Juyi - the Tang Dynasty poet who wrote "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow," a poem based on the romance between Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei - teams up with Kukai, a Japanese monk who has arrived at the Tang capital of Chang'an (today's Xi'an), to track down the demon cat and uncover the truth behind the imperial consort's tragic death.
Adapted from Japanese fantasy writer Baku Yumemakura's four-volume novel Master Kukai: Ghost Banquet in the Tang Dynasty, Legend of the Demon Cat combines Japan's ghost culture with ancient Chinese history to create a pure fantasy production that is not without its historical roots.
Cultural exchange
Many characters depicted in this movie are true historical figures, including the two Japanese characters Kukai (774-835) and Abe no Nakamaro (698-770) - also known by his Chinese name Chao Heng - a Japanese envoy sent to the Tang court during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong.
To enhance diplomatic relations as well as cultural exchanges, Japan started sending envoys to China to study Chinese culture and collect information as early as the Sui Dynasty (581-618). The number of Japanese envoys to China peaked during the Tang Dynasty, one of the world's most advanced and prosperous nations at the time. During Japan's Nara period (710-794) and the Heian period (794-1185), a total of 19 groups of envoys were sent to Tang Dynasty. Each group consisted of hundreds of Japanese officials, scholars and students.
Abe no Nakamaro was one of these travelers. The then 19-year-old traveled to Chang'an in 716 with his colleagues, attended the imperial college and later passed the imperial exam to become a court official - a rare honor for a foreigner at the time. A close friend to famous Chinese literati including Li Bai and Wang Wei, the respected Japanese scholar returned to his homeland at the age of 56 as a special envoy appointed by the Emperor Xuanzong. Years later, Nakamaro returned to Chang'an, where he stayed until his death.
Different from officials such as Nakamaro, who sometimes had to shoulder certain diplomatic duties, Japanese monks and students who were free of such duties, such as Kukai, were also important envoys that contributed to cultural exchanges between the two nations. Aiming to study Chinese institutions as well as Buddhist classics, many of them funded their own trips. They also helped to bring more Chinese classics and technology back to Japan since they were less bound by the Tang government ban on the export of Chinese books and rare items to which Japanese diplomatic envoys had to adhere.
Poetic license
Poems that appear in the Legend of the Demon Cat include well-known Tang poems dedicated to Yang Guifei - considered one of the four great beauties in all of Chinese history.
Among all these works, "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow" provides a relatively detailed description of Yang's life from her teen years to her romance with the emperor and eventually her tragic death. The 840-character poem so vividly depicted the love between the couple and the emperor's deep sorrow after his lover's death that it became one of the most popular and influential ancient literature works in Chinese history.
According to official historical records, giving in to pressure from his military leaders, Emperor Xuanzong ordered the eunuch official Gao Lishi to strangle Yang Guifei to death while the court was in exile during the An Lushan Rebellion.
In "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow," Emperor Xuanzong is also depicted as a desperate husband who had no choice but to sacrifice his loved one for a bigger cause.
However, based on lines in this poem that mention an island in middle of the sea, some historians also theorize that Yang was actually not killed, but secretly transported to Japan, where she lived out the rest of her life.
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vesicles
Colonel
A small correction. The rebellion of An Lushan / Shi Siming (historically referred to as the An/Shi chaos) did not end the Tang Dynasty. The same emperor who was chased out of the capital city at the beginning of the rebellion eventually fought his way back and took the capital back and ended the rebellion. Since the same emperor took his throne back and passed on his throne to his son and on and on, the Tang Dynasty did not end with him and continued on for another 100 years.
A little history behind the story. Emperor Li Longji, the husband of the tragic queen depicted in the poem and the movie, was a wise emperor in the first half of his reign. He was also the grandson of the only female emperor in the Chinese history, Wu Zetian. In his middle age, he fell in love with one of his concubines, Yang Yuhuan, and eventually gave her the title of “Guifei”, a title for the second highest ranking concubine behind the queen. For the ease of telling the story, I will call her the queen from now on although she was never given the actual title of the Queen.
The emperor ended up focusing all of his attention on the queen and ignored his duty as an emperor. The dynasty eventually fell apart and that gave an opportunity to two generals stationed on the western border. Their names were An Lushan and Shi Siming. They started a rebellion and took the capital city. The emperor, his queen and his troops fled the city and went into hiding in the central part of China, Sichuan.
While on the road, the emperor and the queen were still mostly focusing on enjoying themselves and largely ignored their troops who fought hard to keep the emperor and the queen alive while fleeing the capital city. The soldiers were so upset and eventually staged a protest. They stopped moving and told the emperor that they would not move an inch unless the emperor would kill his concubine, whom they blamed for seducing and distracting the emperor all these years. The emperor eventualy hung his beloved queen in order to win back the loyalty of his troops.
They then went on to beat the rebellion and won the dynasty back. A few years after they won the war, the old emperor gave his throne to his son and went into retirement. Many said he lost his will to rule because he missed his queen too much. However, authentic historical records suggest that his son forced him to give up his throne. No matter what, the Tang Dynasty went on for another 100 years, more or less.
A little history behind the story. Emperor Li Longji, the husband of the tragic queen depicted in the poem and the movie, was a wise emperor in the first half of his reign. He was also the grandson of the only female emperor in the Chinese history, Wu Zetian. In his middle age, he fell in love with one of his concubines, Yang Yuhuan, and eventually gave her the title of “Guifei”, a title for the second highest ranking concubine behind the queen. For the ease of telling the story, I will call her the queen from now on although she was never given the actual title of the Queen.
The emperor ended up focusing all of his attention on the queen and ignored his duty as an emperor. The dynasty eventually fell apart and that gave an opportunity to two generals stationed on the western border. Their names were An Lushan and Shi Siming. They started a rebellion and took the capital city. The emperor, his queen and his troops fled the city and went into hiding in the central part of China, Sichuan.
While on the road, the emperor and the queen were still mostly focusing on enjoying themselves and largely ignored their troops who fought hard to keep the emperor and the queen alive while fleeing the capital city. The soldiers were so upset and eventually staged a protest. They stopped moving and told the emperor that they would not move an inch unless the emperor would kill his concubine, whom they blamed for seducing and distracting the emperor all these years. The emperor eventualy hung his beloved queen in order to win back the loyalty of his troops.
They then went on to beat the rebellion and won the dynasty back. A few years after they won the war, the old emperor gave his throne to his son and went into retirement. Many said he lost his will to rule because he missed his queen too much. However, authentic historical records suggest that his son forced him to give up his throne. No matter what, the Tang Dynasty went on for another 100 years, more or less.
Equation
Lieutenant General
I didn't know it is joint venture between China and Japan mixing the actual history with Japanese ghost story must be interesting to watch
It is tragic story of Yang Gufei who was killed during An Lushan rebellion that ended the Tang dynasty
Who play Yang Guifei Fan Bingbing?
What you need to know to watch Chinese film ‘Legend of the Demon Cat’
Source:Global Times Published: 2018/1/2 18:28:40
Promotional material for Legend of the Demon Cat Photo: IC
Aside from director Feng Xiaogang's much-talked-about film Youth, Chen Kaige's Legend of the Demon Cat was also one of the most anticipated films that hit Chinese mainland theaters in late December.
A Chinese-Japanese coproduction with a budget of around 250 million yuan ($38.5 million), Legend of the Demon Cat is set during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) Emperor Dezong. The movie kicks off with a series of mysterious murders committed by a cat that once belonged to Yang Guifei, or the Esteemed Concubine Yang, the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang until he ordered she be strangled to death during the An Lushan Rebellion (755-63).
The movie mixes actual history with a fictional setup as Bai Juyi - the Tang Dynasty poet who wrote "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow," a poem based on the romance between Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei - teams up with Kukai, a Japanese monk who has arrived at the Tang capital of Chang'an (today's Xi'an), to track down the demon cat and uncover the truth behind the imperial consort's tragic death.
Adapted from Japanese fantasy writer Baku Yumemakura's four-volume novel Master Kukai: Ghost Banquet in the Tang Dynasty, Legend of the Demon Cat combines Japan's ghost culture with ancient Chinese history to create a pure fantasy production that is not without its historical roots.
Cultural exchange
Many characters depicted in this movie are true historical figures, including the two Japanese characters Kukai (774-835) and Abe no Nakamaro (698-770) - also known by his Chinese name Chao Heng - a Japanese envoy sent to the Tang court during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong.
To enhance diplomatic relations as well as cultural exchanges, Japan started sending envoys to China to study Chinese culture and collect information as early as the Sui Dynasty (581-618). The number of Japanese envoys to China peaked during the Tang Dynasty, one of the world's most advanced and prosperous nations at the time. During Japan's Nara period (710-794) and the Heian period (794-1185), a total of 19 groups of envoys were sent to Tang Dynasty. Each group consisted of hundreds of Japanese officials, scholars and students.
Abe no Nakamaro was one of these travelers. The then 19-year-old traveled to Chang'an in 716 with his colleagues, attended the imperial college and later passed the imperial exam to become a court official - a rare honor for a foreigner at the time. A close friend to famous Chinese literati including Li Bai and Wang Wei, the respected Japanese scholar returned to his homeland at the age of 56 as a special envoy appointed by the Emperor Xuanzong. Years later, Nakamaro returned to Chang'an, where he stayed until his death.
Different from officials such as Nakamaro, who sometimes had to shoulder certain diplomatic duties, Japanese monks and students who were free of such duties, such as Kukai, were also important envoys that contributed to cultural exchanges between the two nations. Aiming to study Chinese institutions as well as Buddhist classics, many of them funded their own trips. They also helped to bring more Chinese classics and technology back to Japan since they were less bound by the Tang government ban on the export of Chinese books and rare items to which Japanese diplomatic envoys had to adhere.
Poetic license
Poems that appear in the Legend of the Demon Cat include well-known Tang poems dedicated to Yang Guifei - considered one of the four great beauties in all of Chinese history.
Among all these works, "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow" provides a relatively detailed description of Yang's life from her teen years to her romance with the emperor and eventually her tragic death. The 840-character poem so vividly depicted the love between the couple and the emperor's deep sorrow after his lover's death that it became one of the most popular and influential ancient literature works in Chinese history.
According to official historical records, giving in to pressure from his military leaders, Emperor Xuanzong ordered the eunuch official Gao Lishi to strangle Yang Guifei to death while the court was in exile during the An Lushan Rebellion.
In "A Song of Everlasting Sorrow," Emperor Xuanzong is also depicted as a desperate husband who had no choice but to sacrifice his loved one for a bigger cause.
However, based on lines in this poem that mention an island in middle of the sea, some historians also theorize that Yang was actually not killed, but secretly transported to Japan, where she lived out the rest of her life.
Is that why so many of Japan's ancient architecture and culture derived from the late Tang dynasty?
Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
Yes In fact Nara was built by the chinese worker sent over there to recreate Chang An in Japan
The sad fact is there is no more Tang wooden palace left in China So when they try to recreate Daming Palace they have to go to Japan
@vesicles I know but the rot is already set in and they never recover from An Lushan rebellion Tang was doomed that is what I mean ended the Tang dynasty
At 1:40:19 From this video explain Xuanzhong fascination with Yang Kuefei
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Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
Continuing on Vietnam_China war I thought this is an excellent article
This War Turned China Into a Military Superpower
January 5, 2018
When the Sino-Vietnamese war ended on March 16, 1979, it was hardly a definite resolution of the conflict. Both sides claimed victory, and Vietnam continued to pressure China’s allies in Cambodia and Thailand. As a result, the PLA continued to apply pressure to Vietnam by launching attacks across the Vietnamese border throughout the 1980s. While casualties were small relative to the tens of thousands who died during the 1979 war, the regimental and divisional scale operations across the border incurred significant casualties on both sides.
Chinese operations against Vietnam in the 1980s are often divided into four phases. In the first, the Chinese and Vietnamese further entrenched their positions along the border. This lasted until 1981. The second and third phase consisted of escalating offensive operations across the border from 1981 to 1987, gradually increasing in intensity. The last phase involved the PLA’s withdrawal from the border region. The political objectives of the Chinese incursions were to “punish” Vietnam for its continued belligerence towards Thailand and Cambodia. Since Vietnamese troops were going into Cambodia, Chinese troops would continue to do the same. Militarily, China saw the border conflict as a way to evolve the PLA from an antiquated fighting force to a modern one, by testing new doctrines and equipment on the border.
The PLA’s performance in the 1979 war was so bad, even Vietnamese commanders were surprised, according to some sources. This was a result of its reliance on Korean War–style infantry assault tactics, due to the operational inflexibility and stagnation of military thought in the PLA. The layout of the command structure, and the infrastructure that supported it, could not support maneuver warfare by smaller units of higher-quality forces.
Following the 1979 war, many reforms and reorganizations occurred within the PLA. Old leadership was removed, and a fresh set of new officers was brought in. Finally, in 1984 the situation presented itself for a test of these reforms. Late in 1983, Deng Xiaoping met with Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia. The prince wanted help, as Vietnamese soldiers were making significant gains inside of Cambodia. As a result, Deng decided to mobilize the PLA for a significant offensive operation in 1984. The offensive’s objectives were to capture the areas of Laoshan and Zheyinshan. After preparatory barrages throughout most of April 1984, the ground offensive was finally launched on April 28. Five infantry regiments assaulted hilltop positions around Laoshan, taking them one by one. This was not a total success story, as these regiments took heavy casualties and used inflexible tactics similar to 1979. The two regiments assigned to assault Zheyinshan fared better. Flexible command allowed the attacks to be postponed until the opportune time, and the attack was a great success, with all Vietnamese positions being captured. The divisional commander in charge of those regiments was soon promoted to command the Eleventh Army, and the attack was cited as a textbook example of what the PLA could now accomplish.
The Vietnamese launched counterattacks in the MD-84 Campaign in an attempt to reclaim the positions they lost in the Laoshan offensive. Counterattacks occurred against the Chinese positions at Laoshan throughout June and July. After-action reports from these offensives suggest that Chinese military modernization proved to be a possible reason for success. Vietnamese veterans recalled being shelled by Chinese artillery even at nighttime, due to the deployment of new Chinese night-vision devices to the frontline. In addition, Chinese logistics achieved new levels of efficiency. One Chinese artillery commander remarked that in repelling the counterattacks, he could execute as many fire missions as he wished without worrying about ammunition supply for the first time in his career.
Operations in the Laoshan sector also were the catalyst for the development of greater direct-action capability among the PLA’s reconnaissance units. After a Vietnamese Dac Cong commando unit destroyed a PLA counterbattery radar in 1984, Deng Xiaoping asked the PLA General Staff to create similar capabilities. All Chinese military regions were ordered to organize reconnaissance brigades, which were then rotated throughout the Laoshan sector. Fifteen reconnaissance brigades were created, three to five of which were deployed to the sector at any given time. These brigades were very active in raiding rear areas, and experience gained by them was later used by the PLA to help create their own special-operations forces.
Overall, while the Sino-Vietnamese border wars might have seemed insignificant, they proved to be an effective testing ground for the PLA’s reforms. Trials by fire in the Laoshan sector allowed the PLA to grow a new cadre of forward-thinking leadership. New technologies and organizational structures were also trialed and reformed, and combat experience was gained that lead to the creation of Chinese SOF. In one Chinese general’s words, the border conflict “allowed him to achieve his dream of waging modern war by modern methods.” The Sino-Vietnamese border conflict of 1979 to 1990 can be seen as the crucible in which the modern PLA was born, reformed from the lumbering army that attacked Vietnam in 1979.
The author was informed by by Edward C. Dowd and by Xiaoming Zhang.
Charlie Gao studied political and computer science at Grinnell College and is a frequent commentator on defense and national-security issues.
This War Turned China Into a Military Superpower
January 5, 2018
When the Sino-Vietnamese war ended on March 16, 1979, it was hardly a definite resolution of the conflict. Both sides claimed victory, and Vietnam continued to pressure China’s allies in Cambodia and Thailand. As a result, the PLA continued to apply pressure to Vietnam by launching attacks across the Vietnamese border throughout the 1980s. While casualties were small relative to the tens of thousands who died during the 1979 war, the regimental and divisional scale operations across the border incurred significant casualties on both sides.
Chinese operations against Vietnam in the 1980s are often divided into four phases. In the first, the Chinese and Vietnamese further entrenched their positions along the border. This lasted until 1981. The second and third phase consisted of escalating offensive operations across the border from 1981 to 1987, gradually increasing in intensity. The last phase involved the PLA’s withdrawal from the border region. The political objectives of the Chinese incursions were to “punish” Vietnam for its continued belligerence towards Thailand and Cambodia. Since Vietnamese troops were going into Cambodia, Chinese troops would continue to do the same. Militarily, China saw the border conflict as a way to evolve the PLA from an antiquated fighting force to a modern one, by testing new doctrines and equipment on the border.
The PLA’s performance in the 1979 war was so bad, even Vietnamese commanders were surprised, according to some sources. This was a result of its reliance on Korean War–style infantry assault tactics, due to the operational inflexibility and stagnation of military thought in the PLA. The layout of the command structure, and the infrastructure that supported it, could not support maneuver warfare by smaller units of higher-quality forces.
Following the 1979 war, many reforms and reorganizations occurred within the PLA. Old leadership was removed, and a fresh set of new officers was brought in. Finally, in 1984 the situation presented itself for a test of these reforms. Late in 1983, Deng Xiaoping met with Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia. The prince wanted help, as Vietnamese soldiers were making significant gains inside of Cambodia. As a result, Deng decided to mobilize the PLA for a significant offensive operation in 1984. The offensive’s objectives were to capture the areas of Laoshan and Zheyinshan. After preparatory barrages throughout most of April 1984, the ground offensive was finally launched on April 28. Five infantry regiments assaulted hilltop positions around Laoshan, taking them one by one. This was not a total success story, as these regiments took heavy casualties and used inflexible tactics similar to 1979. The two regiments assigned to assault Zheyinshan fared better. Flexible command allowed the attacks to be postponed until the opportune time, and the attack was a great success, with all Vietnamese positions being captured. The divisional commander in charge of those regiments was soon promoted to command the Eleventh Army, and the attack was cited as a textbook example of what the PLA could now accomplish.
The Vietnamese launched counterattacks in the MD-84 Campaign in an attempt to reclaim the positions they lost in the Laoshan offensive. Counterattacks occurred against the Chinese positions at Laoshan throughout June and July. After-action reports from these offensives suggest that Chinese military modernization proved to be a possible reason for success. Vietnamese veterans recalled being shelled by Chinese artillery even at nighttime, due to the deployment of new Chinese night-vision devices to the frontline. In addition, Chinese logistics achieved new levels of efficiency. One Chinese artillery commander remarked that in repelling the counterattacks, he could execute as many fire missions as he wished without worrying about ammunition supply for the first time in his career.
Operations in the Laoshan sector also were the catalyst for the development of greater direct-action capability among the PLA’s reconnaissance units. After a Vietnamese Dac Cong commando unit destroyed a PLA counterbattery radar in 1984, Deng Xiaoping asked the PLA General Staff to create similar capabilities. All Chinese military regions were ordered to organize reconnaissance brigades, which were then rotated throughout the Laoshan sector. Fifteen reconnaissance brigades were created, three to five of which were deployed to the sector at any given time. These brigades were very active in raiding rear areas, and experience gained by them was later used by the PLA to help create their own special-operations forces.
Overall, while the Sino-Vietnamese border wars might have seemed insignificant, they proved to be an effective testing ground for the PLA’s reforms. Trials by fire in the Laoshan sector allowed the PLA to grow a new cadre of forward-thinking leadership. New technologies and organizational structures were also trialed and reformed, and combat experience was gained that lead to the creation of Chinese SOF. In one Chinese general’s words, the border conflict “allowed him to achieve his dream of waging modern war by modern methods.” The Sino-Vietnamese border conflict of 1979 to 1990 can be seen as the crucible in which the modern PLA was born, reformed from the lumbering army that attacked Vietnam in 1979.
The author was informed by by Edward C. Dowd and by Xiaoming Zhang.
Charlie Gao studied political and computer science at Grinnell College and is a frequent commentator on defense and national-security issues.