Published : 2025-02-17
On February 17, 1979, the Chinese border troops, following the orders of the Central Military Commission, launched a self-defence counterattack operation against the Vietnamese army that had violated Chinese territory.
On March 16, the Chinese troops returned home victoriously.
The ignition of this Self-defence Counterattack against Vietnam was due to the expansion of regional hegemonistic ambitions by the Vietnamese government led by the Lê Duẩn group after coming to power.
This expansion was performed with the incitement and support of other countries, leading to the betrayal, insane expulsion, looting, and persecution of overseas Chinese and ethnic Chinese in Vietnam.
Additionally, Vietnam continuously engaged in armed invasion and provocations, and even sent troops to occupy the capital of Cambodia, severely endangering and disrupting China's modernisation and border security.
Under such severe circumstances, the Chinese government, unable to tolerate further, decided to implement a self-defence counterattack against Vietnam to defend the peace and stability of the border.
The "Counterattack in Self-defence on the Sino-Vietnamese Border" started on February 17 and ended on March 16. During this period, the Chinese border troops captured the provincial capitals of Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, and Lào Cai, as well as 17 counties and cities.
They severely damaged four regular divisions and 10 regiments of the Vietnamese army, killing 37,000 Vietnamese soldiers and capturing large quantities of weapons and combat materials.
The counterattack delivered a significant lesson and punishment to the Vietnamese invaders.
