Moscow and Beijing: a history of respect and resentment Rana Mitter
Apr 01, 2022
3 minutes
Illustration Dominic McKenzie
roops gathered on the border. The supreme leader decided it was time to invade, to teach the other side a lesson. Shortly afterwards, troops breached the internationally recognised border and clashed with local forces. Not Ukraine 2022, but Vietnam 1979. In January of that year, the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping told the US president, Jimmy Carter, that he wanted to “spank the butt” of his neighbours. For a month, Chinese and Vietnamese forces clashed, leading to a death toll
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