China improving its military potence rapidly

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Ypou mean the third Vietnam war when chinese intervention stopped the march of the vietnamese? The losses were high on both sides, but Vietnam took a nasty beating, being stopped and pushed back to their own land. They went a long way since then, milutarily. Today, they probably would decide a war with Vietnam much more decisively.

It is a story that tells everybody in the West that the Chinese do not shy away from conflict even if that means losses much higher than western nation's people would tolerate.

However, chinese history also shows that china does not favour military aggression for expansion beyond its borders. They use Ferengi diplomacy, not Klingon confrontation. Taiwan they set their eyes on not to conquer something foreign, but because they live by the honest belief that it legitimately is part of One-China.

From what I read the PRC failed its objective of kicking Vietnam out of Cambodia. But your right both sides lost a lot of troops and material, the PLA got it worse but they of course could absorb the loss.

As for not favoring military aggression for expansion, ask Tibet! However that was done during the rule of Mao and I think the PRC has come a ways since then.