Thread: Deterrence as an Operational Objective question

Originally Posted by VietPhuong

Originally Posted by middle earth

The possible logic is though you can avoid a present war, in order to have lasting future peace, don’t be afraid to fight the present war to achieve that, and it is the desired outcome for China, we enjoyed 60 years of peace along the Sino-Korean border and 50 years along Sino-Indian border.

You need some psychic treatment. Ask a Korean and an Idian about how they feel. Korea nowadays is still divided and India lost a vast area to China. This is the last time I talk to you.

You have to appreciate the fact that he is talking about it from a Chinese perspective. It is a matter of perception, and it is as interesting to know the Chinese perspective as it is to know the Indian and the Korean ones. Maybe the Chinese expected bigger wars on the same borders if the same wars had not been fought at that particular points of time? By the scale of their own civil wars and internal conflicts the Korean War, and certainly the Sino-Indian border clashes, were small affairs.

Now whether those expectations were justified/unjustified, and the interpretations of the end-results correct/incorrect are always open to debate.

Originally Posted by middle earth

The four wars in which China was involved after 1949 are , Korean War, Sino-Indian border war, Sino-Russia border clash, 1979 Sino-Vietnam border war.

You left out the Taiwan Clashes and the 1984 2nd Sino-VN War.

Originally Posted by middle earth

There is no such principle in Sun Tzu's works to take military action against a smaller enemy in order to deter a larger enemy.

Chapter 3.

Therefore, the best warfare strategy is to attack the enemy's plans, next is to attack alliances, next is to attack the army, and the worst is to attack a walled city.

Originally Posted by middle earth

China entered Korean War for China felt threatened by the US advancing to the border and bombing of Chinese border cities. China fought the war to prevent future
Possible war with the US, which is a power second to none, so there is no need to deter another larger enemy.

The Sino-Indian border war, at first Chinese troops pulled back in front of the Indian army’s advance in order to maintain peace, but the Indians didn’t stop, at that time China realized that peace could only be won by a war.

These are reactionary, not pro-active strategies.

Originally Posted by middle earth

The Sino-Russo border clashes, when China had no chance to win a large scale war, China decide to show no weakness from the beginning to prevent escalation into a full scale war. No other larger enemy was in sight to deter, Russia was more than powerful.

No one has a clue to what Mao was thinking when the clashes occured and there were more than a few Red Guards at the clashes.

Originally Posted by middle earth

Of the four wars, only the Sino-Vietnam border war doesn’t fall in the category. Though Vietnam was really getting on China’s nerve, it posed no threat to China, but to get into war with Vietnam was like asking for a Russian attack on China. China was real nervous about a possible Russian interference at that time.

There's more than ample evidence that China was attacking Moscow's encirclement strategy, least of which the Chinese informed Moscow that they would not be renewing their Friendship Treaty right before they attacked.