rival becomes friends?? Chinese and Vietnamese armies have launched joint exercises in the Guangxi region

Defence affairs

In a move that could mark a turning point in the relationship between two longtime rivals, the People’s Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam have launched joint military exercises in China’s southern Guangxi autonomous region, right on the border between the two nations.

Described as a “border cooperation exercise,” the operation includes mountain rescue training, coordinated maneuvers in jungle terrain, and joint logistics drills.

The choice of Guangxi is far from coincidental—it is a historically sensitive area located near the epicenter of past border clashes between the two countries. Holding combined maneuvers in such a location reflects an effort by both Beijing and Hanoi to project an image of stability and strategic understanding amid an increasingly tense regional climate, especially in the South China Sea.

Relations between China and Vietnam were tense throughout much of the 20th century. Although both countries shared a communist ideology during the Cold War, the rupture began to become evident after Vietnam’s intervention in Cambodia in 1978, which ended the pro-Chinese Khmer Rouge regime. In retaliation, China invaded northern Vietnam in February 1979 in what it called a “punitive war.” Although Beijing declared victory shortly afterward, the conflict left tens of thousands dead on both sides and deep political scars.

The armed confrontation was not limited to the 1979 war. During the following decade, sporadic clashes occurred along the land border and skirmishes at sea, especially in the Spratly Islands, where in 1988 dozens of Vietnamese sailors were killed in a confrontation with Chinese vessels. It was not until 1991 that both countries formally reestablished diplomatic relations, but the wounds of the conflict have persisted in the collective memory and in the mutual perception of each other as strategic rivals.