What's key here is that the Vietnamese are raring to fight, in a way that Ukrainians (and Russians) are not. If war breaks out, we should send the Vietnamese all the mothballed Warsaw Pact equipment and munitions we can scrounge up from the NATO countries that were part of the Eastern Bloc. Ideally, they will give the Chinese a bloody nose and give pause to the expansionist impulse that has been characteristic of the Chinese Empire for 2000-odd years.10 invasions of China into Vietnam. One can argue that China under the ruler of the Mongolians were more powerful (since the Mongols were unmatched by anyone) than the China now. The Yuan mount a full scale invasion into Vietnam 3 times and lost all 3 times.
938 China invaded Vietnam – China lost
980 China invaded Vietnam – China lost
1075 China invaded Vietnam – China lost
1257 China under Mongolia invaded Vietnam – China lost (Mongolian was the world’s only super power at this time)
1284 China under Mongolia invaded Vietnam – China lost (Kublai Khan’s son was also killed in battle)
1287 China under Mongolia invaded Vietnam – China lost (failed to avenge the death of Kublai Khan’s son)
1407 China invaded Vietnam at request of surviving Tran ruler after usurp of throne – China won with the help of internal fighting from loyal base of previous ruler. China promised to restore previous ruler but instead annex Vietnam.
1428 Vietnam regained independence by defeating China
1788 China invaded Vietnam – China lost
1979 China invaded Vietnam – China lost
“we should send the Vietnamese all the mothballed Warsaw Pact equipment and munitions we can scrounge up”
Which isn’t going to happen, because China can collapse the US Economy with a snap of a finger. They know it, WE know it.
And we would still be begging them to send us iPhones and Playstations....