SINO-VIETNAM BORDER

Created: 1/1/1988

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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SUBJECT: Sino-Vietnam Border

I: here are border areas betweenndthe Chinese claim are held illegally by theare similar disputes over the extent of Vietnamtho Tonkin nulf and the Spratly Islands in.theSea. |Tl. I

the viechampBe hold Chinese territory

a debtheveral kilometers in some locations along the border; The Chinese diplomat added that the Vietnamese have constructed nfthese areas and noted that Vietnamese small: units continue to oenetrate Chinese territory.

n December, a

brxeicr saia tlw

ensive

and qun positions have been constructed -as_ mucheters within Chinese territory.

have been references number of disputed areas.

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OnJanuary, China's New China Newsaid, "China's Punian (Pu-nien) hill and jPuyingdingrea before Youyi (Youi)' Pingxiang (Ping-hsiang) city ;are' still occuoied by j, armed Vietnamesehree hundred meters of railway line are apparently involved in this dispute. (Seeelow)

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2. Oneople's Pally editorial said, "Under variousho Vietnamese public security personnel, actina unilaterally,have redrawn the demarcation line of the border areas in an attempt to forcibly change the status quo there." It added that the Vietnamese authorities are "nibbling away !lar|ge tracts oC Chinese territory."

2.

Theecember People's Dally editorialtrong warning to the Vietnamese: "The Vietnamese authorities have gone far enough in pursuing their strong anti-China course. Thereimit to the Chinese people's fore-bearance and restraint. China has never bullied and will never bully any other country; neither will it allow itself to be bullied by others.' It will not attack unless it is attacked.1 But if it is attacked, it will certainly The editorial continued that the incidents which have occurred along the border are "organical* linked to the Vietnam's."aggression" in Kampuchea.

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China's warnings and the military build-up north of the Vietnam-China border coincide with the Vientamese offensive into Kampuchea, suggesting that Beijing may well intend to use the border disputeretext to remind the Vietnamese forcefully that Chinese failure in Kampuchea does not translate into Chinese impotence.

China closed the last rail link wxtk VietnamiDecember, at about the time the Vietnamese began tne offensive intoeijing asserted that the rail line needs repairshree hundred meter stretch which China claims and Vietnam holds. | ; 1

The jelosure of the rail line has stopoed the delivery of some Soviet and East European goods, toorcing Vietnam to relyjijon seajand jair

shipments.

has been talk in Beijing's diplomatic communityoviet/East(European attempt to impose some. forrtiiof (economic, sanction ori China's exports by| .rail through the, USSR and Mongolia.'.

Original document.

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