The 1979 border defense war in northern Vietnam was a struggle to protect national independence, freedom, and territorial sovereignty by the people and army of Vietnam. This conflict also demonstrated the enduring will and strength of our military and civilians.
Forty-six years have passed (February 17, 1979 – February 17, 2025), and the battles along the northern border reaffirmed the historical truth and righteousness of the Vietnamese nation in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
To secure victory in this brutal war, the Vietnamese people endured immense sacrifices. This historic period reminds all generations, present and future, to strengthen unity and build a prosperous nation.
Reflecting on the history of the northern border defense, we not only affirm the righteousness of the Vietnamese people but also honor those who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence and freedom.
Nearly 50 years later, memories of the northern border defense remain vivid for Colonel Nguyễn Văn Khuỳnh (former Political Commissar of the Lạng Sơn Military Command, veteran of Division 337).
At the outbreak of the border defense war, Colonel Khuỳnh served as an organizational assistant for Division 337, Army Corps 14, Military Region 1.
Pouring a strong cup of tea for his guests, Colonel Khuỳnh slowly recounted the heroic days of national combat.
He recalled that on July 28, 1978, in Vinh City, Nghệ An Province, Infantry Division 337 was officially established. On February 17, 1979, the enemy fired the first shots, invading Vietnam’s border provinces. Immediately afterward, Division 337 was ordered to move north to defend the border.
On February 24, 1979, the division reached Lạng Sơn and began combat operations immediately. From late February to early March 1979, Division 337 fought valiantly, securing victory in the Tu Đồn – Điềm He – Khánh Khê defensive campaign.
Colonel Khuỳnh explained that the enemy’s plan in Lạng Sơn was to cross Khánh Khê Bridge (between Cao Lộc and Văn Quan districts) to encircle Đồng Mỏ (Chi Lăng District, Lạng Sơn).
Their goal was to create a pincer movement, isolating Vietnamese forces stationed from Lạng Sơn City to the border, using heavy firepower to destroy our troops and establish a new front.
“Though that was the enemy’s plan, the officers and soldiers of Division 337 bravely fought and achieved the Khánh Khê victory, earning the division the nickname ‘Steel Gate of Lạng Sơn,'” Colonel Khuỳnh recounted.
By mid-March 1979, after suffering numerous defeats and facing international condemnation, the enemy was forced to announce its withdrawal from Vietnam.
In 1989, the northern border fell silent. Two years later, relations between the two countries normalized, and trade resumed.
Colonel Khuỳnh affirmed that closing the chapter on the past was entirely correct, aligning with trends and reflecting the aspirations of the people and national defense strategy.
“Defending the homeland doesn’t require gunfire; no matter how well-equipped our military is, we never wish to fire a single shot,” he emphasized, noting that through diplomatic efforts and international support, the war ended and became history.
Since then, residents along the border have enjoyed peace, focusing on economic development and witnessing significant changes.
People have leveraged their production capabilities based on the Party and State’s renewal policies. Additionally, they’ve capitalized on local strengths, fostering trade between the two nations.
The former Political Commissar of Lạng Sơn Military Command assessed that normalizing Vietnam-China relations addressed urgent needs while laying a long-term foundation for safeguarding border sovereignty, building peaceful and friendly borders, and ensuring unity between the two states.
Peace and friendship have fostered excellent bilateral relations, with substantial trade volumes flowing between the two sides.
Looking back nearly 50 years, Colonel Khuỳnh reflected that a decade after the war ended, most areas of Lạng Sơn were barren hills.
Border residents lacked electricity, clean water, and struggled for daily meals. Today, however, most families live in spacious homes, and many have become wealthy through successful businesses.
“When border gates opened, relations improved, allowing locals to export vegetables and fruits to China and import electronic components for resale. As a result, living standards along both sides of the border have significantly improved,” Colonel Khuỳnh said.
He noted that over the past 30 years, Lạng Sơn’s economy has grown rapidly, largely due to trade with China.
Moreover, many Vietnamese citizens work in China and vice versa, thanks to the increasingly positive relationship between Vietnam and China.
“Just like a family, conflicts are inevitable, but we must put them aside and look to the future.
Closing the past doesn’t mean forgetting; we must remember history as a lesson to educate future generations in safeguarding borders and maintaining peace without gunfire, so mothers and wives no longer wear mourning veils,” Colonel Khuỳnh shared.
According to Division 337’s historical records, during the battles, we eliminated over 2,000 enemy troops, destroyed eight tanks, and captured weapons, thwarting the enemy’s attempt to encircle and divide Lạng Sơn.
However, more than 650 officers and soldiers of Division 337 made the ultimate sacrifice along the Kỳ Cùng River banks, many in their late teens or early twenties.
Lieutenant General Dương Công Sửu (former Commander of Special Operations Battalion 28 and former Deputy Chief of Staff of Military Region 1) shared that after the border defense war, guided by the spirit of “distant relatives are less helpful than close neighbors,” Vietnam and China expanded relations and cooperated for mutual development.
As Commander of Lạng Sơn Military Command (1990–1999), responsible for border defense, Lieutenant General Dương Công Sửu noted that during this period, residents of both countries began visiting relatives, exchanging cultural activities, and trading goods.
“Thanks to Lạng Sơn’s border economy, the province experienced rapid growth, and people’s lives stabilized,” Lieutenant General Sửu reflected.
From 2000 to 2010, Lieutenant General Dương Công Sửu was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of Military Region 1, tasked with installing border markers between Vietnam and China.
Recalling the marker installation process, he explained that after normalization, negotiations on land borders entered specific phases with high determination.
In October 1993, the two countries signed an agreement outlining basic principles to resolve border and territorial issues between Vietnam and China.
On December 30, 1999, in Hanoi, the Land Border Treaty between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China was signed (referred to as the 1999 Treaty).
Under the treaty, the border runs west to east, accompanied by maps at a scale of 1:50,000. Both sides agreed to resolve 289 disputed areas along the border: approximately 114.9 km² for Vietnam and 117.2 km² for China.
After the 1999 Treaty took effect (July 2000), Vietnam and China formed 12 joint teams to demarcate and install markers bilaterally.
On December 27, 2001, the first international border marker was installed at the Móng Cái International Border Gate (Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam) and Đông Hưng (Guangxi Province, China).
Subsequently, both sides agreed to demarcate and install markers sequentially from west to east, completing each section before moving forward.
On December 31, 2008, the Chief Negotiators of Vietnam and China jointly announced the completion of the land border demarcation within the timeframe set by the leaders of both parties and states.
After eight years of simultaneous negotiations and demarcation, the entire 1,400 km Vietnam-China border was demarcated, with 1,971 markers installed (1,549 main markers and 422 auxiliary markers).
Lieutenant General Dương Công Sửu assessed that completing the demarcation opened a new chapter in bilateral relations. Both sides achieved mutual understanding and trust, creating new opportunities for development across all fields.
Particularly, economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and China has grown rapidly in recent years. Additionally, cooperation in defense, security, culture, health, education, science, and technology has yielded significant achievements.
“We must revisit history to recognize that nothing matters more than peace, cooperation, and shared development,” Lieutenant General Dương Công Sửu emphasized.
Based on strong political relations, economic cooperation between Vietnam and China gradually recovered, expanding rapidly and achieving positive results, becoming one of the key pillars driving bilateral relations.
In terms of trade, in 2000, bilateral trade volume between the two countries was modest, reaching only $2.5 billion. By 2008, after establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership framework, bilateral trade exceeded $20.18 billion (a more than 530-fold increase compared to 1991 when relations normalized).
According to the General Department of Customs, two-way trade between Vietnam and China in 2024 reached over $205 billion. With these results, China became the first partner with which Vietnam established a trade scale exceeding $200 billion.
In 2024, Vietnam’s exports to China reached $61.2 billion, while imports from China amounted to $144 billion, a more than 30% increase.
China remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner, accounting for 26% of total trade volume. Goods traded between the two countries range from agricultural products to raw materials, electronics, and consumer goods.
In recent years, despite a gloomy global trade landscape, Vietnam-China trade has continued to grow strongly.
Vietnam and China have defined their bilateral relationship under the motto “Friendly neighbors, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, and future-oriented” (1999) and the spirit of “Good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, good partners” (2005).
In 2008, both sides agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership framework, the highest level of cooperation with the deepest connotations in Vietnam’s relations with other countries. China was the first country to collaborate with Vietnam in building this framework.
Vietnam and China have established various bilateral cooperation mechanisms at all levels, from central to local, signing numerous important agreements.
Based on strong political relations, economic cooperation between Vietnam and China has gradually recovered, expanding rapidly and achieving positive results, becoming one of the key pillars driving bilateral relations.
In 2004, China became Vietnam’s largest trading partner for the first time. To date, China has remained Vietnam’s largest trading partner for 20 consecutive years (2004–2024) and its second-largest export market globally.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is China’s largest trading partner within ASEAN and its fifth-largest globally among individual countries.
Content: Nguyễn Hải, Hải Nam
Design: Thủy Tiên
February 17, 2025 – 06:00
Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/gac-lai-qua-khu-cung-nhau-phat-trien-20250216121016526.htm
