Currently reading Ten Years Sino-Vietnam War Vol.1-2 by Ni Chuang Hui. There are some striking similarities between PLA during that war and the Russian military in the current Ukraine war. Such as how poorly trained PLA was during that time period and the looting that occurred during the withdrawal. Obviously, the causes and reasoning are slightly different.
Sino-Vietnamese War (1979): What was the end results of it ?
Eh, the looting was basically ordered and actually part of the initial plan/goals (razing and looting industry).
Yeah but I still find it amusing that in the end PLA even took things like bikes, farming tools, animals, and sawing machines. Wonder if the Russians will also resort to a scorched earth policy.
solarz
Brigadier
You find it amusing because you have no sense of historical context. Those things were damn valuable back then.
During the withdrawal, the PLA used a scorched-earth policy, destroying local infrastructure and looting useful equipment and resources (including livestock), this severely weakened the economy of Vietnam's northernmost provinces.
antiterror13
Brigadier
are you aware that it was in 1979, almost 45 yrs ago? ... most members here weren't even born yet
So? What does it being 45 years ago have to do with anything? In fact, it's even more amusing that now 45 years later the Russians are doing the same thing. Maybe the washing machines are just as valuable to the Russians as sewing machines were to PLA back then.
The books give example that shows that while there was official order to take everything, there was still some looting due to personal greed, although that was swiftly punished.
I am very much aware of how much things value back then. The amusing thing is that PLA took all the trivial stuff is the same behaviour happening in the Ukraine war.
Equation
Lieutenant General
To the victor goes the spoil.
Doing all that reading and you're understanding of war and the historical contexts of the 2 different conflicts are just bad. To compare the economic, technological conditions the war doctrines, and war aims of the 2 militaries of China and today's Russia is just bizarre and numbingly stupid.