China vs Vietnam

China would have been better off leaving Vietnam divided.
One end capitalist, the other end communist (a buffer state), both sides looking at each other from across opposing sides of the border.
This two country approach works well for China with the two Koreas.
Vietnam is a country in which the communist government has stamped/driven out any internal dissent so now the the Vietnamese Government can fight back on external threats if needed be.
Oh, if the Chinese in the 1960’s could see into the future how unfriendly and uncompliant a united Vietnam could be I don’t think they would have throw so much support in toppling the Republic of South Vietnam.

They will fight alright. And it will be for one or all of the following reasons:

“…China is picking fights with everyone to distract the locals from the laundry list of problems at home — air pollution, dirty water, contaminated food, counterfeit drugs, rampant corruption, inadequate food/water supplies, imploding shadow banking system, teetering real estate market, overcapacity in every industry you can name, serious gender imbalance, aging population, inadequate healthcare system, non-existent social safety net, a more demanding middle class, rising terrorist insurgencies, etc.”

Whenever a country like China has so many problems it always attempts to deflect attention from its internal problems by playing the external enemy card. What China is doing is classic.