Comments on: The Historical Record for January 7, 2009: The 30th anniversary of the fall of Pol Pot http://granitestudio.org/2009/01/07/the-historical-record-for-january-7-2009-the-fall-of-pol-pot/ A Qing historian reads the newspaper... Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:31:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: stuart http://granitestudio.org/2009/01/07/the-historical-record-for-january-7-2009-the-fall-of-pol-pot/comment-page-1/#comment-9701 stuart Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:48:13 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=645#comment-9701 "I’m going to write a longer post about this in a few weeks on the 30th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnamese War" I thought as much. Look forward to it. “I’m going to write a longer post about this in a few weeks on the 30th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnamese War”

I thought as much. Look forward to it.

]]> By: Jeremiah http://granitestudio.org/2009/01/07/the-historical-record-for-january-7-2009-the-fall-of-pol-pot/comment-page-1/#comment-9693 Jeremiah Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:15:50 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=645#comment-9693 Tom, The whole thing is tied together. Beijing's support for Pol Pot was based on the latter's anti-Soviet tendencies. I'm going to write a longer post about this in a few weeks on the 30th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnamese War, but short form: Yes, smacking Vietnam was deemed easier than poking the Soviet bear, though things didn't work out quite the way bellicose PLA commanders planned. Tom,

The whole thing is tied together. Beijing’s support for Pol Pot was based on the latter’s anti-Soviet tendencies. I’m going to write a longer post about this in a few weeks on the 30th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnamese War, but short form: Yes, smacking Vietnam was deemed easier than poking the Soviet bear, though things didn’t work out quite the way bellicose PLA commanders planned.

]]> By: wu ming http://granitestudio.org/2009/01/07/the-historical-record-for-january-7-2009-the-fall-of-pol-pot/comment-page-1/#comment-9692 wu ming Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:58:37 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=645#comment-9692 another thing to remind your students is that both america and china objected to vietnam's action against the khmer rouge. geopolitics makes for bizarre bedfellows. another irony was that the sino-vietnamese war was indeed a needed lesson in humility, just for the chinese. another thing to remind your students is that both america and china objected to vietnam’s action against the khmer rouge. geopolitics makes for bizarre bedfellows.

another irony was that the sino-vietnamese war was indeed a needed lesson in humility, just for the chinese.

]]> By: Tom http://granitestudio.org/2009/01/07/the-historical-record-for-january-7-2009-the-fall-of-pol-pot/comment-page-1/#comment-9691 Tom Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:43:48 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=645#comment-9691 I thought everybody agreed that the primary goal of the Sino-Vietnamese War was to send a signal to the Soviets. The timing of the thing was way too calculated to be incidental. Cambodia, border incursions, treatment of ethnic Chinese -- these were just excuses. I thought everybody agreed that the primary goal of the Sino-Vietnamese War was to send a signal to the Soviets. The timing of the thing was way too calculated to be incidental.

Cambodia, border incursions, treatment of ethnic Chinese — these were just excuses.

]]> By: stuart http://granitestudio.org/2009/01/07/the-historical-record-for-january-7-2009-the-fall-of-pol-pot/comment-page-1/#comment-9690 stuart Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:27 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=645#comment-9690 "the Vietnamese action against Pol Pot was one of several events which precipitated the Chinese invasion of Vietnam in February, 1979." Something I'm inclined to remind my students when they're in 'China good; America bad' mode. That's when I'm informed that it wasn't an invasion but a necessary lesson in humility meted out to naughty neighbours. The Vietnamese skirmish is, of course, another 30th anniversary that lies just around the corner; one of a number of important anniversaies for China in 2009. In my dreams they'll give as much contemplation and airtime to the important 20th anniversay as they will to the 60th birthday bash. Welcome back, btw. “the Vietnamese action against Pol Pot was one of several events which precipitated the Chinese invasion of Vietnam in February, 1979.”

Something I’m inclined to remind my students when they’re in ‘China good; America bad’ mode. That’s when I’m informed that it wasn’t an invasion but a necessary lesson in humility meted out to naughty neighbours.

The Vietnamese skirmish is, of course, another 30th anniversary that lies just around the corner; one of a number of important anniversaies for China in 2009.

In my dreams they’ll give as much contemplation and airtime to the important 20th anniversay as they will to the 60th birthday bash.

Welcome back, btw.

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