Mongolia is an interesting case. Its independence is guaranteed by Russia, otherwise China would likely have swallowed it in the 1950s or so, much like Tibet.

But Mongolia, sitting between two authoritarian powers, is nowadays a stable democracy with regular transfers of power between opposing parties.

I wonder if this can last. Their best chance is actually the fact that they aren't very prominent on the international stage and probably not worth a conquest or hostile takeover right now.

This sounds like a line from Team America: World Police but unironically.

>In sane national leaders' mind

That's the thing, they were very far from sane. If you can murder millions of your own people then Nuking another country is not a farfetched scenario

I have to chuckle a bit about this

> That's the thing, they were very far from sane

Considering China's situation since 1840:

* Colonizing by almost of the world's super power. It's like being abused by US China (todayas China) Russia France UK Germany etc. Think a moment how can a nation today fend off these powers and remain an integral nation. Yet, China managed to do that.

* During WW2, China faces Japan, China essentially is an agrarian society facing an advanced industrial nation Japan, with considerable resources and man power. China almost lost 1/3 of its territory. Yet the nation standed up, and emerged more coherent and unified than before WW2.

* The so-called insane CCP managed to install strong control over Tibet and Xinjiang, right after WW2, right under the threat of USSR. The ability to manipulate Stalin, is indeed insanely smart.

* CCP fought a series wars after WW2 never lost, and have all succeeded to achieve it's political objective. Indian border war made sure India as a nation lost its aggression towards China for half a century, Korea war installed a fear and awe by us military men towards Chinese army; the Vietnam war effectively ensure no single nation able to challenge China's long term superemcy in South East Asia.

* They are the only equal partner in the cold war containment over USSR, basically practiced the strategy by their own strategic initiative and offered proactive support across the globe for that strategy to work.

* They initiated opening up and internal reform, transformed 1B people from a USSR style economy into the second largest in USD number, and the largest in purchasing power. Where as the same reform effectively triggered the collapse of USSR, which had 1/4 of the population of China.

* They effectively are challenging US supremacy in all aspects and are winning in many. Basically unimaginable since 1920s.

Call me stupid, but I think they are not only sane, they are probably so sane that random people like you are not able to grasp their genius...

I see what you did here, but

> the Vietnam war effectively ensure no single nation able to challenge China's long term superemacy

I hope you realize that China flat out lose this one?

> They are the only equal partner in the cold war containment over USSR

This is not true and embarrassingly so. That's like Mazepa declaring himself the only equal partner of Charles XII (google it up). Triple embarrassing for chinese communist party. Probably fourthly embarassing in the context of USA "containing" China right now.

> I hope you realize that China flat out lose this one?

Not sure what you mean. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War This is what referred in my comment. I cannot see how China lost it? Mind elaborate a bit?

Quotes from Wikipedia:

Although Vietnam continued to occupy Cambodia, China successfully mobilized international opposition to the occupation, rallying such leaders as Cambodia's deposed king Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodian anticommunist leader Son Sann, and high-ranking members of the Khmer Rouge to deny the pro-Vietnamese Cambodian People's Party in Cambodia

China caused Vietnam to suffer from serious economic and military hardship by threatening to launch a second invasion, and by supporting Pol Pot guerrillas in Cambodia.

Although unable to deter Vietnam from ousting Pol Pot from Cambodia, China demonstrated that its Cold War communist adversary, the Soviet Union, was unable to protect its Vietnamese ally.[19]

That's fifthly embarrassing for you, Pol Pot is considered the most repressive dictatorship in history and I didn't even see attempts at debunking.

"We've botched actual fighting but said we got what we wanted thanks to Pol Pot guerillas" is one of the most pathetic things I've ever read.

Also, I think that to the rest of the world outside China, Vietnam has demonstrated that it can hold on its own with some help from its USSR ally.

Not sure what you are talking about.

I am talking about China's geopolitical objectives. As for Pol Pot's sadistic crazy butchering, that's a separate topic.

If you want to discuss the moral objectives of China's wars, we can have another thread. I definitely have a lot to say as well.

China had a sadistic crazy butchering ally, they've failed to keep that ally regime from being toppled by Vietnam, China has invaded Vietnam but was met by stiff resistance and had to retreat (which looks much more like a defeat rather a draw, especially given the difference in size between parties) and of course China no longer had the Cambodia - Vietnam did not occupy it either but I'm not sure they seriously planned to.

I'm really weak in that kind of history so I may get everything off, but that's what it looks from the outside.

Well that's part of the quotes from Wikipedia. This comment basically describes a part of the overall results.

My conclusion still stands, China achieved its political goal: Vietnam got contained into its limited sphere of influence.

Meanwhile Putin watches as tens thousands of Russians and Ukrainians die for his notions of what he deserves to control. Not concerning at all…