Border war Sino-Soviet split

the door nuclear war shelter complex in tunnels of underground project 131, in hubei, china.

meanwhile, during 1968, soviet army had amassed along 4,380 km (2,738 mi.) border china—especially @ xinjiang frontier, in north-west china, soviets might readily induce turkic separatists insurrection. militarily, in 1961, ussr had 12 divisions , 200 aeroplanes @ border; in 1968, there 25 divisions, 1,200 aeroplanes, , 120 medium-range missiles. furthermore, although china had detonated first nuclear weapon (the 596 test), in october 1964, @ lop nur basin, people s liberation army militarily inferior red army.

by march 1969, sino-russian border politics became sino-soviet border conflict @ ussuri river , on damansky–zhenbao island; more small-scale warfare occurred @ tielieketi in august. in coming war between russia , china (1969), journalist harrison salisbury reported soviet sources implied possible first strike against lop nur basin nuclear weapons testing site.

the john f. kennedy , lyndon b. johnson administrations had considered attempting destroy chinese program before succeeded, ussr had refused cooperate. u.s. warned ussr nuclear attack against china precipitate world-wide war, , ussr relented. aware of possibility, china built large-scale underground shelters, such beijing s underground city, , military shelters such underground project 131 command center in hubei, , 816 nuclear military plant in fuling, chongqing.