Equilibrium Sino-Soviet split

1 equilibrium

1.1 transition
1.2 transcending mao
1.3 competing hegemonies
1.4 reform

equilibrium

the elimination of marshal lin biao in 1971 ameliorated cultural revolution (1966–76).



paramount leader of china, deng xiaoping (center), u.s. president gerald ford (left); peaceful coexistence redux. (china, 1975).


the transition

in 1971, failure of project 571, attempted coup d état against chairman mao, , death of marshal lin biao, mao s executive officer, concluded politically radical phase of cultural revolution (1966–76). afterwards, china resumed political normality, until mao’s death (9 september 1976), , emergence of politically radical gang of four.

the re-establishment of chinese domestic tranquility ended armed confrontation ussr, did not improve sino-soviet diplomatic relations, because, in 1973, soviet army garrisons @ russo–chinese border twice large 1969 garrisons. continued military threat prompted chinese denounce “soviet social-imperialism”, accusing ussr of being enemy of world revolution — despite prc having discontinued sponsoring world revolution since 1972, when pursued negotiated end vietnam war (1945–75).

transcending mao

after thwarting 1976 coup d état radical gang of four, argued ideologic purity @ expense of internal development, chinese communist party politically rehabilitated deng xiaoping , appointed him head of internal modernization programs in 1977. while reversing mao s policies (without attacking him), politically moderate deng s political , economic reforms began china s transition planned economy semi–capitalist mixed economy, furthered strengthened commercial , diplomatic relations west.

in 1979, on 30th anniversary of foundation of prc, government of deng xiaoping denounced great proletarian cultural revolution national failure; and, in 1980s, pursued pragmatic policies such seeking truth facts , chinese road socialism , withdrew prc high-level abstractions of ideology, polemic, , russian marxist revisionism; sino-soviet split had lost political importance.

competing hegemonies

after government of mao zedong, sino-soviet split ideology became useless domestic politics, useful geopolitics, wherein conflicted russian , chinese hegemonies in pursuit of national interests. initial soviet–chinese proxy war occurred in indochina, in 1975, communist victory of national liberation front (viet cong) , of north vietnam in thirty-year vietnam war had produced post–colonial indochina featured pro-soviet governments in vietnam (socialist republic of vietnam) , laos (lao people s democratic republic), , pro–chinese government in cambodia (democratic kampuchea).

in 1979, chinese-supported government of pol pot in cambodia (kampuchea) overthrown soviet-backed vietnamese in cambodian–vietnamese war (1975–79).

at first, vietnam ignored khmer rouge domestic re-organisation of cambodia, pol pot government (1975–79), internal matter, until khmer rouge attacked ethnic vietnamese populace of cambodia, , border vietnam; counter-attack precipitated cambodian–vietnamese war (1975–79) deposed pol pot in 1978. in response, prc denounced vietnamese, , retaliated invading northern vietnam, in sino-vietnamese war (1979); in turn, ussr denounced prc s invasion of vietnam.

in december 1979, ussr invaded democratic republic of afghanistan maintain afghan communist government in power. prc viewed soviet invasion local feint, within soviet s greater, geopolitical encirclement of china. in response, prc entered tri-partite alliance u.s. , pakistan sponsor islamist afghan armed resistance soviet occupation (cf. operation storm-333). meanwhile, sino-soviet split became manifest when deng xiaoping, paramount leader of china, required removal of 3 obstacles sino-soviet relations might improve:

in 1981–82 period, sino–american relations strained geopolitical disagreements wars, such israeli-palestinian conflict , falklands war. @ ccp s 12th congress in september 1982, deng xiaoping revived maoist 3 worlds idea characterized china neutral player in world divided conflict between superpowers. meanwhile, in march 1982 in tashkent, ussr secretary leonid brezhnev gave speech conciliatory towards prc, , deng took advantage of brezhnev s proffered conciliation; in autumn of 1982, sino-soviet relations resumed (semi-annually) @ vice-ministerial level.

when brezhnev died in november 1982, chinese delegation, headed foreign minister huang hua, attended funeral, huang praised late soviet leader brezhnev outstanding champion of world peace , expressed hope normal relations moscow. however, huang s actions @ brezhnev s funeral led dismissal office after returned prc.

three years later, in 1985, when mikhail gorbachev became president of ussr, worked restore political relations prc; reduced soviet army garrisons @ sino-soviet border , in mongolia, resumed trade, , dropped matter of 1969 border-demarcation dispute. nonetheless, soviet withdrawal afghanistan remained unresolved, , sino-soviet diplomacy remained cool, circumstance allowed reagan government sell american weapons china , counter geopolitics of ussr in russo–american aspect of tri-polar cold war.

diplomatic relations between china , afghanistan neutral during reign of afghan king; yet, when pro-soviet afghan communists seized power in 1978, relations between china , afghan communists worsened , became hostile. although afghan communists supported china s enemies in vietnam, , blamed china supporting militant afghan anti–communists, china responded soviet invasion of afghanistan supporting afghan mujahidin aid, small arms, , matériel, delivered pakistani military , intelligence , cia, , likewise increased military presence in xinjiang, near afghanistan. china acquired american military equipment defend soviet attack.

the chinese people s liberation army trained , supported afghan mujahidin during soviet war in afghanistan. china moved training camps mujahideen pakistan china proper, supported military advisors , soldiers; afterwards, mujahidin provided anti-aircraft missiles, rocket launchers, , machine guns.

throughout 1980s, sino-soviet political relations improved, trade agreements , cultural exchanges, ideological relations between communist parties of russia , china remained unchanged, because chinese communist party (ccp) refused accept communist party of soviet union (cpsu) marxist equals.

reform

in may 1989, soviet president gorbachev visited people s republic of china, government doubted practical efficacy of perestroika , glasnost. since prc did not officially recognize ussr socialist state, there no official opinion gorbachev s reformation of soviet socialism. privately, chinese communists thought ussr unprepared such political , social reforms without first reforming economy of ussr.

the chinese perspective derived how paramount leader, deng xiaoping, effected economic reform semi-capitalist mixed economy, while political power remained chinese communist party. ultimately, gorbachev s reformation of russian society ended soviet-communist government , provoked dissolution of soviet union in 1991.