Once Upon a Proxy War:  Chinese Support to the People’s Army of Vietnam episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 18, 2025 · 11 MIN

Once Upon a Proxy War: Chinese Support to the People’s Army of Vietnam

from Insider: Short of War · host Irregular Warfare Initiative

In this episode, we explore China’s indirect approach to the First Indochina War through Xiaobing Li’s Building Ho’s Army, analyzing how Beijing trained, armed, and advised North Vietnamese forces to defeat the French. The discussion dives into the strategic context of China's geostrategic encirclement, the PLA's pivotal role in military advising, and how this historical example shapes our understanding of Chinese power projection today.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 18, 2025

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This podcast unpacks China’s successful proxy war in Vietnam based on Building Ho’s Army. Learn how China’s military advising shaped the PAVN and what it reveals about Beijing’s strategic mindset—then and now.

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Once Upon a Proxy War: Chinese Support to the People’s Army of Vietnam

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