Vietnam once turned away from its largest patron.
When China and the Soviet Union split, Vietnam was forced to choose.
And it leaned toward Moscow.
Cam Ranh became a Soviet military base.
In Beijing’s strategic thinking, this was not merely a diplomatic decision.
It was a profound strategic reversal.
A country once seen as a frontline ally had now allowed China’s primary rival to establish a military presence right along its border.
From that moment, a conclusion began to take shape inside Beijing’s strategic mindset.
Vietnam was not a reliable ally.
And that was only the beginning.