ine ▁activity ▁( the ▁" s ab ot age " ▁aspect ) ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part ▁was ▁directed ▁against ▁the ▁eth nic ▁minor ities ▁of ▁the ▁border ▁region . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁H ano i ▁press , ▁teams ▁of ▁Chinese ▁agents ▁system atically ▁sab ot aged ▁mountain ▁agricult ural ▁production ▁cent ers ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁low land ▁port , ▁transport ation , ▁and ▁communication ▁facilities . ▁Psych ological ▁war fare ▁operations ▁were ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁campaign , ▁as ▁was ▁what ▁the ▁Vietnam ese ▁called ▁" e conom ic ▁war fare " — enc ou rag ement ▁of ▁Vietnam ese ▁vill agers ▁along ▁the ▁border ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁sm ugg ling , ▁currency ▁spec ulation , ▁and ▁ho arding ▁of ▁goods ▁in ▁short ▁supply . ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁years , ▁both ▁countries ▁have ▁purs ued ▁good ▁relations ▁and ▁down play ed ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁host ility ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 9 – 8 8 . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁S ino - V ietnam ese ▁conflict ▁is ▁generally ▁not ▁on ▁the ▁list ▁of ▁topics ▁that ▁may ▁be ▁open ly ▁mentioned ▁in ▁print ▁or ▁the ▁media ▁in ▁present - day ▁China , ▁although ▁veter ans ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁are ▁allowed ▁to ▁discuss ▁their ▁experiences ▁on ▁the ▁Internet ▁and ▁correspond ▁with ▁their ▁Vietnam ese ▁counter parts . ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Chinese ▁college ▁students ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁discussed ▁online ▁plans ▁for ▁an ▁invasion ▁and ▁con quest ▁of ▁Vietnam . ▁This ▁prov oked ▁considerable ▁alarm