" ▁as ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁yet ▁even ▁more ▁threaten ing ▁to ▁the ▁P RC ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁closer ▁proxim ity . ▁D eng ▁brought ▁China ▁conflict ▁with ▁Vietnam ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁following ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War , ▁under ▁this ▁subject ▁of ▁border ▁disput es , ▁and ▁fought ▁in ▁the ▁S ino - V ietnam ese ▁War . ▁ ▁" Red ▁China " ▁was ▁a ▁frequent ▁app ell ation ▁for ▁the ▁P RC ▁between ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁asc end ancy ▁and ▁the ▁mid - late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁with ▁the ▁rapp ro ch ement ▁between ▁China ▁and ▁the ▁West ▁( gener ally ▁within ▁the ▁capital ist / West ern ▁b loc ). ▁The ▁term ▁was ▁first ▁used , ▁before ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁P RC , ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁during ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Civil ▁War , ▁to ▁describe ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁side , ▁and ▁saw ▁great ▁pre val ence ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Starting ▁around ▁ 1 9 7 2 – 1 9 7 3 , ▁following ▁Richard ▁N ixon ' s ▁visit ▁to ▁China ▁and ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁rapp ro ch ment ▁and ▁mount ing ▁lik elihood ▁of ▁diplom atic ▁normal ization , ▁the ▁term ▁began ▁to ▁drop ▁in ▁usage ▁significantly . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁it ▁was ▁increasing ly ▁rare ▁in ▁main stream