▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁book ▁Def ending ▁China , ▁concluded ▁that ▁China ' s ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁war ▁against ▁Vietnam ▁was ▁a ▁complete ▁failure : ▁" Ch ina ▁failed ▁to ▁force ▁a ▁Vietnam ese ▁withdraw al ▁from ▁[ C amb odia ], ▁failed ▁to ▁end ▁border ▁cl ash es , ▁failed ▁to ▁cast ▁doubt ▁on ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁power , ▁failed ▁to ▁disp el ▁the ▁image ▁of ▁China ▁as ▁a ▁paper ▁t iger , ▁and ▁failed ▁to ▁draw ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁into ▁an ▁anti - S ov iet ▁coal ition ." ▁Nevertheless , ▁Bruce ▁Elle man ▁argued ▁that ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁primary ▁diplom atic ▁goals ▁behind ▁China ' s ▁attack ▁was ▁to ▁expose ▁Soviet ▁ass ur ances ▁of ▁military ▁support ▁to ▁Vietnam ▁as ▁a ▁fra ud . ▁Se en ▁in ▁this ▁light , ▁Be ij ing ' s ▁policy ▁was ▁actually ▁a ▁diplom atic ▁success , ▁since ▁Moscow ▁did ▁not ▁act ively ▁interven e , ▁thus ▁showing ▁the ▁practical ▁limitations ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet - V ietnam ese ▁military ▁p act . ▁... ▁China ▁achieved ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁victory ▁by ▁minim izing ▁the ▁future ▁possibility ▁of ▁a ▁two - front ▁war ▁against ▁the ▁USS R ▁and ▁Vietnam ." ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁both ▁China ▁and ▁Vietnam ▁re organ ized ▁their ▁border ▁def enses . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁China ▁deployed ▁twenty - five ▁to ▁twenty - e ight ▁divisions ▁and ▁Vietnam ▁thirty - two ▁divisions ▁along ▁their ▁common ▁border . ▁ ▁The ▁