China has been telling the world that its rise will be peaceful because China has never been an aggressor state throughout its long history. As proof, the Chinese point out that it has never invaded another country in the last 2,000 years. Many people have echoed this narrative. The historical record, however, belies this Chinese narrative. For over a thousand years, from 111 BC to 938 AD, China repeatedly invaded Vietnam. The tenacious Vietnamese would throw out the Chinese and after a while the Chinese would invade again. In the 15th century, China occupied Vietnam from 1407 to 1427.

Carpio, A. T. (2020, August 20). Chinese invasions: Past and present. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A6.