‘China regroups near Vietnam’

Press, 12 April 1979, Page 6

‘China regroups near Vietnam’

■■ NZPA-Reuter Moscow i] The Soviet news agency, 1 Tass, yesterday said China 1 was regrouping its troops in j some places along its border ; with Vietnam and building military fortifications there. In a despatch from the • Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, • Tass said Chinese troops had • been regrouping “in the • directions of Mong Cai, • Lang Son and Lao Cai” in i the previous two days. Chinese forces had made ? reconnaissance flights along i the border and opened fire - on Vietnamese frontier ; posts, it said. In announcing its withdrai wal on March 16 after a : month-long border war, i China said it reserved the

z right to retaliate if Vietnam continued its “armed excurs- ■ ions and provocations” along 1 the 1274 km-long frontier. 1 China yesterday accused r Vietnam of continued armed ? frontier provocations, four days before a delegation 3 from Peking is scheduled to , go to Hanoi for talks aimed lat reaching a settlement j after their border war. , A report by the New i China News Agency accused the Vietnamese of creating a 3 “tense situation” along the ; border. It said that during 3 the last 16 days, Vietnamese r troops had opened fire many times on Chinese towns and • villages and had sent armed i raiders across the border “to , attack and make provoca- ! tions.”