Sorry, I am too lazy to come up with the wiki. It's really difficult to find anything on the web analyzing sino-vietnam war. Therefore, I have to write new one - on the PLA side.
If anyone disagree with me, please don't be angry, it is just one side of the view.
It's true that China did not force a Vietnamese withdrawal from Cambodia, or settle the border disputes between the PRC and Vietnam. but from what I have heard from a university teacher who was a battalion officer in the war, the story goes like this:
1. PLA at that time was largely undermined by the culture revolution. they even cancel the rank system! Most of the armies are far from well-trained or well-supplied. (Since all training and manufacture were paused or undermined during the culture revolution. many Veteran Officers were in jail or under house arrest) On the contrary, Vietnamese had just win a war.
2. PLA in fact did achieve well in the war since most of the time they are against a typical Maoist style Guerrilla warfare. They were fighting with civilians!
3. PLA did make many tactical victory against the standard divisions of Vietnamese. Especial when they crashed a whole division(338 or sth. I forget). But those divisions are not the best. The best set up a defense line near the capital. There was also a soviet battalion near the defense line. This is one of the reason for the withdraw of the PLA. It may cause heavy casualty and risk breaking a war with USSR.
4. The only tactical failure on the large scale which PLA made, was losing a whole regiment when withdraw due to the poor judgment of the commanders.
5. most of the casualty of PLA are done by civilians and traps. (I guess that's what happened to the US troops,either).
6. casualties reported are largely not accurate since on the one side, PLA do not have the rank system, on the other side, the civilian Guerrilla warfare(civilians are not soldiers, right?:shudder ), and on the both side, the propaganda needs.
7. PLA did seemed to failed a war on the western standard, but it did stop Vietnamese from harass the borders and caused some fear among the vietnamese Armies. It did achieve its punitive goal.
Sorry to bring the topic this far, but there is a slight connection.
Vietnam with USSR support harassed the border of PRC and made claims the territory since they toke the PRC's tolerance as weakness.
If UK do tolerant its citizens being killed, it will bring negative effects.
therefore, I completely agree the following:
Also although Europe has gotten soft over the years, I doubt it will watch its servicemen die at the hands of any aggressor.