Inter-communist conflicts and Vietnam

The conflicts between the socialist states of Vietnam, China and Kampuchea form a crisis of great significance for socialists and a turning point in world affairs. In general terms socialists have to face up to what is now a pattern in the relationship of neighboring Communist states. As these are currently organized, they have regularly got into conflict with each other. The first of these conflicts began with the emergence of the second socialist state to gain its existence primarily through its own armed struggle: Yugoslavia. Within three years it was isolated and anathematized by the Soviet Union. Without going through the entire list of these disputes, mention must be made of the central conflict, around which is axed the imperialist strategy of today—the Sino-Soviet conflict. The contemporary degeneration of relations between the Communist states in and bordering Southeast Asia, is only the latest in a succession almost as long in time as the existence of a plurality of socialist countries.