Communist China
Along with the Soviet Union, Communist China was an important strategic ally of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The Chinese Communist Party provided arms, military training and essential supplies to help the communist North defeat capitalist South Vietnam and its ally, the United States, between 1954 and 1975. During 1964 to 1969, Communist China reportedly sent over 300,000 troops, mostly in anti-aircraft divisions to combat in Vietnam. However, the Vietnamese communists remained suspicious of China's perceived attempts to increase its influence over Vietnam.