The self-defense counterattack against Vietnam (internationally called "Sino-Vietnamese War") refers to the war between China and Vietnam during 1979, 17 February-16 March.

In the mid-1970s, after Vietnam ended the war against the United States and achieved national reunification, it regarded China as the "number one enemy", and Sino-Vietnamese relations deteriorated sharply, which seriously threatened the peace and stability in the border areas of China and the safety of people's lives and property. In this case, in February of 1979 and 17, according to the orders of the Central Military Commission, the Chinese border guards fought back in self-defense against the Vietnamese troops who invaded China's territory. March 16, all of them withdrew to China to complete the combat mission. On September 17, the Central Military Commission issued an order, awarding 52 heroic model troops, 79 PLA officers and soldiers and 12 militiamen the honorary title of defending the frontier in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam.