On March 14, 1988, the Battle of Chigua Reef was fought fiercely in the waters of the Nansha Islands, and the Chinese Navy and the Vietnamese army fought to the death for the islands and reefs. This short but fierce battle, which lasted only 3 hours and 20 minutes, was significant. It has changed the situation in which China does not have a single soldier in the Nansha Islands, and has extended China's maritime control to the south by nearly 500 kilometers.
After the battle began, the Chinese navy successfully sank two Vietnamese ships, severely damaged one, and captured more than 40 Vietnamese soldiers at a small cost. In just 28 minutes, the Chinese Navy annihilated nearly 200 enemies and captured 9 prisoners, demonstrating its tenacious combat effectiveness and fearless spirit of sacrifice. In this battle, the Chinese Navy quickly launched a counterattack after landing on the reef, demonstrating efficient coordinated combat capabilities.
However, the battle also exposed China's lack of attention to the South China Sea at the time, and its lack of strategic awareness of this vast expanse far from the mainland. During the battle, General Chen Weiwen received many instructions on "not to cause trouble, not to shoot first, not to show weakness, not to suffer losses, and not to lose face", which undoubtedly limited the actions of the Chinese Navy in battle. Although the Chinese Navy successfully repelled the Vietnamese army, it failed to take advantage of the victory to pursue and recover all the islands and reefs in the Spratlys, which became an eternal regret in the hearts of the officers and men participating in the battle.
It is worth mentioning that Yang Zhiliang, a hero who was slightly wounded in battle, later grew up to become a major general of the republic. On March 15, 2017, a certain escort detachment of the South China Sea Fleet held a ceremony to award the "Deep Blue Sword", aiming to commemorate the March 14 naval battle, and to strengthen the officers and soldiers not to forget their original intentions and continue to move forward.