How many countries has China invaded in its history?

TL;DR — between 1 and 4 or 5 foreign countries, up to 6 or 7 if you loosely define "country".

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China as a western style nation state did not exist for most of Chinese civilization's history nor the histories of its neighbours. The Westphalian system was imposed on it and its neighbours during the Qing Dynasty. So let's start there.

The Qing Dynasty invaded and occasionally absorbed many territories, but these were not countries at the time, but tributary states or tribes that needed to be put in their place. In the later years, Qing China itself got invaded by all major powers in the world, except the USA.

This was China 大清帝國 when it drew its Westphalian style borders.

The Republic of China was busy invading itself (the Warlords Era) before consolidating its rule over most of China in 1928, only to be invaded by Japan three years later. In all seriousness, the warlords were not independent sovereign states, so these don't really count as invasions of countries either.

With their own governments, stamps, currencies, and armies: each faction could be considered countries, stretching definition and imagination.

The People's Republic of China has quite the colourful invasion record since 1949. Arguably, China has not occupied the countries that it invaded. Asterisk. Read on...

1945 Manchukuo (honourable mention)

This is technically the feat of the Chinese Communist Party as this is before the founding of the PRC. And technically, Manchukuo is not a legitimate country, and China claims all of it as their land. The Soviets helped airlift Chinese Communist units to Manchuria, setting the chess board for the Chinese Civil War, round 2.

1949 China

Yes, China invaded China. When the PRC was founded, it did not control most of southern and western Mainland of China. This was complete by 1950. The Republic of China has turtled ever since on Taiwan. In their POV, (PR) China reasserted control over their sovereign territory, as there can only be one legit government of China (which the ROC also agrees and reaffirmed in 1992). Thus, occupied ROC is not considered an occupation, by China nor by the UN.

1950 Tibet (honourable mention)

Except Tibet was not a country or widely-recognized nation state. In their POV, China reasserted control over their sovereign territory, as Tibet had been continuously claimed since the Qing Dynasty adopted demarcated borders. Thus, occupied Tibet is not considered an occupation, by China nor by the UN.

1950 North and South Korea

Technically not an invasion, but an intervention. The UN forces got too close for comfort to the Chinese border and there were talks of US forces continuing into Manchuria to aid the ROC government in recovering the Mainland of China. Result: hundreds of thousands killed in a foreign war that did not change anything.

1962 India

China invaded Aksai Chin and Arunchal Pradesh but in their POV, China reasserted control over their sovereign territory as they did not and still do not recognize the MacMahon Line. The conflict was supposedly due to Mao losing patience from Nehru for delaying negotiations, as an overwhelming tour de force would convince Nehru to talk. Instead, it made a whole generation of Indians hate Nehru and hate China. Eventually, India and China agreed to respect the line of actual control in Aksai Chin (i.e. de facto giving it to China) but Arunchal Pradesh aka South Tibet aka Tawang is still an unresolved issue.

1969 Soviet Union

Yes, China got into a land war in Asia, and invaded Russia. Kinda. In their POV, China reasserted control over their sovereign territory as Zhenbao Island was supposedly handed over to China in exchange for Russia keeping the rest of the land they stole from 1858 to 1860.

1979 Vietnam

China invaded Vietnam to demonstrate that the Soviet Union cannot protect its ally down south. Also it was Deng Xiaopeng's dramatic way of showing that he is undisputedly the new "emperor" of China and master of geopolitical brinkmanship.

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About Chinese not from China

Chinese not from China is an overseas Chinese educated on Chinese history, fluent in two Chinese languages, and raised in Chinese culture. Learn more about me.