Nationwide pro-democracy protests in Burma are violently suppressed by the military; Aung San Suu Kyi emerges as an opposition leader.
Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces clash at Johnson South Reef in the Spratly Islands; about 64 Vietnamese sailors are killed.
Vietnam completes the withdrawal of its troops from Cambodia, opening the way to the Cambodian peace process.
Mass peaceful demonstrations in Manila oust President Ferdinand Marcos and bring Corazon Aquino to power.
The 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam adopts Đổi Mới, shifting to a socialist-oriented market economy.
Vietnam and China normalise relations after more than a decade of hostility.
The National Assembly adopts a new constitution enshrining the Đổi Mới reforms and a multi-sector economy.