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Why did Silla fight Tang forces after defeating Baekje and Goguryeo?

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Map of the Korean Peninsula highlighted in orange, showing North Korea in the north and South Korea in the south. The peninsula is bordered by China and Russia to the north, the Yellow Sea to the west, the East Sea (Sea of Japan) to the east, and Japan across the sea to the southeast. A small inset globe at the top left shows the peninsula's location in East Asia. — Korea Map of the Korean Peninsula, indicating northern and southern regions.

After the defeat of Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, Silla engaged in nearly a decade of conflict against the Tang dynasty to secure its sovereignty.

While the Silla-Tang alliance was initially formed to subjugate the rival Korean kingdoms, the Tang dynasty sought to maintain control over the peninsula following these victories. Silla fought to expel these Chinese forces to prevent foreign domination and ensure the establishment of a truly unified and independent kingdom on the Korean peninsula.12