Vietnam: The slow road to reform

Abstract

Vietnam, the third largest communist state, faces a growing internal crisis because of the country's virtually complete international isolation, its involvement in Kampuchea, and its ageing party leadership. Within the communist bloc only the Soviet Union offers Vietnam significant assistance. This economic dependence is set to grow in the coming years. At Vietnam's sixth party congress, in December 1986, the three senior communist leaders all resigned, raising expectations of thoroughgoing change. Subsequent developments indicate, however, that the necessity of retaining a balance between reformists and traditionalists within the leadership has meant that meaningful reform of the country's economy still remains for the future. The substantial delay in matching changes in government with those in the party leadership indicates that the reformists are still lacking a full mandate for tackling the country's problems.