Vietnam-China Relations since the End of the Cold War

Abstract

There are two broad approaches to analyzing the dynamics of Vietnam-China relations. One emphasizes the historical memories that have conditioned and shaped the relationship. For some 10 centuries (from 3 B.C. to A.D. 1000), the Vietnamese were under the direct rule of the Chinese. During this long period, while the Vietnamese selectively assimilated much of Chinese culture, they remained intensely nationalistic. To the Vietnamese, the years of Chinese rule and domination are a reminder of Vietnam's weakness and vulnerability vis-a'-vis its huge neighbor. The second approach focuses on external forces and geopolitical considerations. The view is that, historical memories aside, Vietnam-China relations are essentially shaped by the conjunction of geographical proximity, changing ideological configurations, and the evolving nature of relations among China, the former Soviet Union, and the U.S. The two approaches are not necessarily irreconcilable. Indeed, the interplay of history and geopolitics contributes to the inevitable tension between the two countries. This interplay has the potential to be either constructive or destructive, depending on how the two countries choose to manage the relationship. To illustrate, the breakdown of Sino-Vietnamese relations from 1979 to 1991 can be explained by Vietnam's failure to maintain a balance in its relations with China and the former Soviet Union. When China cut off all economic aid to Vietnam in 1978 and Vietnam-U.S. negotiations to normalize relations broke down, Vietnam turned to the Soviet Union. As the late Nguyen Co Thach noted, the decision to join the Soviet-sponsored Council for Mutual Economic Assistance would not have been necessary had Chinese aid not been cut.1 But Beijing construed the move to mean Vietnam and the