Vietnam’s Current Perceptions and Policies Regarding Its Relations with China

Abstract

Despite having same political ideologies, Vietnam and China share mutual suspicion and contradictions in their bilateral interactions. Since the normalization of Sino-Vietnamese relations in 1991, In the post-Cold War era, Vietnam-China relations could be called as a mature asymmetry. These have affected strategic considerations in Vietnam’s policy towards China. I argue that Vietnam’s cooperation strategy with China encompasses ‘both cooperation and struggle’. In other words, unlike conditions of mature asymmetry, where both countries attempt to maintain peaceful relations, in the case of Vietnam and China, the responsibility has been placed more in the former rather than the latter. In addition, I argue that though the relations are perceived to be driven by ideological affinity and growing economic interdependence, the ‘trust deficit’ is a determining factor that obstructs the development of the two countries’ relations.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

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28. Ibid.

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37. Dangcongsan, no. 35.

38. Ibid.

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40. Ibid.

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43. Dangcongsan, no. 35.

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53. R. Stone, ‘Mayhem on The Mekong’, Science (333), August 2011, pp. 814–818.

54. See also ĐCSVN, ‘Tạo xung lực mới, động lực mới trong quan hệ Việt Nam—Campuchia’ (‘Create new momentum and new driving force in Vietnam—Cambodia relations’), Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam Online, 8 November 2022 at https://dangcongsan.vn/tieu-diem/tao-xung-luc-moi-dong-luc-moi-trong-quan-he-viet-nam-campuchia-623846.html (Accessed 10 September 2023).

55. See also Nhandan, ‘Hướng tới tầm cao mới của quan hệ Việt Nam-Lào’ (‘Towards new heights of Vietnam-Laos relations’), Nhân Dân Online, 11 April 2023 at https://special.nhandan.vn/Chu-tich-nuoc-tham-Lao/index.html (Accessed 10 September 2023); Nhandan, ‘Động lực mới của quan hệ Việt Nam-Lào’ (‘New driving force of Vietnam-Laos relations’), Nhân Dân Online at https://special.nhandan.vn/dong-luc-phat-trien-moi-cua-quan-he-Vietnam-Lao/index.html (Accessed 10 September 2023).

56. ‘Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s full speech at CSIS’, Bao Chinh phu Online, 16 May 2022 at https://en.baochinhphu.vn/prime-minister-pham-minh-chinhs-full-speech-at-csis-111220516063545637.htm (Accessed 7 January 2023).

57. Cheng-Chwee Kuik, ‘Hedging via Institutions: ASEAN-led Multilateralism in the Age of the Indo-Pacific’, Asian Journal of Peacebuilding 10 (2), 2022, pp.355–386.

58. Xinhua, ‘习近平同越共中央总书记、国家主席阮富仲通电话’ (‘Xi Jinping spoke on the phone with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong’), 新华网, 29 September 2020, at http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/leaders/2020–09/29/c_1126560079.htm (Accessed 12 September 12, 2023).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Van Huy Duong

Van Huy Duong is an Associate Professor, and Director at the Centre for Insular SEA Countries Studies, Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), Vietnam.