Tim Marshall

“Vietnam is an irritation for China. For
centuries the two have squabbled over territory, and unfortunately
for both this is the one area to the south which has a border an
army can get across without too much trouble – which partially
explains the 1,000-year domination and occupation of Vietnam by
China from 111 BCE to 938 CE and their brief cross-border war of
1979. However, as China’s military prowess grows, Vietnam will be
less inclined to get drawn into a shooting match and will either cosy
up even closer to the Americans for protection or quietly begin
shifting diplomatically to become friends with Beijing. That both
countries are nominally ideologically Communist has little to do
with the state of their relationship: it is their shared geography that
has dened relations. Viewed from Beijing, Vietnam is only a minor
threat and a problem that can be managed”
― Tim Marshall, Prisoners of Geography

“Chinese involvement is an attractive proposition for many African governments. Beijing and the big Chinese companies don’t ask difficult questions about human rights, they don’t demand economic reform or even suggest that certain African leaders stop stealing their countries’ wealth as the IMF or World Bank might. All the Chinese want is the oil, the minerals, the precious metals and the markets. This is an equitable government-to-government relationship, but we will see increasing tension between local populations and the Chinese workforces often brought in to assist the big projects. This in turn may draw Beijing more into the local politics, and require it to have some sort of minor military presence in various countries.”
― Tim Marshall, Prisoners of Geography