Living Next to the Giant: The Political Economy of Vietnam's Relations with China under Doi Moi

Indochina Unit

by Hong Hiep Le

This book examines how the interaction between political and economic factors under Doi Moi has shaped Vietnam's China policy and bilateral relations since the late 1980s. After providing a historical background, the book examines the conflicting effects that Doi Moi has generated on bilateral relations. It demonstrates that Vietnam's economic considerations following the adoption of Doi Moi contributed decidedly to the Sino-Vietnamese normalization in 1991 as well as the continuous improvements in bilateral ties ever since. At the same time, Vietnam's economic activities in the South China Sea and China's responses have intensified bilateral rivalry and put their ties under considerable strains. The book goes on to argue that Doi Moi has indeed brought Vietnam newfound opportunities to develop a multi-level omni-directional hedging strategy against China. Finally, the book concludes by looking at the prospects of democratization in both countries and assessing the future trajectory of their relations under such circumstances. As the most comprehensive and up-to-date survey of Vietnam's relations with China over the past thirty years, the book is a useful reference source for academics, policymakers, students, and anyone interested in contemporary Vietnam foreign policy in general and Vietnam–China relations in particular.

Genres: China

259 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2016

Reviews

[Court · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good analysis here, but the author seems a little too credulous about democratic peace theory and the prospects of democratization in both Vietnam and China. He assumes a linear progression from authoritarian communism to liberal democracy that I think is being challenged, especially by China, in recent years. It also doesn’t account for the failures of democratic “revolutions” in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

[Hunter Marston · Rating 4 out of 5]

An invaluable resource for understanding Vietnamese foreign policy and the Vietnam-China relationship, although the chapter on democratization sort of came out of nowhere and seemed a bit of a theoretical stretch. At any rate, Hiep's study is top notch and a must-read for Vietnam scholars.