Vietnam in China's strategic calculus: An analysis
Dated 11/11/2005
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Vietnam's unique geo-strategic location endows it with a political advantage of figuring in the strategic calculus of all major powers in East Asia and its neighbors in South East Asia.
Vietnam having fought to a military stalemate two major powers in the last quarter of the 20th century, namely the United States and China, ironically, now enjoys strategic and political attention from both these powerful nations.
The United States and Vietnam are not neighbours, but China is. China has a 1281 kilometers long border with Vietnam on its southern periphery.
Communism as the State ideology common to both Vietnam and China has not prevented conflicts and adversarial relations in the past. Border disputes both on land and sea are still under negotiation. Vietnam perceived China's opening to the United States in 1972 as a great betrayal of their common cause then. Vietnam was attacked by China in 1979 to "teach a lesson" but failed in its military coercion. Diplomatic ties were thereafter broken and not resumed till 1990s.
China thereafter has paid particular attention to improvement and rebuilding its relations with Vietnam. High level visits from China now keep taking place. The recent visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao was a significant one in this direction from October 31, November 2, 2005.
First, a look at what makes Vietnam figure so prominently in China
