The cultural element of Sino-Vietnamese relations in policies of direct foreign aid from 1950-1975

Abstract

The relationship between China and Vietnam is a complex set of interactions, positive and negative, dating back centuries. In his lengthy study on Sino-Vietnamese conflict Eugene Lawson stated that "of all the countries in the world, China is the only nation which has continuously and pervasively influenced Vietnam for almost 2,000 years. China over-shadows Vietnam geographically, demographically, linguistically, culturally, and politically."1 A longstanding relationship between the two is undeniable, and the different iterations of this association have proven to vacillate between harmony and conflict. Contemporary thoughts on Chinese use of "soft power" politically claim this tactic as a new development, but as this thesis will explain China has been utilizing soft power tactics with its neighbors for decades, if not centuries, particularly with their neighbors to the south in Vietnam. The soft power used by China is particularly relevant in Vietnam given cultural and political closeness of the Sino-Vietnamese relationship. In order to further explain the impact of Chinese soft power in the 20th century this study draws upon various cultural and mass media projects from both China and Vietnam to demonstrate the interplay between cultural narratives and political policies.