A Study Of China’s Aid To Laos (1960-1965)

Based on the open archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this thesis is a study onChina’s foreign aid by analyzing China’s aid to Laos. China’s aid to Laos began underthe context of the confrontation in Indochina between the US-led alliance, the SovietUnion-led alliance and the US hostile policy towards the socialist China and its plot ofwaging the war to the border between China and Laos. In order to safeguard China’snational security and abide by the agreement that defined Laos as a neutral country inthe Geneva Conference, China carried out its aid to Laos to avoid its being drawn intothe alliance against China. As early as1956, China proposed to provide assistance toLaos, but Chinese genuine open assistance began to Laos is in the late1960. In1961when China and Laos established formal diplomatic relations at the warming ofbilateral relations, the aid requests from Laos reached the maximum number. Fromfirearms, ammunition and other military supplies to food, clothes and other civiliangoods, China’s assistance to Laos was all-inclusive. In1962, the Kennedyadministration escalated its intervention in Laos and generated Nam Tha Crisis nearChina’s border, posing a great threat to China’s national security. Therefore, Chinaincreased its aid to Laos and set up a specialized agency responsible for assistanceaffairs to Laos. The aid included military and police equipment and supplies,production tools, general merchandise and cash loans, etc. In particular, Chinadoubled its efforts to aid China’s neighboring regions of Nam Tha and Muang Sing. In1963, due to changes in Laotian political situation, the centrist power-holder tookrepressive policy toward left-wing. China reduced its assistance to Laos and mainlysupported leftist and center-left people. In1964, Phouma government changed itsattitude toward China and made some anti-China remarks. This year, Chinese aid toLaos reached its bottom over the years, and China only openly aided some central-leftfigures. In1965, the situation remained the same as that in1964. As SouvannaPhouma and Kong Le’s attitude toward China turned moderate, Chinese aid to Laos increased slightly over the previous year. Although China’s economic strength was farbehind US and the situation in Laos was complicated, China succeeded in realizing itsstrategic goal of safeguarding Laos’s neutral status and China’s border security bymeans of rationally allotting the aiding resources and flexibly dealing with thecomplicated political situation in Laos.