The Comparing Vietnam’s Relationswith Laos And Cambodia In The Post-cold War: On The Perspective Of Asymmetry

This dissertation discusses the comparison of Vietnam’s relations with Laos andCambodia in the Post-Cold War and illustrates the dichotomy among the neighboringpairs in the context of dependency and also placing special emphasis on theirindividual interdependence. Historically, the three states Vietnam, Laos, andCambodia have had a long-standing relationship because all three were Frenchcolonies. The peoples of these countries have experienced slavery for hundreds ofyears and have had a tradition of militant solidarity in their resistance against theircommon enemies. The relationships between these three nations have beenparticularly close, especially since1975when the Vietnam War ended and thecountries adopted communist ideologies. As the discussion has revealed the influenceof economically and military stronger Vietnam over the highly dependent Laos andCambodia in aids and other economic inducements, it is obvious that the policies ofLaos and Cambodia are certainly been affected by the will and support of Vietnam asit regards its capabilities. Also, the relationships have been affected by the influenceof other world powers in the region such as the United States and China and itsneighbors, such as Thailand.This paper also highlights the factors involved in the influence of Vietnam’spolicies over Laos and Cambodia in their triangular relationship. In the last decade ofthis relationship, a huge external transactions or international trade and foreign directinvestment have linked the pairs with the rest of the world, particularly the Asianregion, EU region and as well as the US region. The relationship involving thisunprecedented development has grown cordially and speedily making the pairs moreopen to other economies around the world as it relates to universal standards. Alsothe issues of joint ventures and bilateral aid flows have consolidated this link moreconveniently in the interest of their individual interest.In spite of the international transaction, internal liberalization and transitionhave trailed with huge missteps resulting in misrepresentation of international tradeand appropriate investment flows as well as underdeveloped internal intimate sectorswith other external integration mechanism. With continued external integration in theform of binding international trade and investment agreements can help promoteinternal liberalization and development among the pairs domestic private sectorthrough their triangular relationship and protect their international competition. In the mist of improved quest of this relationship and since the new millennium,the lead country in this triangular arrangement, Vietnam has gone very slow on itspowerful move and has given the others (Laos and Cambodia) the opportunity todeepen some reforms and improve and develop their economies and institutions inorder to strengthen and broaden their export initiatives and increase the space of theirforeign direct investments. In the direction of improving this relationship, Vietnamhas provided a swift front direction of the others international assistance towardsdeveloping their human and educational capacities for effective and efficientdevelopment in the future of their relations.This paper also analyzes the way in which Vietnam exercises its policies andinfluence over its counterparts in the relationship and the manner in which itmanaged it hard, soft and smart power over them. An unique position of Vietnam as acommunist republic with its unprecedented economic transformation is analyzed andits relations with other countries in the Asian region. Laos and Cambodia individualrelations with Vietnam is also be analyzed to show how their individual power shifttowards Vietnam is taking place and how these relationships validate Vietnam’sdominant and hegemony power. Vietnam’s role and engagement in ASEAN itselfwould also be to be examined to show leadership capabilities and see how farVietnam influence stretches, how active Vietnam truly is in the regional arena.This paper also provides a further analysis to solidify the future of thisrelationship, in a link of a comprehensive and the quality of international trade andinvestment growth and effective integration within the ASEAN community isrequired by the trio for further development and integration within a coordinatedcommunity.