A Research On Chinese Policy Towards Vietnam During Period Of The Thaw In Sino-US Relations (1968-1972)

Since the beginning of foundation, the People’s Republic of China has been helping Vietnam with its independent war and the Indochina Revolution, providing military assistance and logistic aids. During the 1950 s, China and Vietnam developed a close “comrade” alliance.But at the end of 1960 s and beginning of 1970 s, China’s diplomatic policy moved into a transition period, gradually from the emphasis of “beating the enemies with both fists” to the practical “allying USA against the Soviet Union” policy. This change terminated the 20 years hostility between PRC and USA, which made China’s former alliance-the North Vietnam feel very unease. In addition, affected by the increasingly warm relations between the Soviet Union and Vietnam and the widening divergence between PRC and Vietnam, China adapted its diplomatic policy several times in order to sooth its relationship with USA, consequently leading the Sino-Vietnam relationship into a new direction.Part Ⅰ discusses the come-into-being of the Chinese “allying USA against the Soviet Union” policy as well as the alteration of Chinese diplomatic policy with Vietnam during that time. After the Czech-Slovak Incident and the Treasure Island Incident, Mao Zedong confirmed his worries concerning the military threats of the Soviet Union and the fact that USA was desperately trying to get out of the Vietnam War. Eventually, these factors contributed to Mao’s decision of collaborating USA to fight against the Soviet Union. But at the meantime, Mao did not give up his belief of supporting global revolution; therefore, he decided to enforce the “allying USA against the Soviet Union” policy while maintaining previous diplomatic policy with Vietnam: China would look for opportunities of establishing Sino-USA diplomatic relationship on one hand, and would continue to support the people of Vietnam to fight for against USA. At the same time, the Soviet Union enhanced its support of the Northern Vietnam and developed an ever closer relationship with the Northern Vietnam in consideration of surrounding China and South-east Asia through the control of the Northern Vietnam. Consequently, in consideration that the Northern Vietnam’s increasing indifference of China’s advice and its insistence to participate into the Vietnam-USA negotiation, Mao decided to keep a distance from the Northern Vietnam while sending signal to make peace with USA.Chapter Ⅱ, in the 1970 s USA expanded the Vietnam War to Laos and Cambodia; the situation in Indochina developed some new changes; Mao began to reevaluate the seriousness of USA’s threatening effects. And at that time in domestic China, there was a upsurge of assisting the people of the three countries of Indochina, making Mao slow down the pace of unfreezing Sino-US diplomatic relationship. But soon, as the USA army retreated from Cambodia, Mao sensed USA’s sincerity of retreating from the entire area of Indochina. In consideration of the still existing threats of the Soviet Union and the decreasing of China’s influence over the Northern Vietnam, Mao decided to readapt the diplomatic policy with Vietnam: resuming a larger scale of assistance to Vietnam, so as to neutralize the influence of the Soviet Union and to carry out China’s promise of supporting peoples’ revolutions.Chapter Ⅲ, with Kissinger and Nixon’s visits to PRC, it became a fact that Sino-US relations were soothed. To sooner realize the “allying USA against the Soviet Union” policy, China again changed its diplomatic policy with Vietnam: actively facilitating the peace-negotiation, instead of the previous pro-war attitude. Ultimately, Vietnam and China gradually grew apart in the 1970 s because of China’s constant changing, sometimes even conflicting foreign policies and Vietnam’s consideration of strategic interests. The trend of Sino-USA friends reformed the forces in the Indochina area and resulted the Sino-Vietnam relations going from friendly to hostile. As China continued enforce its “allying USA against the Soviet Union” policy while Vietnam embraced the support of Soviet Union, these two countries were in great tension.