Re: Vietnam and China

[Buulong Nguyen <buulong@dutmpw1.tudelft.nl>]

Dear anh Huy,

Thanks a lot for your analysis and information.

Could you please provide us more information on commonwealth with France?
- What are the requirements for membership?
- Does Vietnam with its today's political system fulfill those requirements?
(with other words: Are there requirements on political structure to members?)
- If "no", do you think Vietnamese leaders are ready to revise/adapt 
their policy (Hopefully I do still not touch a taboo subject :-)).

Hope to hear more from you.


On Thu, 20 Mar 1997 huy.duong@ctsu.ox.ac.uk wrote:

> Dear anh Long and friends,
> 
> I don't think China's deal to buy aircraft carriers materialised.
> In anycase, having the AC is one thing but it takes many years to
> obtain the ability to operate a battle group with aircraft carrier.
> On the other hand, Vietnam is already experienced in operating
> fighters vectored by radars. And an aircraft carrier can field a
> limited numbers of planes. 
> 
> Politically, a battle group with aircraft carrier is primarily an instrument
> for the projection of power. The US, Japan and ASEAN will be threatened
> if China sends a battle group with aircraft carrier into the centre
> of South East Asia. Regarding this, it is important that the US
> sees this as agression by a dictatorship against civil ASEAN, not
> a fight between two brothers.
> 
> About France. Recently France has been the first country to propose many
> peace keeping operations. France is one of the countries that is quickest to
> send forces to protect its interests and nationals. In the 80s France helped
> Chad, once its colony, to fight Lybian aggression. France was one of the 
> countries which defined the borders between Vietnam and China. If Vietnam asks 
> France for help to defend these borders, France's pride and colonial romanticity
> will oblige it to give at least material help. We have only to gain to enter 
> into treaty with France. 
> 
> Huy
> 
> 
>