Re: Vietnam and China

[xuanlong(9525051) <xuanlong@postech.ac.kr>]

K. cha`o ca'c ba'c, 

Hmm, the topic is so hot that I can help but jumping into fire.
Our most well-known event-teller Tra.ng Tri`nh was said to 
have predicted that our country would have prospered by 
the late of this century. It is true that Vietnam is much 
better off and more peaceful than the past one
or two centuries( by that time standard - sounds stupid? ) but 
actually, if we look back the whole chain of history Vietnam is 
probably at the weakest point economicly, politicly,... in 
comparision with her neighbours. So in the confrontation with
the big guy China that ca'c ba'c have been enthusiatically 
discussing, there is not much Vietnam can do. Sadly, not much
except some loud protesting. 
	A stronger and richer China is, inevitably trying
to exercise its muscle to the outside world with its
thounsands of year old dream of Sinicization where
Vietnam has always been the very first prickle. You might 
wish to see an unstable China falling apart to reduce their
power, as in the case of the former SU. I think that chance 
is very small in a foreseeable future. My humble reasoning is 
that this country is already a big Asian world itself with  
with all factions ( capitalism, religions, communism
whatever names you may count) competing with one another and they
are still progressing, that is they have yet to reach the
the point of peacefully unconciliable conflict. This might
be true or not but an unstable China will seriously affect
the business of Vietnam, from the very vitality of the current
regime to our national economy. So like it or not, at least
Vietnamese leaders would not wish to see such scenario. 
It follows that there is hardly any concret solution for
Vietnamese strategy makers in dealing with the Chinese 
expansion ambition.
    Some fellow villagers also talked about wars with the China.
One can hardly believe if it does any good to us. On the other
hand China may be fond of kind of periodical military clash
with Vietnam which is too small to affect the world's concious 
but yet enough for us to be the big sufferer. Vietnam can never
afford another war, no matter how big or small it may be, if
she wants to catch up with the streamline of the regional economy.  
So lets loudly protest, and protest, at least lets not repeat
the mistakes we did in 1974  to Hoang sa. While awaiting Vietnam
to be able to find an appropriate position internationally
perhaps the Vnese leaders will have to find something affordable 
enough to offer the Chinese in exchange for a peacefull period.
Besides,  the US may be eyeing on the strategical
position of Vietnam, given her remarkable anti-China history,
and geography,... as a formidable power-balance to China in SEA.
So what about inviting them back to make use of the Cam Ranh bay?
This is not easy either but still possible.
     Afterall I still hope what Tra.ng Tri`nh predicted to be true. 
I'm already fed up with being proud of our records againsting 
foreign aggressors while looking at a prosperous South Korea
whose parents generation was just as miserable as ours,
yet whose current standard has become the dream of many Vietnamese.
And now they are beginning to look down on us on our own soil.
That is sad isn't it?. 

Happy China protesting,
	Nguyen X. Long