Review Article: Status of The Study of “Vietnam-China Relations” in Vietnamese Documents

Abstract

The topic of “Vietnam-China relations” has once again become of interest to Vietnamese academics as a consequence of the formal normalization of relations between the two countries in 1991. Since then, research on many dimensions of Vietnam-China relations been conducted. The topic has been studied broadly and in-depth, both inside and outside of Vietnam. This article examines the background and present status of studies on Vietnam-China relations in Vietnamese articles, books and documents. The purpose is to view the latest subjects and the contexts/conditions of interest to Vietnamese academics/researchers. The study found three main points of interest: 1) overall Vietnam-China relations (politics, foreign affairs-diplomacy, economy, society); 2) economics, trade and investment; and 3) the dispute over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. In this article, the discussion of each point will include examples of issues along with the names of authors who have done exceptional work on that particular issue. The contexts/ conditions that have an impact on the study of those issues will also be discussed.