2020/12/07 by Robert S. Ross · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Environmental Science · #Vietnamese History and Culture Studies #Economic Zones and Regional Development #International Maritime Law Issues
paper · doi:10.1080/10670564.2020.1852737
openalex publication_date 2020/12/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
In the twenty-first century, China and Vietnam have experienced heightened conflict over their disputes in the South China Sea. But Chinese policy and the writings of Chinese observers make clear that, for China, this conflict is a struggle between a great power and its smaller neighbor over China’s demand for a sphere of influence on its borders. Since 1949, the People’s Republic of China has consistently maintained that Vietnam reject strategic cooperation with an extra-regional power. For Vietnam, however, China’s looming presence poses an existential threat that drives Vietnamese leaders to seek support from extra-regional powers. Since 2010, China has relied on coercive diplomacy and threats of crisis escalation to constrain Vietnamese reliance on outside powers, especially the United States, to challenge Chinese interests.