Vietnam’s Foreign Relations and its socio-economical influences

Throughout the second Indochina war i.e. in the time period between 1954-75, North Vietnam looked for balance relations with its two most important allies. These were China and the Soviet Union. By the year 1975, tension started out to grow. The reason can be mentioned as Beijing more and more viewed Vietnam as a possible Soviet instrument to circle China.

In next four years, Beijing continuously support Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge and this attitude of Beijing activated Vietnamese suspicions of China’s motives.

It can be seen that China-Vietnam relations notably deteriorated after Hanoi established a ban in March 1978. The ban was specifically on private trade. This was mostly affecting Sino-Vietnamese. The following incidents were Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia in the year December 1978. In February 1979 another incident took place and it was invasion of China. Both this incidents launched a month-long retaliatory penetration over Vietnam’s northern border.

At that time Vietnam faced disconnection on Chinese aid its international relations were also not good. In this situation Vietnam established closer-fitting ties with the Soviet Union and also with its allies. Vietnam tied the knot in the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance whose abbreviated term was Comecon.

By 1980s, Vietnam got nearly 3 billion U.S. dollar a year. This was military and economic aid from the Soviet Union. Vietnam conducted most of its deal or trade with Soviet Union and with other Comecon countries.

But Soviet and East bloc economic aid rejected during the perestroika era. It stopped entirely after the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 1989 Vietnam withdrew its troops from Cambodia and before that it did not begin to emerge from international isolation. Just after Paris Agreements in the year 1991, Vietnam based economic and diplomatic relations with ASEAN. Some of the other countries were from Northeast Asia and Western Europe.