Assessing Sino-Vietnamese Relations through the Management of Contentious Issues

This article analyses the relationship between China and Vietnam since 1975 with a focus on developments since full normalization of relations in late 1991. The study encompasses the major developments in the relationship, i.e. the deterioration of relations during the late 1970s, the period of continued conflict and tension in the 1980s, the process of normalization of relations between China and Vietnam in the late 1980s and early 1990s; and developments since full normalization of relations. The following issues are discussed and assessed: differing perceptions of the Soviet Union, relations to and influence in Cambodia, the ethnic Chinese in Vietnam, and territorial disputes. The article concludes with an evaluation of progress made, lessons learned, and the remaining challenges to managing disputes in Sino-Vietnamese relations.