IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/sol/wpaper/2013-271426.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The “same bed, different dreams” of Vietnam and China: how (mis)trust could make or break it

Author

Listed:
  • Hong Kong Nguyen-To
  • Quan-Hoang Vuong
  • Manh Tung Ho
  • Thu Trang Vuong

Abstract

The relationship between Vietnam and China could be captured in the Chinese expression of “同床异梦”,which means lying on the same bed but having different dreams. The two countries share certain culturaland political similarities but also diverge vastly in their national interests. This paper adds to the extantliterature on this topic by analyzing the element of trust/mistrust in their interactions in trade-investment,tourism, and defense-security. The analysis shows how the relationship is increasingly interdependent butis equally fragile due to the lack of trust on both sides. The mistrust or even distrust of Chinese subjectsrun deep within the Vietnamese mindset, from the skepticism of Chinese investment, Chinese tourists,discrimination against ethnic Chinese, to the caution against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.The paper forecasts that, despite the deep-seated differences and occasional mistrust, going forward,neither side would risk damaging the status quo even when tensions peak.

Suggested Citation

  • Hong Kong Nguyen-To & Quan-Hoang Vuong & Manh Tung Ho & Thu Trang Vuong, 2018. "The “same bed, different dreams” of Vietnam and China: how (mis)trust could make or break it," Working Papers CEB 18-021, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:sol:wpaper:2013/271426
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://dipot.ulb.ac.be/dspace/bitstream/2013/271426/3/wp18021.pdf
    File Function: Œuvre complète ou partie de l'œuvre
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Manh Tung Ho & Viet-Phuong La & Van Nhue Dam & Bui Quang Khiem & Nghiem Phu Kien Cuong & Thu-Trang Vuong & Hong Kong Nguyen & Ha Viet Nguyen & Hiep-Hung Pham & Nancy K. Napier, 2018. ""Cultural additivity" and how the values and norms of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism co-exist, interact, and influence Vietnamese society: A Bayesian analysis of long-standing folktales,," Working Papers CEB 18-015, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Shufang Wang & Xiao Xue & Axing Zhu & Yuejing Ge, 2017. "The Key Driving Forces for Geo-Economic Relationships between China and ASEAN Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Tam Vu & Byron Gangnes & Ilan Noy, 2008. "Is foreign direct investment good for growth? Evidence from sectoral analysis of China and Vietnam," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 542-562.
    4. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Tran Tri Dung, 2009. "The Cultural Dimensions of the Vietnamese Private Entrepreneurship," Working Papers CEB 09-027.RS, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Ying Zhu & Stephanie Fahey, 2000. "The challenges and opportunities for the trade union movement in the transition era: two socialist market economies -- China and Vietnam," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(3-4), pages 282-299, January.
    6. Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2014. "Vietnam’s political economy: a discussion on the 1986-2016 period," Working Papers CEB 14-010, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    7. Carlyle A. Thayer, 2016. "Vietnam’s Strategy of ‘Cooperating and Struggling’ with China over Maritime Disputes in the South China Sea," Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, , vol. 3(2), pages 200-220, August.
    8. Alice Ba, 2010. "Regional Security in East Asia: ASEAN’s Value Added and Limitations," Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, Institute of Asian Studies, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 29(3), pages 115-130.
    9. Carlyle A. Thayer, 2011. "Chinese Assertiveness in the South China Sea and Southeast Asian Responses," Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, Institute of Asian Studies, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 30(2), pages 77-104.
    10. Napier, Nancy K. & Hoang, Vuong Quan, 2013. "What we see, why we worry, why we hope: Vietnam going forward," OSF Preprints e6xhp, Center for Open Science.
    11. Krislert Samphantharak, 2011. "The Rise of China and Foreign Direct Investment from Southeast Asia," Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, Institute of Asian Studies, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 30(2), pages 65-75.
    12. Wenhui Mao & Huyen Vu & Zening Xie & Wen Chen & Shenglan Tang, 2015. "Systematic Review on Irrational Use of Medicines in China and Vietnam," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    13. Green, Andrew & Gerein, Nancy & Mirzoev, Tolib & Bird, Philippa & Pearson, Stephen & Anh, Le Vu & Martineau, Tim & Mukhopadhyay, Maitrayee & Qian, Xu & Ramani, K.V. & Soors, Werner, 2011. "Health policy processes in maternal health: A comparison of Vietnam, India and China," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(2-3), pages 167-173, May.
    14. Green, Andrew & Gerein, Nancy & Mirzoev, Tolib & Bird, Philippa & Pearson, Stephen & Anh, Le Vu & Martineau, Tim & Mukhopadhyay, Maitrayee & Qian, Xu & Ramani, K.V. & Soors, Werner, 2011. "Health policy processes in maternal health: A comparison of Vietnam, India and China," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(2), pages 167-173.
    15. Kubny, Julia & Voss, Hinrich, 2014. "Benefitting from Chinese FDI? An assessment of vertical linkages with Vietnamese manufacturing firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 731-740.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Si, Hoan Luong Cu, 2019. "Rising consumer debt and interdependence with China: APU graduate students publish on politics and economics in Vietnam," OSF Preprints t63qd, Center for Open Science.
    2. Hong-Hai Ho & Thi-Hanh Vu & Ngoc-Tien Dao & Manh-Tung Ho & Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2019. "When the Poor Buy the Rich: New Evidence on Wealth Effects of Cross-Border Acquisitions," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-15, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2018. "The Internet and the grassroots foundation of civil society in Indochina," Working Papers CEB 18-027, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. , Aisdl, 2014. "Vietnam's Political Economy in Transition (1986-2016)," OSF Preprints 2wxdg, Center for Open Science.
    3. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Thanh-Hang Pham & Trung Tran & Thu-Trang Vuong & Nguyen Manh Cuong & Nguyen Phuc Khanh Linh & Viet-Phuong La & Manh Toan Ho, 2020. "STEM education and outcomes in Vietnam: Views from the social gap and gender issues," Working Papers CEB 20-003, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2014. "The Harsh Reality of Pursuing Innovations: Emerging Market Perspectives," Working Papers CEB 14-028, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Tolib N. Mirzoev & Andrew Green & Ricky Van Kalliecharan, 2015. "Framework for assessing the capacity of a health ministry to conduct health policy processes—a case study from Tajikistan," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 173-185, April.
    6. Vuong, Quan-Hoang, 2014. "Vietnam's Political Economy in Transition (1986-2016)," OSF Preprints 48kus, Center for Open Science.
    7. Vuong, Quan-Hoang, 2017. "The Vietnamese financial economy: reforms and development, 1986-2016," OSF Preprints g7e6t, Center for Open Science.
    8. Trung Tran & Thi-Thu-Hien Le & Thu-Trang Nguyen & Anh-Giang Pham & Thi-Hanh Vu & Minh-Hoang Nguyen & Ha-My Vuong & Thu-Trang Vuong & Phuong-Hanh Hoang & Manh-Toan Ho & Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2019. "The Relationship between Birth Order, Sex, Home Scholarly Culture and Youths’ Reading Practices in Promoting Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development in Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-26, August.
    9. Shimaa Elkomy & Hilary Clistina Ingham & Robert Allan Read, 2018. "Heterogeneous Sectoral Growth Effects of FDI in Egypt," Working Papers 238221684, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    10. Thu-Trang Vuong & Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2018. "L’Indochine française du XXIe-XXe siècle – politique et religions," Working Papers CEB 18-002, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    11. Hilary Ingham & Robert Read & Shimaa Elkomy, 2020. "Aggregate and heterogeneous sectoral growth effects of foreign direct investment in Egypt," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 1511-1528, November.
    12. Ho, Manh-Toan, 2021. "Timeless Data," OSF Preprints gm98w, Center for Open Science.
    13. Nguyen, Hong-Kong T. & Ho, Manh-Toan, 2018. ""Không tìm mà thấy" trong hoạt động khởi nghiệp," OSF Preprints c8mwp, Center for Open Science.
    14. , Aisdl, 2020. "Current Situation of Corruption Offenses and Measures for Improvement of Anti-Corruption Effectiveness in Vietnam’s Economy," OSF Preprints h5ge6, Center for Open Science.
    15. , Aisdl, 2014. "Partner Perspectives—The Harsh Reality of Pursuing Innovations," OSF Preprints 3uatj, Center for Open Science.
    16. Viet-Ha T. Nguyen & Hong Kong Nguyen-To & Thu Trang Vuong & Manh Tung Ho & Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2018. "How swelling debts give rise to a new type of politics in Vietnam," Working Papers CEB 18-026, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    17. Ho, Manh-Toan, 2021. "English or Vietnamese," OSF Preprints bwn9t, Center for Open Science.
    18. Le Ngoc Anh, Hoang & Ho, Manh-Toan, 2019. "Quan hệ hợp tác Việt Nam – Hoa Kỳ trong lĩnh vực giáo dục đại học từ năm 1992 đến năm 2015," Thesis Commons 4gd5x, Center for Open Science.
    19. Lan Nguyen & Hans De Steur, 2021. "Public Acceptability of Policy Interventions to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption in Urban Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-18, December.
    20. Muhammad Ateeq ur REHMAN & Furman ALI & Shang XIE, 2022. "Impact of Foreign Investment News on the Return, Cost of Equity and Cash Flow Activities," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(4), pages 112-127, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F50 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - General
    • F52 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - National Security; Economic Nationalism
    • P21 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Planning, Coordination, and Reform

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sol:wpaper:2013/271426. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Benoit Pauwels (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cebulbe.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.