By Qi Jianguo

Editor's Note:

Qi Jianguo (Qi), former Chinese Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, recently accompanied Vu Khoan, former secretary of the Central Committee of Vietnamese Communist Party and former Deputy Prime Minister, in a series of friendly exchanges in China.

Qi was Chinese ambassador to Vietnam from July 2000 to February 2006. Before leaving office, he was awarded the "Friendship Medal" by the Vietnamese government, which is the highest honor awarded to foreign organizations and individuals that have made great contributions in promoting relations with Vietnam.

The following is part of his interview with Guangzhou-based Nanfengchuang magazine (NFC) on Sino-Vietnamese relations.

NFC: The year 2010 will see the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Vietnamese diplomatic relations. What does this mean to the development of the relations between the two countries?

Qi: As far as I know, both Chinese and Vietnamese people and the leaders hope the two sides can continue to be friends for generations.

I think we should try to solve the existing historical problems and conflicts between the two countries because this generation has a deep mutual friendship and trust.

NFC: Most ordinary Chinese are unfamiliar with Vietnam. As you worked and lived there for years, what opinions and comments do you have on the changes in Sino-Vietnamese relations?

Qi: I worked in Vietnam for a total of 17 years at four different points. Every time I went to Vietnam, the tasks and duties were different, closely related to the historical conditions and background and indicating the changes in the Sino- Vietnamese relations.

The first period was from 1973 to 1977 when Vietnam was fighting for national independence and liberation. Sino-Vietnamese relations were good and the work went on smoothly.

The second period was from 1982 to 1986 when the two countries were still clashing over the border. Besides simple diplomatic relations, the two sides basically had no contact and we did not have much work.

The third period was from 1993 to 1996 when I was the Chief Political Counselor of the Chinese embassy in Vietnam. An armistice was established, and relations were normalized in November 1991. The major work was to end the quarrels of the past and open up the future.

The fourth was from 2000 to 2006, when I was Chinese ambassador to Vietnam. The two countries have entered a stage of comprehensive development of friendly relations, and that continues till today.

NFC: Chinese leaders have often visited Vietnam, and in November 2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao became the first foreign leader to speak at the Vietnamese National Assembly podium. What influence has this had?

Qi: Vietnamese leaders have often visited China too, from which we can see that the relationship between the two countries is close. To tell the truth, Vietnamese "reform and opening-up" policy has followed the Chinese route. Due to Vietnamese strong self-esteem, its leaders didn't say this publically, but confided in me privately, "We are learning from you."

NFC: Some border issues still remain, and there has been popular protest in Vietnam over Chinese investment. Does this mean that the Vietnamese government is weak at controlling its people?

Qi: Now that the Beibu Gulf issues have been resolved, China and Vietnam have only one problem: the South China Sea, which includes two major regions, the Xisha Islands and the Nansha Islands. China has advocated "shelving disputes and seeking common development."

Currently, the public in both countries are somewhat dissatisfied with each other and this has even caused some conflicts in other areas. I think it results from the unsolved South China Sea issue.

People in China may not know that Vietnam has comparative freedom of speech, and the government doesn't seek to control the press. That is why some anti-China voices are heard.

But we must have a clear understanding that those who oppose cooperation with China cannot represent all the Vietnamese people. They will not substantially affect Sino-Vietnamese relations. It is well known that the relationship between China and Vietnam is entirely managed by senior leaders of both sides.

At present, the survival and development of Vietnam depends on cooperation with the outside world, especially with China.

The investment of Chinese enterprises on Vietnam aluminum ore has been halted, but it's because both sides haven't reached an agreement in the amount of investment, holding power, construction plan and revenue.

It is not due to "the successful impediment of anti-Chinese forces in Vietnam" as the rumors said. When the enterprises have successfully negotiated the next step, the project will certainly be started.

In addition, when the Chinese media advocates cooperation with Vietnam, it often emphasizes too much on the strength and opportunity of Chinese enterprises, rather than objectively discuss how to achieve a mutually beneficial win-win situation with the other side.

This will make the other side have a fearful and resistant mentality, and doesn't help the normal development of mutual cooperation.

There are some irrational people in both China and Vietnam, even including some scholars, who always call for military actions to solve the disputes. I think this idea is very naive and irresponsible.

My view is that, at present, there is no possibility of war between China and Vietnam, because "China doesn't want to fight and Vietnam dares not to fight."

To be a great country with a good image, China will not take the initiative to use the means of war against its neighbors, while Vietnam had been at war for many years and the losses were very huge.

Vietnam is very clear about the adverse consequences of war and will not make such a choice easily.

NFC: The impact of Chinese culture in Vietnam is very far-reaching. For example, Chinese TV programs have had a very great impact in Vietnam since the beginning of the 21st century. Now, Vietnam is also actively developing friendships with many other countries. Will Chinese culture continue to influence Vietnam?

Qi: Over the past 10 years, many Chinese TV programs, such as Journey to the West and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, have been very popular in Vietnam. Vietnamese television stations broadcast Chinese TV programs every day and each program attracts a wide audience.

Many Chinese may not know that all the Chinese TV programs broadcast in Vietnam have no Vietnamese dubbing, just using simple narration to explain. However, such a primitive approach still attracted a lot of ordinary people.

The reason for this is that China and Vietnam have similar cultures. Not only the common people but also the Vietnamese government recognized the situations in Chinese television series, such as A Village Chief.

This helps to show that China and Vietnam have very similar conditions and encountered the same problems. Thus, it is easy to generate cultural influence.

Now, the cultures of Japan, South Korea, Europe and the US are gradually having some impact in Vietnam.

But I don't think we need to worry that the impact of Chinese culture will be decreased, as the historical friendship between Vietnam and China is very deep and we have a lot of things in common.