VietNamNet Bridge – All the Chinese dynasties since the Qin Shi Huang reign have sent troops to invade and dominate Vietnam. However, each one of them, sooner or later, tasted the bitter ashes of defeat.

The East Sea has gotten “choppy” in recent days because of China’s bellicose behaviors. Their provocative acts have led to high tensions in the whole region. Chinese expansionism, which has existed for millennia, has once again reared its ugly head.

VietNamNet conducted an interview on the matter with Dr. Nguyen Khac Thuan, former Head of the Asian Studies Research Institute, and now Dean of Vietnamese Studies & Tourism of Nguyen Tat Thanh University.

There was no Chinese dynasty which did not evade Vietnam

VNN: In the past, Vietnam many times was invaded by its “northern feudal neighbor”. China was always an aggressive giant. However, miraculously, Chinese troops have always suffered bitter defeats, despite their great strength. These have been recorded in history. What do you think was the Vietnamese strength which helped drive the Chinese out of Vietnamese territory?

NKT: All Chinese dynasties, since the Qin Shi Huang reign, have nurtured hegemony. They sent their best generals and powerful armies to Vietnam, bringing food, weapons, and medicine, and mobilizing their best strategists to plot the conquest of our nation.

In theory, it was nearly impossible for Vietnam, a small country, to fight against such a giant. However, Vietnamese, who faced a formidable enemy, still struggled resiliently, as acknowledged by Emperor Quang Trung, to let everyone know that Vietnam is a heroic country owned by Vietnamese.

The Vietnamese strength lay in solidarity. All Vietnamese believe that they need to fight against invaders and protect their homes and communities. When enemies come, everyone goes to the front, from the kings and royal families to the court officials, from military forces to normal people, from old men to young women.

The enemies had to confront not only battle-hardened combatants, but also confront a whole nation well-organized and united.

And nowadays, when facing new challenges, Vietnamese remind each other of President Ho Chi Minh’s saying: “Doan ket, doan ket, dai doan ket. Thanh cong, thanh cong, dai thanh cong” (“Unity, unity, great unity will bring success, success, great success”).

“Big” does not always mean “strong”

VNN: Is there any difference in the two sides’ balance of power in the past and nowadays? I read a document which says that under the Qing dynasty, China made up 45 percent of the world’s GDP, but the Qing army was still defeated when invading Vietnam. What do you think about this?

NKT: Vietnam, if compared with China, is very small in terms of territorial area and population. Therefore, confronting Chinese is not something the faint of heart would dare to do. They would get dazed, lose the fighting spirit and self-confidence needed to stand up, let alone go to the front with weapons in hand.

China, under all of its dynasties, has had stronger economic power than Vietnam. It was very powerful under the Qing dynasty, but even more powerful under the Yuan dynasty. Even Europe was frightened by them, while Asia was devastated by the Mongolian Yuan Empire.

However, those cruel and terrifying troops suffered defeat after defeat during all three attacks on Dai Viet, then the name of Vietnam.

The Vietnamese army, at that time, was fortunate enough to be commanded by the great general Tran Hung Dao. That said, the decisive factor behind the victory was that Dai Viet was an unyielding and united nation.

VNN: Has Vietnam drawn any lessons from the resistance against the “peril from the north” that our ancestors successfully carried out?

NKT: The main ideas of expansionism were drawn up right at time of the Qin Shi Huang, and were later inherited and developed by ensuing dynasties and administrations.

The three main principles of Chinese expansionism throughout history have been 1) maintain good relations with distant countries, while conquering nearby ones;  2) settle “matters of the south” first, and “matters of the north” later; 3) proceed in the manner of silkworms eating mulberry.[Slowly but steadily, small silkworms manage to consume all the mulberries in a garden. – reporters]

I have to remind you that China implements its expansionism not only when it is at the peak of its strength. It may also carry out the plan because of internal problems. It tries to draw the public’s attention away from domestic problems and to the external activities.

VNN: What would you say about the dangers Vietnam is facing and how Vietnamese should prepare to protect our fatherland?

NKT: Invasion and domination, subjugation and assimilation, bloody repression and political deception – all the masks have become too familiar to Vietnam because they have been used by China for the past thousands of years. However, Chinese always taste defeat in the end.

In the name of a tenacious nation, perhaps we should remind the ambitious Chinese ruling power that anyone, without justice, will not gain anything valuable.

Duy Chien