VietNamNet Bridge - Chinese have immigrated to Vietnam for a long time. The first time was recorded in the 3rd century B.C. During the next millennium, many waves of migration of Chinese to Vietnam were reported, with different reasons.

Foreign laborers flood Vietnam

After historical upheavals, the number of Chinese immigrants in Vietnam got higher. They resided in commercial places and gradually formed Chinatowns, for example Van Don in the 15th century, Pho Hien in the 16th century, Hoi an in the 17th century and Sai Gon – Cho Lon in the 18th – 19th centuries.

Today, Chinese immigration still continues, by different ways. Most of them are unskilled workers who are employed by Chinese contractors for EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contracts in Vietnam.

According to unofficial statistics made by the media, around 90 percent of the EPC contracts in Vietnam are implemented by Chinese contractors, who not only import materials, equipment but also unskilled workers into Vietnam.

The massive come of Chinese workers has caused big concerns about security and order in the localities where they reside, for example the case of Ninh Binh. Moreover, this fact also causes job shortage for local Vietnamese laborers.

Previously, China successfully “exported” farmers to Africa and now it is very successful in “exporting” low-cost labor to the countries where Chinese contractors take advantage, for instance Vietnam.

Different from Africa, Vietnam is crowded and its land is limited while the economy is still based in agriculture. Along with industrialization, vast areas of fat land have been devoted to industrial zones, golf courses, etc. Vietnamese farmers are facing serious shortage of cultivated land and housing land. If Chinese workers continue immigrating into Vietnam, where will Vietnamese go in next decades?

Because of historical, social conditions and natural exchange, Chinese communities appear throughout the world. Everywhere, they leave their Chinese marks – Chinatowns, which are built by Chinese. Their presence and success have contributed to the prosperity of the countries where they live.

However, in the conditions of Vietnam, as being analyzed in the previous paragraphs, and the history of Chinese towns in the world, the construction of a brand new town for Chinese as the Dong Do Dai Pho in the southern province of Binh Duong, by Becamex IJC, has caused worries.

This project was kicked off on 26 hectares of land in the new city of Binh Duong in early May 2011, using the Chinatown model in other countries.

On its website, Becamex advertised that this is the first project for the Chinese community to live, to business and develop in Binh Duong. Dong Do Dai Pho is not only a trade center, but also has housing, offices, restaurants, schools and service centers in Chinese architecture.

The construction of a Chinese-style pagoda named Chua Ba Thien Hau Thanh Mau commenced in February to serve the future residents of this town.

The investor said this project aims to attract the community of 120,000 Chinese in Binh Duong in particular and Chinese in southern Vietnam in general. Becamex also wanted to call for the investment of over 1,000 Chinese-speaking foreign-invested firms in Binh Duong.

Becamex’s announcement wrote: “Dong Do Dai Pho will be the place to connect and form the prospering Chinese community”. There are around 800,000 Chinese-origin people in Vietnam, half of them in HCM City.

Some questioned why a Vietnamese company has to build a Chinatown, not the town of any other community in the heart of a city which will be the administration center of a province? Why they do not let a characteristic Chinatown to take shape itself like they have been for thousands of years in the world? Whether Vietnamese will be banned from here, in their country, like the case of an international casino in Da Nang city or a golf course in the border town of Mong Cai?

In recent years, some southern provinces like Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh expressed their ideas to change their administration centers. Binh Duong is the pioneer in building a new city, where will host local government agencies in the future. However, after building some facilities, this province has carried out a project for the Chinese community.

If other provinces learn from Binh Duong, will more Chinatowns be formed in Vietnam, by Vietnamese? At that time, whether Vietnamese will be driven back from the centers of new cities in the future? Do Vietnamese investors think that in a not-far future, Vietnamese will not be the owner of their land?

The argument of investor of Chinatown project

Becamex IJC said that the media reported wrongly about the Dong Do Dai Pho project because this project is not designed for Chinese only, but for Asian businessmen in Binh Duong. However, this firm’s website said differently.

On the website, Becamex advertised the Dong Do Dai Pho project as follows:

“Dong Do Dai Pho – Chinatown – New city of Binh Duong. The Chinatown in the center of the new city of Binh Duong. Investor Becamex IJC.

Monday, 30th May 2011

Becamex IJC: The construction of Dong Do Trade Center – Binh Duong new city is kicked off
Posted by Dong Do Dai Pho at 12:00

… As the outstanding point of the Dong Do Dai Pho project, the Dong Do trading center is built on 8146sq.m…. with fashion, household ware, electronic wares, … designed luxuriously and harmoniously in modern style but still imprints the traditional architecture of Chinese.

The skillful combination of colors and traditional icons of Chinese represent the prosperity, regalness and immortality with time….

Mr. Quoc Tuan, one of the first clients, said: “I’ve researched and invested in many project in the Binh Duong new city, but this is the first time I heard of a project designed for Chinese only… I have been convinced by the luxurious design, with traditional style of Chinese and overall the utilities offered by this project”.

Even the name of this project “Dong Do Dai Pho” is not a Vietnamese name.

TVN