Imperial Policy and Southeast Asian Nationalism by Hans Antlov Stein Tonnesson

Author:Hans Antlov, Stein Tonnesson [Hans Antlov, Stein Tonnesson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781138992399
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2016-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

Conclusion

On the whole, in terms of international relations, the Chinese policy toward Vietnam in the period 1945–46 was an important aspect of Sino-French post-war relations. But this policy was, after all, an extension of Chinese national policy that placed national interests higher than any other international commitments. For the Chinese central government, this policy was positive and successful, since the Chinese occupation of Vietnam achieved its aim of neutralising Long Yun, maintaining a neutral policy in Vietnamese and Franco-Vietnamese affairs, insuring public order, disarming and repatriating the Japanese troops in Vietnam, transferring Chinese military forces to Manchuria and settling old unresolved issues with France to China's advantage. The Sino-French Treaty of 28 February 1946 must be considered as a significant victory of modern Chinese diplomacy,45 although most of its clauses would not be executed. It proved that from then on China could negotiate with a great European power on a basis of equality.

Actually from 1944, after a century of humiliation and defeats, Chinese diplomacy won several significant victories. The participation in the Dumbarton Oaks Conference (August 1944) and the San Francisco Conference (April 1945) as a founding country of the United Nations promoted China to the position of a real international power, while Great Britain and France remained honoris causa powers. However, China was not yet ready to play a significant role that measured up to her newly won international status. Internal conflicts and the need for reconstruction of the country were so important that China, not without regret, had to content herself with a moderate role in international affairs. The Chinese policy toward Vietnam 1945–46 was a conclusive example. Although it was fairly successful, the moderate role of the Chinese occupation authorities and the withdrawal of the Chinese forces were two bitter pills to swallow for many Chinese diplomats, military officers and residents in Vietnam.

In contrast to traditional Chinese policies toward Vietnam which were more aggressive and ambitious, the Chinese policy during the period 1945–46 was moderate and realistic. After 1949, the Chinese communists became more actively involved in Vietnam by supporting the Việt Minh against the French and the Americans. During the period of Chinese occupation 1945–46, the Chinese neutral policy toward all political forces turned out to be beneficial to everybody except the Vietnamese noncommunist nationalists. The Việt Minh could use the Chinese presence against the French as well as the Vietnamese nationalists; the French exploited it to facilitate their return to northern Vietnam without meeting military resistance from the Vietnamese. Moreover, the Chinese occupation army insured public security and social order in a post-war Vietnam where anarchy might otherwise have prevailed. In post-war Vietnam where the situation was extremely complicated and chaotic, the presence of a police force was no doubt more than necessary. Even the French recognised that the Chinese occupation possibly precluded the ‘massacre of the 30,000 Frenchmen north of the sixteenth parallel.’46 Furthermore, the presence of an important Chinese army dissuaded and prevented armed conflict in Vietnam. Only a few months after the

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