초록 열기/닫기 버튼
Relationality as the status and process of interaction among actors in a given arena is the premise of individual actor’s decision making and practices of its role(s) in either a bilateral or multilateral relationships. This article assumes that the historical memory and political ideology, as well as the structural restraints, with the representation of state’s role conception(s), are crucial factors shaping the relationality in its interpretation and manipulation of relationships with other actors. This article investigates Vietnam’s relationship with China from the abovementioned angle and argues that Hanoi holds an intrinsic mentality which is the mixture of historical legacies, including East Asian tribute system and the indigenous characteristic of socialist comradeship. Such a complicated mentality of Vietnam in managing relationship with China is better analyzed through the metaphor of role: the vassal state. The main argument of this article focuses on how the vassal state role has guided Hanoi to act and respond to many episodes occurring in the bilateral relationship with Beijing.
