China and the Vietnam Wars, 1950-1975 - (New Cold War History) by Qiang Zhai (Paperback)

About the Book

Drawing on newly released Chinese sources, Qiang Zhai traces the rise and fall of the Sino-Vietnamese alliance in the quarter century after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Book Synopsis

In the quarter century after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Beijing assisted Vietnam in its struggle against two formidable foes, France and the United States. Indeed, the rise and fall of this alliance is one of the most crucial developments in the history of the Cold War in Asia. Drawing on newly released Chinese archival sources, memoirs and diaries, and documentary collections, Qiang Zhai offers the first comprehensive exploration of Beijing's Indochina policy and the historical, domestic, and international contexts within which it developed.

In examining China's conduct toward Vietnam, Zhai provides important insights into Mao Zedong's foreign policy and the ideological and geopolitical motives behind it. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he shows, Mao considered the United States the primary threat to the security of the recent Communist victory in China and therefore saw support for Ho Chi Minh as a good way to weaken American influence in Southeast Asia. In the late 1960s and 1970s, however, when Mao perceived a greater threat from the Soviet Union, he began to adjust his policies and encourage the North Vietnamese to accept a peace agreement with the United States.

Review Quotes

Fair-minded, clearly written, and deeply researched, Zhai's study supersedes all previous works on the subject .

"Journal of Military History"

"Fair-minded, clearly written, and deeply researched, Zhai's study supersedes all previous works on the subject .

"Journal of Military History""

A must for those working within the field of Cold War history.

"Journal of Peace Research"

An engaging account of the thoughts and actions of the decision makers on both sides of the Sino-Vietnamese connection.

"American Journal of Chinese Studies"

As groundbreaking as it is clear.

"Intelligence and National Security"

The key role of Mao's China in arming and guiding the thirty-year struggle has only now been clarified by . . . Zhai.

"London Review of Books"

About the Author

Qiang Zhai is professor of history at Auburn University Montgomery in Alabama.