Did america getting its ass kicked mean friendship? I hear alot that vietnam likes america more than china which doesnt sit right with me is that actually true, also they like america but hate the french? I heard vietnam be called the mexico of asia. Maybe its my own personal left wing bias but I literally cannot see any reason why vietnam would respect america and hate china.
Sharing borders with China, they have culturally-held reservations /anger /fear /disgruntledness about China's influence and effects reaching within their lands, and believes China had invaded them or ruled over them unfairly at various points from ancient times to the Vietnamese Communist era, etc etc. All the typical love-and-hate between lands that were side by side for thousands of years with endless cycles of good times and bad. Relationship status: it's complicated.
So Vietnam geopolitically aims to find other great powers—USA in this case, USSR in the past, etc—to counter balance China. Simultaneously, they have been part of the sinosphere for centuries and does know the need and the how of working WITH China too.
I suppose the 1979 incursion would be fresh in the memory of the Vietnamese political apparatus; more so than other alleged historical transgressions.
deleted by creator
Shouldn’t the smaller communist country just roll over for the bigger one?
no, because AES countries run by communist parties aren't stateless, classless, moneyless societies.
I think its bad for communist countries to fights eachother. Shouldnt we want vietnam to sour relations with america and become closer to china? Surely the sentiment about america in vietnam isnt all positive, how can they not hate my country more than I do? They’re actual fucking communists!
Sure, in the abstract, we would like there to be a united communist front against the USA.
But in practice, what does Vietnam want? Survival. You think they are keen for another war with the USA? They already had to deal with decades of warfare and even more economic warfare.