China and the Vietnam Wars, 1950–1975 by Qiang Zhai

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Book Review: China and the Vietnam Wars, 1950–1975 by Qiang Zhai
China and the Vietnam Wars, 1950–1975 by Qiang Zhai argues how China contributed heavily to the achievements of Vietnamese Communism. However, the people of Vietnam have never acknowledged China’s role and how it succeeded in assisting communism. Through the prose, we can see how Zhai captures the Vietnam War’s intricacies. However, while many Western scholars focus on the contributions of nations like the United States and other Western powers, Zhai explores the mysterious involvement of China and its role in the Vietnam War. With this masterpiece, the author provides a comprehensive history that captures the way Chinese policies and the omnipresent relationship change between Hanoi and Beijing, mainly when the Vietnam communists started to fight with US and Western forces. Throughout the analysis, Zhai provides evidence that showcases China’s role and how policymaking influenced the country’s role.
In the introduction, the author states that “the book attempts to redress this deficiency by drawing on fresh Chinese documents to present a full-length treatment of the evolution of the Sino-DRV relationship between the two Indochina wars, with a focus on the strategic, political, and military aspects” (18). Through the book, we can see that there was limited contact or association between Vietnamese and Chinese communists. However, in 1949, there was a close association between the communists from both sides, which led to China contributing significantly to the war. It was through the advice of Chinese military officers that the Vietnam army was restructured in 1951. The Chinese advisors oversaw the training, from the officers to the squad level. The Chinese military also oversaw the planning and directing of all campaigns. Chapter 1 showcases these associations, particularly how Ho Chi Minh related to the Chinese communists in the early 1920s when he was actively engaged with the French Communist Party.
As we can see from the author’s approach, diverse sources and archived materials are comprehensively used to back up the arguments with evidence. Zhai also shows that the Chinese were ready to ease the French involvement in Indochina without provoking the United States. The goal was to cement China as a strong peacemaker in the conflict. This is why they worked closely with the Soviet Union during the Geneva Conference 1954. This is demonstrated by the evidence presented in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, we can see ...