[Meanwhile] Sinicization of Vietnam?

Vietnam is the destination chosen by most Korean companies who left China because of the changing environment. But strangely, Vietnam’s political environment is increasingly resembling China’s.

YOU SANG-CHULThe author is the head of the China Institute of the JoongAng Ilbo and CEO of China Lab. Last year marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and China and between Korea and Vietnam. I still have vivid memories of Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visiting Seoul in December.

About a month upon returning, Phuc suddenly resigned. He supposedly stepped down for his ethical responsibility for two vice prime ministers who were involved in a corruption scandal, as both of them are close to him. Others are attributing his resignation to an ongoing power struggle.

The Vietnamese Communist Party adopts a group leadership system led by four heavyweights: the general secretary, the president, the prime minister and the speaker of the National Assembly. The secretary general controls the party and the military while overseeing the state affairs. The president is in charge of diplomacy and national defense whereas the prime minister manages the administration and the speaker handles legislation.

But what matters in the Vietnamese politics is the balance between the North and the South. Generally, someone from Hanoi in the North takes the position of the general secretary while the Southern faction based in Ho Chi Minh serves as the prime minister. Current Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, born in Hanoi in 1944, is the notable figure from the Northern faction.

When he rose to power in 2011, he was the only one from the North among the four leaders. But he successfully strengthened his power by pursuing a strict anti-corruption campaign in 2016, taking a que from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

His strict campaign, “No prohibited areas and no exception,” expelled 100,000 party members, including four members of the politburo. As a result, the power landscape changed. Among the four leaders, Nguyen Xuan Phuc who recently resigned as president was the only one from the South. With his departure, no one from the South is left.

In particular, current Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong successfully extended his term for the third consecutive time with an exception for a “special candidate” in January 2021. He is the longest-serving general secretary since the Vietnam War ended in 1975.

When Chinese leader Xi Jinping succeeded in his third consecutive term in October 2022, Nguyen Phu Trong was the first foreign head of state to visit Beijing to celebrate. In return, Xi awarded him with the highest medal for a foreigner. The two are socialists to the bone, sharing the vision of pursuing economic development led by state-run companies.

As they have both opened the way to extend their rule by promoting the fight against corruption, some call it a “Sinification of Vietnam.” Vietnam is the country with which Korea has recorded the largest trade surplus at $34.2 billion last year. Nine thousand Korean companies and 200,000 Koreans are residing there. Danang in central Vietnam is frequently visited by Koreans.

Ironically, Vietnam is the destination chosen by most Korean companies who left China because of the changing environment. But, strangely, Vietnam’s political environment is increasingly resembling China’s. This is why we need to pay attention to Vietnam’s changes.