Chinese-Vietnamese relations were severely strained last year by the promulgation of the Vietnamese naturalization law which required all aliens born in Vietnam to be naturalized as citizens. As the Chinese form by far the largest element of the foreign population in the country, the law had the effect of being directed especially against the Chinese. The Chinese government made repeated representations to the Vietnamese authorities on various grounds. While China had no intention of interfering in the domestic legislation of Vietnam, she expressed the hope that Vietnam could see her way to allow aliens the option of choosing their own citizenship. After considerable negotiations, Vietnam finally refrained from pressing the issue. The Foreign Minister's recent visit to Saigon, therefore, represented the conclusion of a long series of negotiations which resulted to the satisfaction of both parties concerned.
Over the centuries, China and Vietnam have been living side by side as brother countries, to use an old Chinese expression. By and large, the relations were marked by mutual understanding and pleasant interchange of visits and gifts. It was not until the end of the nineteenth century that the good relations between China and Annam, as Vietnam was formerly called, were interrupted. During World War II, Chinese troops went into Vietnam to rescue it from the hands of the Japanese. After the establishment of the Ngo Dinh Diem government, China was one of the first countries to give it recognition. All through the difficult negotiations over the question of naturalization, Foreign Minister Yeh had uppermost in his mind this long history of friendship and refused to take any action which might alienate Vietnam. He showed his greatness as a statesman by looking at the question not as an insoluble dispute between the two countries but rather as a minor disagreement between two brothers which would only take time to reconcile. Of course, it takes two sides to settle a dispute, but Minister Yeh's patience and readiness to proffer the conciliating hand had a lot to do with preventing the situation from deteriorating into an impasse.
It is too early to make an assessment of the accomplishments of the Foreign Minister in his last mission, as the agreements on cultural exchange and assistance to Vietnam to develop certain agricultural and industrial projects, which he reached with the Vietnamese authorities, will take time to implement. However, one of the most valuable results of his visit to the southern country is the improvement of the anti-Communist climate in Asia. The mere estrangement between two important anti-Communist countries such as Free China and Vietnam would give the Communists great satisfaction. In fact, should inability to reach agreement continue for any length of time, they would, in view of the serious Communist threat to them both, present a ridiculous picture to the outside world.
On the positive side, the Foreign Minister's mission may be said to have sown the seeds for future cooperation and joint efforts of the two countries against the Communists. In his statement to the press on his return from Vietnam, Minister Yeh said: "President Ngo Dinh Diem feels that mere possession of military might and technical skill may defeat the Communists but it will not wipe out Communism in Asia. This approach to the problem of combating Communism has our full support and will form the basis upon which Vietnam and China will develop their cultural cooperation."
It is a sad commentary on the peoples of Vietnam and China that with their hoary civilization and venerable ancient culture, some of their own children had to listen to false prophets. Instead of seeking spiritual comfort and national salvation through revitalizing time-honored virtues and moral principles, some base elements in the two countries had to listen to the ravings of a neurotic German exile who died in a London garret and the desperate rantings of the Tsarist criminals. For the recovery of their lost territories and liberation of their people under the Communist yoke, the two countries need spiritual rehabilitation and moral regeneration no less than they need big guns, airplanes and guided missiles.
In their fight against Communism, the free countries are laboring under great disadvantages, not the least of which is the fact that while the Communist aggressors are usually under the single, unified command of the Kremlin, the free countries fighting against a common, inexorable enemy choose to do so each at its own free will and each in its own way. The result is that the Communists gained ground everywhere while the free countries retreated on all fronts. If the support given by China to the Vietnamese government for its anti-Communist stand is reciprocated, if substantial exchange of information on anti-Communist strategy can be explored by the future exchange of high-level visits, which are expected to follow the Foreign Minister's last mission, then there will be hope for the two countries as well as for other free countries in Asia.