Vol 6, No 4 (2022)

The article discusses Russia – Vietnam and China – Vietnam relations in the conditions of the changing geopolitical situation in the world, aggravation of Russia-US/the West relations and the rise of China. It is an attempt to follow the dynamics and development features of two bilateral models, their place and role in the Southeastern Asian region, the influence of external factors on economic, military and political processes, to throw light upon the reaction of the leading Russian and Chinese experts to the relationships in the “Russia – Vietnam – China” system, the specificity of China’s realization of infrastructure projects in the scope of the “One Belt and One Road” initiative in Vietnam.

Geographical features which are mostly considered as privileges to Vietnam are now dragging the country into some international issues namely the South China Sea, The US – China trade war and COVID-19 pandemic. The research points out unique geographical features of Vietnam and how they have been used to Vietnam’s national interest. Then, the research underlines some note-worthy impacts of specific current geographical issues on Vietnam’s and regional economy. By stating and analyzing these issues, the evaluation of the government's economic policies in response can be further clarified. Ultimately, the research provides implications for foreign governments and investors in future cooperation or investment in Vietnam.

In Vietnam’s history virtually every new dynasty existed or emerged as the transition of power through the female line. Tran Thu Do, de-facto the founder of the Tran dynasty, attempted to construct such a system of power succession in the scope of a ruling family (intra-kin marriages, new emperors’ appointments long before their fathers’ deaths, widowed empresses being sent to nunneries) which could have excluded such an opportunity. The system peacefully existed longer than a century, and crashed. The analysis of the “Complete Annals of Dai Viet” and Chinese chronicles shows that the Coup of 1370 was the crucial event in that process. All the chronicles consider it to be supposedly a successful repulse of the attempt to seize power by the Duong House, strange to the Tran dynasty. However, that was the starting point of the final crash of Tran Thu Do’s system and the result was the fall of the dynasty.

In the course of development of Internet, search systems and scientometrics, a unified standard of spelling proper names, toponyms and anthroponyms among them, acquires special importance. The purpose of this article is to suggest such a standard for the papers for publication in editions of the Center for Vietnam and ASEAN Studies of the RAS ICCA. Based on the rules set in previous years, there are some suggestions for spelling Vietnamese letters and their combinations in toponyms and anthroponyms in Russian, as well as the written form of Vietnamese personal names, also in references.

The article provides an overview of the round table held by CIVAS RAS ICCA together with scientists from the VASS Institute for European Studies to discuss the results of the decade-long comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam, as well as an international conference of the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the same Vietnamese partner dedicated to Russian-Vietnamese cooperation in the era of sanctions. Vietnamese scientists are convinced that mutual relations are being strengthened and improved, and interaction is developing in all areas. Russian scientists are more critical. They noted the decline in Russian influence in Vietnam in all areas, which worsened after the start of the NWO. A particularly weak point is trade and economic cooperation. The causes of this phenomenon were analyzed and measures were proposed to correct the situation. According to experts, one of the main conditions for improving the current situation is Vietnam's departure from pro-Western guidelines.

This is a survey of the All-Russian conference “Traditional Vietnam” held by the RAS ICCA and dedicated to the 90th birthyear of D.V. Deopik, one of the founders of Vietnamese studies in Russia. The participants of the conference, over 80 Russian specialists, directly or on-line heard and discussed 13 detailed papers with the themes on Vietnamese philology, archeology, ethnography and Vietnam’s history up to 1945.

The review is given to the handbook “Vietnam – Trade and Investment Partner” – a unique publication that combines the deep knowledge of Vietnam and a business approach that takes into account the interests of Russian entrepreneurs working or planning to work in Vietnam. The authors paid great attention to almost all sectors of the Vietnamese economy, analyzing their problems and assessing the prospects for their development, and also spoke about Vietnam's relations with the main partner countries and international economic organizations. The book provides information about the organization and conditions of doing business in Vietnam. This guide will be very useful to all Russian entrepreneurs who are already working in the Vietnamese market, and especially to those who are going to do so.