New Studies on Japan and Asia

Delegates listened to and discussed two scientific reports by Dr. Nham Thi Ly and MSc. Tran Thi Quynh Trang (Faculty of Oriental Studies).

Dr. Nham Thi Ly presented the report "Mutual assistance in the life of the Chinese community in Vietnam through a survey of Chinese documents". The report examines the mutual assistance of the Chinese community in Vietnam through an analysis of the content of written documents such as royal decrees, royal decrees, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, etc. Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia, a gateway on the international trade route, so it has had trade relations with countries in the region since ancient times. Since the 16th and 17th centuries, in many coastal areas of Vietnam, groups of Chinese merchants have appeared to temporarily settle and trade. Since the end of the Le Dynasty, the Nguyen Lords in Dang Trong created favorable conditions for the Chinese to settle permanently and organize commercial activities in this area. Surveying the Chinese documents in Vietnam that are still preserved to this day, the report shows that mutual assistance is a common activity in the community activities of the Chinese. Through village activities and communal cultural and religious rituals in the assembly halls, the Chinese have a sense of mutual protection and assistance. Mutual assistance and solidarity help the Chinese promote their social role, affirm the prestige of the community and maintain their economic position in the native country where they reside.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh chaired the discussion

Commenting on the report, Dr. Vo Minh Vu (Faculty of Oriental Studies) said that this study used a source of material that was rarely used in previous studies, which is the material of inscriptions, royal decrees, horizontal lacquered boards, and hunger sentences. The report addresses one of the most fundamental issues in the study of overseas Chinese, which is mutual assistance - a manifestation of the network nature that is considered a characteristic of the overseas Chinese community. However, the commentator also said that although the author has many analyses of mutual assistance in each assembly hall, these are only individual analyses of the content of the documents and have not made any historical or contemporary comparisons. If the materials are compared in a historical direction, the author is fully capable of clearly reconstructing the image of overseas Chinese society in the past and present, the relationship within the state, between the state and the homeland of overseas Chinese, or between states.

The second scientific report in the discussion was “Trade and investment relations between Thailand and Vietnam in the first 5 years of the 21st century (2001-2005)” by young researcher Tran Thi Quynh Trang. The report stated that the first 5 years of the 21st century have witnessed many remarkable results in the trade and investment relationship between Vietnam and Thailand. The mutual support relationship between Vietnam and Thailand in the economic field in general and the trade and investment field in particular is not only clearly demonstrated at the government level but also spreads to private enterprises. The report delves into the causes, achievements and challenges in the trade and investment relationship between the two countries, and assesses the impact and influence of this cooperative relationship on economic development and friendly cooperation between the two countries in the present and the future.

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh took a souvenir photo with delegates attending the seminar.

Commenting on this report, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Dung (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences) commented: the author has made many efforts to clarify the current status of Vietnam-Thailand trade and investment relations in the period 2001-2005 and thereby help identify the development of the relationship between the two countries in recent times. However, the commentator also suggested that the author should make a comparison to help clarify the main points in the trade and investment relations between the two countries in this period, what are the limitations, what are the obstacles... compared to other periods.

The seminar is part of a series of scientific activities by young researchers of the Faculty of Oriental Studies to announce new research results on Japan and Asia, and at the same time create a playground for young researchers to learn and exchange experiences to improve their research capacity. The seminar series is sponsored by the Toshiba Foundation (Japan).