Research on Vietnam-China Cross-border Ethnic Relations: Approach, Theory and Analysis

Abstract

Viewing the border not merely as a division but as a social space, this study examines ethnic relations along the Vietnam-China border through three theoretical lenses: the theory of third space, the theory of banal cosmopolitanism, and the theory of nation-state building. Accordingly, the article concentrates on the analysis of crossborder marriages, criminal activities, labour migration, and trade interactions among ethnic minorities within the backdrop of well-established cross-border local institutions, as well as the contemporary developments and opening-up policies in China and Vietnam.