The Preliminary Convention and the affirmation of Vietnam’s sovereignty and legal status

Abstract

In the context where the country faced risks of multidimensional conflicts and had not yet been widely recognized internationally, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam signing the Preliminary Convention (Convention preliminaire) with France on March 6, 1946, opened up a legal foundation for foreign affairs and became a strategic step to affirm Vietnam’s status and legality on the international stage. This article focuses on clarifying the role of the Preliminary Convention in establishing sovereignty and status, its legal significance, thereby evaluating its impacts on the formation of Vietnam’s diplomatic policy in the subsequent period.