CaliToday (14/10/2025): For hours last month, dozens of young Vietnamese women lined the streets of Hanoi, their phones poised, waiting to capture a glimpse of the impeccably disciplined troops marching in a grand military parade. But it wasn't their own soldiers they were craning their necks to see. It was the Chinese contingent.
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| FILE PHOTO: Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary To Lam and China's President Xi Jinping wave during a meeting at the office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi on April 14, 2025. |
"It was worth the wait. So cool. I admire their discipline," gushed Le Huyen My, a 22-year-old graduate who traveled from Ho Chi Minh City and camped overnight just to secure a prime viewing spot.
This striking scene is more than just youthful admiration; it reflects a profound and potentially tectonic shift in public perception in Vietnam, a nation with a long and often bloody history of resisting its giant northern neighbor. A palpable softening of attitudes, particularly among the youth, is now allowing Vietnam's leaders to push forward with sensitive, China-backed projects—from high-speed rail links to special economic zones—that were once political dynamite.
Only a few years ago, in 2018, similar proposals sparked violent nationwide protests, fueled by deep-seated suspicion of Chinese intentions. Today, that public resistance has largely subsided, replaced by a growing curiosity and even admiration, driven by a confluence of pragmatic economics and a powerful digital wave.
While a poll by the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute this year showed nearly 75% of Vietnamese still prefer the United States over China as a partner, it also revealed a startling trend: the share favoring China is rising faster in Vietnam than anywhere else in Southeast Asia.
The TikTok Effect
A key driver of this evolving sentiment appears to be social media, particularly TikTok. The platform, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, boasts 67 million users in Vietnam and serves up a curated reality. Searches for "China" in Vietnamese overwhelmingly yield positive content: viral clips of photogenic soldiers performing synchronized dances, slick videos showcasing gleaming futuristic cities, and countless comments from Vietnamese users expressing awe at China's rapid development.
Crucially, contentious issues are often downplayed. According to tests conducted without user profiles to avoid algorithmic bias, searches for the Vietnamese name of the South China Sea—a historical flashpoint of competing claims—are more likely to yield clips about tropical storms or tensions between China and the Philippines, neatly sidestepping the direct conflict with Vietnam. While TikTok’s algorithm is confidential, this digital environment contrasts sharply with the historical narrative of Chinese aggression.
The power of this digital narrative was on full display during the September parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's independence. The sight of Chinese troops marching alongside their Vietnamese counterparts was unprecedented. One TikTok video of the parade garnered 3.3 million views, with thousands of comments praising the Chinese soldiers' "flawless" precision.
Pragmatism Over Nationalism
Analysts caution that this softening view is complex. "Young Vietnamese online sound less strident about China than before, but that owes more to the state's increasingly tightening control of nationalism than to fading resentment," notes Nguyen Khac Giang from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
However, others see a more fundamental realignment at play, spurred by escalating trade tensions with Washington.
"Economic interests are prevailing over nationalism," argues Nguyen Hung, a scholar at RMIT University Vietnam. He points to the Vietnamese government's promotion of a pragmatic approach towards its largest trading partner.
This pivot is visible everywhere. Chinese companies are now among Vietnam's top investors. High-level meetings are frequent, with President Xi Jinping visiting Vietnam twice in the last two years and Vietnam's leader To Lam making Beijing his first overseas destination after his 2024 appointment. State media now regularly report on new economic zones at the Chinese border without stirring public protest.
This political and economic rapprochement is mirrored by a burgeoning cultural interest. According to Google Trends, online searches in Vietnam for Chinese movies and language have surged. In the first quarter of 2025, Vietnam led the world in registrations for the HSK Chinese Proficiency Test, China's official language exam for foreigners.
Yet, as centuries of ambivalent relations have shown, Vietnamese national pride runs deep. After marveling at the visiting troops, Nguyen Hue Van, a 21-year-old student at the parade, offered a sentiment that captures the country's delicate balancing act: "The Chinese troops look fascinating, but our soldiers are still the best."
