Vietnam is often held up as proof of China’s underwhelming soft power in Southeast Asia: a millennium of resistance against Chinese domination, a border war within living memory, unresolved maritime disputes and elite surveys that consistently show Vietnamese respondents’ deep distrust of Beijing.
Yet beneath these strategic tensions, a quieter shift is under way. Young Vietnamese are warming to Chinese culture, language, lifestyles and economic opportunity. From crowds queuing for Labubu toys to a scramble for Chinese-language jobs, and from Chinese content going viral
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