“Win-Win”: Ethnic Minorities and Kinh People’s Relationship in Agricultural Development in the Vietnam-China Border Area

Abstract

The article analyses the relationship between ethnic minorities and the Kinh people in agricultural activities in the Vietnam-China border area. When migrating to the border areas, the Kinh chose a “win-win” strategy for economic development concerning ethnic minorities. In this relationship, the Kinh people have gained many benefits in sharing land resources, stabilising their lives, and becoming prosperous. Ethnic minorities have also benefited from changing economic thinking and increasing awareness about the transformation of commodity agriculture. However, in that relationship, some factors also prevent ethnic minorities from reaping as many benefits as the Kinh people. These factors create conflicts over land, and production losses due to price pressure and unfair competition, which lead to negative emotions and prejudices affecting ethnic relations and national unity in border areas. This calls for a more effective policy to manage the relationship between ethnic minorities and the Kinh people in the border areas.